Department of Physics

IIT Kanpur
PHY 102 - HW2
Aug-Dec 2014
a b
Figure 1: Figure for various problems
1. A particle moves outward along a spiral. Its trajectory is given by r = (t)/, and
(t) = t
2
/2, with being a constant,
(a) express the acceleration and velocity of the particle as a function of .
(b) sketch the motion in x y plane.
(c) show that the radial acceleration is zero when = 1/

2 rad.
2. A wheel of radius R rolls along the ground with velocity V . A pebble is carefully released
on top of the wheel so that it is instantaneously at rest on the wheel.
(a) show that the pebble will immediately y o the wheel if V >

Rg.
(b) show that in case where V <

Rg, and the coecient of friction is 1, the pebble

starts to slide when the wheel has rotated by an angle given by cos( + /4) =
V
2
/(

2Rg).
3. A car is driven on a large revolving platform which rotates with constant angular speed
. At t = 0 a driver leaves the origin and follows a line painted radially outwards on the
platform with a constant speed v
0
. The total weight of the car is W and the coecient
of friction between the car and the platform is .
(a) Find the acceleration of the car as a function of time using polar coordinates.
(b) Find the time t at which the car just starts to skid.
(c) Find the direction of the frictional force with respect to the instantaneous posi-
tion vector r, just before the car starts to skid. Show various components of the
acceleration and the frictional force clearly in a diagram.
4. Consider a particle of mass m, constrained to move in only dimension (say x), under the
inuence of the following restoring forces, with the initial position and velocity being 0
and v
0
, respectively. Find the subsequent velocity and position, as a function of time for
the following:
(a) a uniform force with linear frictional damping, F = mg v . What is the velocity
as t . Can it be estimated without solving the dierential equation.
(b) a restoring force given by F = be
v
Phy102: Introduction to Mechanics Rajendra Prasad, Amit Agarwal
Phy102 Page 2 of 2 HW2
5. A mass m whirls around on a string, which passes through a ring. Initially the mass is
at a distance r
0
from the centre and is revolving at an angular velocity
0
. The string
is pulled at a constant velocity V starting from t = 0, so that the radial distance of the
mass decreases [see Fig1. a)]. Draw a force diagram and obtain a dierential equation
for . Find (t) and the force needed to pull the string.
6. A device called a capstan is used in ships to control a rope which is under great tension.
The rope is wrapped around a xed drum, as shown in Fig. 1b). The load on the rope
pulls it with a tension T
A
, and the sailor holds it with a much smaller force T
B
. Show
that when the rope is just about to slip, T
A
= T
B
e

, where is the coecient of friction

between the rope and the drum and is the total angle subtended by the rope on the
drum.