PHYS101 Midterm Exam Solution-Set

Department of Physics
Spring 2014 - April 11, 2014

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c
2014
Department of Physics, Eastern Mediterranean University
Questions:
1. A small sphere of mass m = 1 kg is attached to the end of a massless cord of length
R = 1 m and set into motion in a horizontal circle about a fixed point O on a frictionless surface as shown in the figure below. (The cord remains horizontal during the
motion)
horizontal xy-plane

(a) Draw the free body diagram for the mass m.

O

Solution:
(a)

(b) If the tension of the cord is T = 16N, calculate

the speed of the sphere.

(b)

v2
Fx = T = mar = T = m r =
s
r
Tr
16N 1m
m
v =
=
=4
m
1kg
s

2. Two objects are connected by a light string that passes over a frictionless and massless
pulley as shown in the figure below. Assume the incline is a rough surface with
friction and take m1 = 1 kg and the angle is = 37 . The mass m2 is just about to
slide down the incline. (Objects are not moving)

(a) Draw the free body diagrams for the masses m1 and m2 .
Solution:

(b) For the given coefficient of static friction s = 0.5 calculate the maximum mass
m2 .
Solution:
From the Free Body diagram of m1 we get:

Fy = T m1 g = 0 = T = m1 g
From the Free Body diagram of m2 we get:

Fx
Fy

= Fg2 sin T f s = 0

(1)

= FN Fg2 cos = 0

(2)

From (2) we get

FN = m2 g cos = f s = s FN = s m2 g cos

(3)

(3) in (2) gives

m1
sin s cos
1kg
m2 =
= 4.94kg

sin 37 0.5 cos 37

m2 g sin m1 g m2 g cos s = 0 = m2 =

3. A particle moves along the x-axis. Its position is given by the equation
x (t) = 2 + 3t t2 , with x (t) in meters and t in seconds.
(a) Find the magnitude of the displacement the particle undergoes between t = 1s
and t = 3s.
Solution:
x (1s) = 2 + 3 1 = 4m, x (3s) = 2 + 9 9 = 2m
Then we get for the magnitude of Displacement |x | = | x (3s) x (1s)| = 2m.
(b) Find the magnitude of the average velocity in the time interval t = 1s and t = 3s.
Solution:
Magnitude of the average velocity in the time interval t = 2s is given as

|v avg | =

2m
m
|x |
=
=1
|t|
2s
s

(c) Determine the position of the particle when it changes its direction.
Solution:
The point where the particle changes is direction is determined by the root of the
velocity, therefore we have to determine first the instantaneous velocity v(t).
v(t) = x 0 (t) = 3 2t

(4)

v(t) = 0 corresponds tot t = 3/2, so we get for the position where this happens
x (1.5s) = 4.25m.
(d) Determine the particles velocity when it returns to the position it had at t = 0.
Solution:
First we have to calculate the time the particle needs to return to its starting
position at t = 0.
x (t) = 2 + 3t t2 = x (0) = 3t t2 = 0 (3 t)t = 0 t = 0 or t = 3s
As t = 0 is the starting point, we need to calculate the velocity (4) at t = 3s
v(3s) = 3 2 3 = 3m/s

4
3
2
1
1

-1
-2

4. A movie stunt driver on a motorcycle speeds horizontally off a 50m high cliff. If the
motorcycle will land 90m from the base of the cliff, (ignore any kind of friction or
resistance)

(a) Find the time of flight,

(b) Find its initial speed in x-direction v x0 ,
(c) Find its acceleration vector just before
hitting the ground.

(a) Solution:
As in this case the height of the cliff is given and the y-component of the initial
velocity is 0, then we can calculate the time of flight as follows:
s
s
1 2
2y0
2 50m
1 2
=
y(t) = y0 + vy0 t gt = y0 gt = 0 t =
= 3.19s
2
2
g
9.8 sm2
(b) Solution:
As we have the time of flight, and the range of the projectile motion, keeping
in mind that there is no acceleration in x-direction, we can calculate the initial
velocity as follows
x (t) = x0 + v x0 t = v x0 t = v x0 =

90m
m
x (t)
=
= 28.21 .
t
3.19s
s

(c) Solution:
The acceleration of the particle is at every point of its motion

~a = gj.