PHYSICS I PROBLEMS KINEMATICS OF A PARTICLE

1. A particle moving in a straight line with constant acceleration covers 5 m in 2 s, and 7 m

in the next 2 s. Find the particle’s initial velocity and its acceleration. Which distance
will the particle cover in the next 4 s?
Sol.: 20 m
√
2. A particle is moving on the positive part of the x-axis with a velocity v = c x, where
c is a positive constant. If the particle was initially at x = 0, calculate the velocity and
acceleration as a function of time.
Sol.: v = 12 c2 t; a = 21 c2

3. A ball is thrown directly upward at t = 0 with an initial speed of 100 m/s. Another ball
is thrown with the same initial velocity 4 s later. Find the time when the two balls meet.
Sol.: 12.2 s after the first ball is thrown

4. An athlete is capable of throwing the javelin with a speed of 25 m/s regardless of the
angle of launch. Knowing that the athlete reaches a speed of 9 m/s at throwing time,
determine the angle of launch so that the throw distance will be a maximum. Find the
value of this maximum distance (Neglect the javelin’s initial elevation).
Sol.: 98 m

5. A particle is moving with a tangent acceleration at = 4ti + 3tj. If it is at rest at the origin
of coordinates at t = 0, find the normal acceleration and the trajectory described by the
particle.
Sol.: an = 0; y = 43 x

6. The position vector of a particle changes with time as r(t) = t(1 − ct)b, where b is a
constant vector and c a positive constant. Find:
a) The velocity v and acceleration a as a function of time.
b) The increment of time ∆t in which the particle comes back to the initial position and
the distance s travelled during that time.

Sol.: a) v(t) = (1 − 2ct)b; a(t) = −2cb b) ∆t = 1c ; s = b

2c

7. The velocity of a particle moving in the xy plane is given by the expression v = bi + cxj,
where b and c are constant. The position of the particle at t = 0 is x = y = 0. Find:
a) The equation of the trajectory as a function of coordinates x and y.
b) The radius of curvature of the trajectory as a function of x.

  3/2
c b c2 x 2
Sol.: a) y = x2  
b) ρ =   1 + 2
2b c b
 8. A particle is moving around a circumference of radius R. The magnitudes of its normal
and tangent acceleration are the same during the whole motion. Using the initial condition
v(0) = v0 , and assuming that a · v < 0, calculate:
a) The speed as a function of time, and as a function of the distance s travelled by the
particle along the circumference.
b) The total acceleration as a function of the speed, and as a function of the distance s.

v0 v2 v2
Sol.: a) v(t) = ; v(s) = v0 e−s/R b) a = (en − et ) = 0 e−2s/R (en − et )
Problem 11.192

1 + vR0 t R R

9. From measurements of a photograph, it has been found

that as the stream of water shown left the nozzle at A, it
had a radius of curvature of 25 m. Determine
a) The initial velocity vA of the stream.
b) The radius of curvature of the stream as it reaches its
maximum height at B.

Sol.: a) vA = 14 m/s b) ρB = 12.8 m

10. The curve described by a point in the edge of a disc that rolls over a straight line with
constant velocity is given by the equations:
(
x = R (ωt − sin ωt)
y = R (1 − cos ωt)

where R is the radius of the disc and ω = v0 /R, where v0 is the velocity of the centre of
masses of the disc. Calculate:
a) The tangential acceleration of the point. y
b) The magnitude of the normal accelera-
tion.
c) The radius of curvature. Calculate the x
maximum and minimun values of the ra-
dius of curvature during the motion.

Trigonometric relations: 1 − cos 2ϕ = 2 sin2 ϕ; sin 2ϕ = 2 sin ϕ cos ϕ.

     
ωt ωt ωt  ωt   ωt 
2
Sol.: a) at = R ω cos sin i + cos j b) an = R ω sin 
2
c) ρ = 4R sin 
2 2 2 2 2
11. An aircraft follows a spiral path in the sky while
doing a barrel roll. The coordinates are given be-
low, where v0 = 60 m/s, ω = 0.4 rad/s, and h = 40
m are constants.
x = v0 t
y = h cos ωt
z = h sin ωt

Find the velocity, acceleration, radius ofWecurvature,

have,

tangent and principal normal to the path. v = v0 i − hω sin ωtj + hω cos ωtk
!
v = v02 + h2 ω 2 = 200ft/s ≈ v0
22 2 cos ωtj − hω 2 sin ωtk v02
Sol.: v = v0 i − hω sin ωt j + hω cos ωt k; a = −hω cos ωt j −
a hω sin ωt k; ρ = h +
= −hω ;
a = hω 2 = 20ft/s
2 hω 2
v0 i − hω sin ωt j + hω cos ωtSince
k v̇ = 0, a = (v2 /ρ)en, or,
et = p ; en = − cos ωt j − sin2 ωtv2k v2
2 2 2 hω = , ρ= = 2000ft
v0 + h ω ρ hω 2
,

v0 hω hω
et = i− sin ωtj + cos ωtk
v v v
en = − cos ωtj − sin ωtk
hω v0 v0
eb = i+ sin ωtj − cos ωtk
v v v

Finally,
deb v0 ω v0 ω
= cos ωtj + sin ωtk
dt v v
which corresponds to a roll rate of
v0 ω
τv = ≈ ω = 0.4rad/s
v

ADDITIONAL READING
J.L. Meriam and L.G. Kraige, Engineering Mechanics, DYNAMICS, 5th Edition
2/5, 3/5 (normal and tangential coordinates only)