Units and Dimensions and Vectors

1Q Explain the difference between the position vector and Displacement vector Graphically?

a) Students often get confused that a vector always starts at origin when it is represented
graphically. But it is not so (eg: Displacement Vector). Position vector can be located only and
only with reference to origin (i.e its tail must be at origin and its head at its position), where as
displacement vector can be represented any where as it is the difference of two position vectors
(its tail need not be at origin)

2Q. Can I write Unit Vector of Velocity = Unit Vector of Acceleration? Give reason for True or False.

a.) True, (but then how can it be dimensionally be correct, their units are also different?)
The proper explanation is that Unit vector specifies direction only. The concept of Unit Vector is
invented only for this reason, so as to compare the magnitudes of two different physical
quantities, and therefore although the units are different we can equate their magnitudes and
speaking dimensionally we have to ignore their dimensions according to definition of Unit
Vector.

Friction (to be asked in the following sequence only)

3Q. The direction of Kinetic Friction is opposite to the velocity of the body. True or False?

a) False, Correct statement is that -- The direction of Kinetic friction is opposite to the direction of
its velocity relative to the surface on which it moves.
(Or) a much simpler statement is – The direction of Kinetic friction of the body is opposite to its
relative velocity about the surface on which it moves.

4Q. Can you give an example where the friction is in the direction of motion?

a) Answer for this question is in the next question

5Q. Kinetic friction can only hinder the motion where as static friction can cause motion. True or False.
Explain with example?

a) False. Both can be cause for either to hinder the motion or to cause the motion.
Eg: a man walking – static friction is the cause for man to move forward, and its direction is in
the direction of motion of the man (static friction causing motion)
Eg: If we throw a block such that it slides (when it lands on ) on a stationary trolley, the trolley
moves and the cause for the motion of the trolley is the kinetic friction(as the block is sliding)
between the block and the trolley. (Kinetic friction causing motion)

Circular Motion

6Q. Is Centrifugal acceleration a fictitious (Imaginary) quantity?

 a.) Many say “Yes it is”, then simply ask them what about the force that one experiences when they
are taking a turn in the car (They are pushed outwards from the circular path the car is taking
about)
Infact Centrifugal force is considered as a Pseudo force (in numericals) for solving from non-
inertial frame --- and it can be felt practically Eg: Person moving in a car describing a circular
path.

7Q. Is it necessary that centripetal force should be equal in magnitude to centripetal force always?

a.) No

8Q. Angular Displacement is a Vector or a Scalar?

a) It is a vector for very small angle and scalar for large angle

Work Power and Energy

9Q. Define work done?

a) They may say the formula as product of force and displacement. Then ask displacement of
what? The appropriate answer is -- the displacement that we have to take is of the particle at
the point of application of force.

10Q. Consider a question asked. What is the work done by the force of friction?

A most likely response to this question is: –f × d where d (positive) is the distance covered by the centre
of mass of the block (–ve sign because frictional force is opposite to the displacement). In fact the
answer is only ‘formally’ correct. Remember, friction is distributed over the interface.

As the block moves, it deforms, and thus the displacement of the block at different interface is not the
same. Thus, the WD by friction forces at different contact points is not the same. Thus, it is not possible
to calculate the WD by friction force as many contact points are involved.

Even in case of static friction, there is a very small displacement at each contact point. Thus it also does
work.

But for JEE we neglect such WD, and take the formally correct answer as absolutely correct.

11Q. Is work done by internal forces in a system of particles adds up to Zero by Newton’s III Law?
Explain

a) No
Explanation -- According to the III law, the internal forces do indeed cancel pair-wise so that the
total internal force in any system is always zero. But that is not true about work.

Eg: Take two masses at rest connected by a compressed spring and release the spring. The internal
forces add up to zero, as always. But both ends of the spring are doing unequal positive work on the
blocks. If there is no external force, the system as a whole does not move i.e. its centre of mass is
stationary (but the blocks are not stationary). But work done by internal forces (internal work) is non-
zero as both blocks are moving in opp directions; it goes up to increase the internal kinetic energy of the
system.