NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, SILCHAR 8.
Two blocks having weights W1 and W2 are connected
ENGINEERING MECHANICS (ME 1101)
Second Semester (All Branch)
ASSIGNMENT - 7
1. What must be the angle α between the plane faces of a steel wedge used for
splitting logs if there is to be no danger of the wedge slipping out after each blow
of the sledge? Ans. α ≤ 2 φ.
2. A flat stone slab rests on an inclined skidway that makes an angle α with the
horizontal. What is the condition of equilibrium if the angle of friction is φ? Ans. α
≤ φ.
3. What is the necessary coefficient of friction between
tires and roadway to enable the four-wheel-drive
automobile in Fig. A to climb a 30 per cent grade?
Ans. µ ≥ 0.3.
4. A heavy rotating drum of radius r is supported in bearing
at c and is braked by the device shown in Fig. B.
Calculate the braking moment Mc with respect to point C
if the coefficient of kinetic friction between drum and
brake shoe is µ. Ans. = .
5. To determine experimentally the coefficient of
friction for steel on steel, flat plates, of negligible
weight compared with the large top weight W, are
stacked on a horizontal plane as shown in Fig. C.
Alternate plates are held together by loose-fitting
vertical pins A and B. The pin A is anchored to a steel
slab, and a horizontal pull applied to the pin B as shown. If there are five movable
plates and slipping occurs when pull has the magnitude P, what is the coefficient
of friction µ? Ans. µ = P/10W.
6. A short right circular cylinder of weight W rests in a
horizontal V notch having the angle 2α as shown in Fig.
D. If the coefficient of friction is µ, find the horizontal
force P necessary to cause slipping to impend. Ans.
= .
7. The ends of a heavy prismatic bar AB are
supported by a circular ring in a vertical plane as
shown in Fig. E. If the length of the bar is such
that it subtends an angle of 900 in the ring and the
angles of friction at the A and B are each φ, what is
the greatest angle of inclination ϴ that the bar can
make with the horizontal in a condition of
equilibrium? Ans. ϴ ≤ 2φ.
by a string and rest on horizontal planes as shown in
Fig. F. If the angle of friction for each block is φ, find
the magnitude and direction of the least force P
applied to the upper block that will include sliding.
Ans. Pmin = (W1+W2) sin φ.
9. Two blocks connected by a horizontal link AB are
supported on two rough planes as shown in Fig. G. The
coefficient of friction for block A on the horizontal plane is
µ = 0.4. The angle of friction for block B on the inclined
plane is φ = 150. What is the smallest weight W of the
block A for which equilibrium of the system can exit? Ans.
W ≥ 1,000 N.
10. Two blocks of weights W1 and W2 rest on rough inclined
plane and are connected by a short piece of string as shown
in Fig. H. If the coefficient of friction are µ1 = 0.2 and µ2 =
0.3, respectively, find the angle of inclination of the plane
for which sliding will impends. Assume W1 = W2 = 5 N.
Ans. tan α = 0.25.
11. A block of weight W1 = 200 N rests on a horizontal
surface and supports on top of it another block of weight
W2 = 50 N (Fig. I). The block W2 is attached to a vertical
wall by the inclined string AB. Find the magnitude of the
horizontal force P, applied to the lower block as shown
that will be necessary to cause slipping to impend. The
coefficient of static friction for all contiguous surface is µ = 0.3. Ans. P = 84.5 N.
12. Two rectangular blocks of weights W1 and W2 are connected
by a flexible cord and rest upon a horizontal and an inclined
plane, respectively, with the cord passing over a pulley as
shown in Fig. J. In the particular case where W1 = W2 and the
coefficient of static friction µ is the same for all contiguous
surfaces, find the angle α of inclination of the inclined plane at which motion of
the system will impend. Neglect friction in the pulley. Ans. tan (/2) = µ.
13. A smooth circular cylinder of weight Q and radius r is
supported by two semicircular cylinders each of the
same radius r and weight Q/2, as shown in Fig. K. If
the coefficient of static friction between the flat faces
of the semicircular cylinder and the horizontal plane on
which they rests is µ = and friction the cylinders
themselves is neglected, determine the maximum distance b between the centers B
and C for which equilibrium will be possible without the middle cylinder touching
the horizontal plane. Ans. b max = 2.83r.
14. Referring to Fig. L, the coefficients of friction are as
follows: 0.25 at the floor, 0.03 at the wall, and 0.20
between blocks. Find the minimum value of a
horizontal force P applied to the lower block that will
hold the system in equilibrium. Ans. Pmin = 81.2 N.
15. Two identical blocks A and B are connected by a rod and rest
against vertical and horizontal planes, respectively, as shown
in Fig. M. If sliding impends when ϴ = 450, determine the
coefficient of friction µ, assuming it to be the same at both
floor and wall. Ans. µ = 0.414.
16. Two heavy right circular rollers of diameter D and d,
respectively, rests on a rough horizontal plane as shown
in Fig. N. The larger roller has a string wound it to
which a horizontal force P can be applied as shown.
Assuming that the coefficient of friction µ has the same
value for all surfaces of contact, determine the
necessary condition under which the larger roller can
be pulled over the small one. Ans. µ ≥ / .
17. A solid right circular cone of altitude h = 12 cm and radius of
base r = 3 cm has its center of gravity C on its geometric axis at
the distance ℎ⁄4 = 3 cm above the base. The cone rests on an
inclined plane AB, which makes an angle of 300 with the
horizontal and for which the coefficient of friction is µ = 0.5
(Fig. O). A horizontal force P is applied to the vertex O of the
cone and abts in the vertical plane of the figure as shown. Find
the maximum and minimum values of P consistent with
equilibrium of the cone if the weight W = 10 N. Ans. Pmax = 4.16 N, Pmin = 0.598 N.
18. A short semicircular right cylinder of radius r and weight
W rests on a horizontal surface and is pulled at the right
angles to its geometric axis by a horizontal force P applied
at the middle B of the front edge (Fig. P). Find the angle α
that the flat face will make the horizontal plane just before
sliding begins if the coefficient of friction at the line of contact A is µ. The gravity
force W must be considered as acting at the center of gravity C as shown in the
figure. Ans. sin α = 3μ ⁄(4 + 3μ ).
19. A ladder AB of length l is supported by horizontal floor at A
and by a vertical wall at B and makes an angle α with the
horizontal (Fig. Q). Find the maximum distance x up the
ladder at which a man of weight W can stand without
causing slipping to occur, if the angle of friction between
floor and ladder and between wall and ladder is φ. Neglect
the weight of the ladder itself. Ans. = [1 − cos(∝
+ ) ].
20. A rectangular block of width 2b and height h rests on a
horizontal plane surface (Fig. R). Find the magnitude P and
the height C of the line of action of a horizontal force that
will cause tipping and sliding of the block to impend
simultaneously. The weight of block is W, and the
coefficient of static friction between the block and the plane
is µ. Ans. = , = .
21. A man wishes to slide a heavy stone block of weight W over a
level concrete floor by pulling on it with a rope AB, as shown
in Fig. S. What angle α should the rope make with the
horizontal in order that the pull necessary to cause sliding to
impend will be minimum? What will be the magnitude of this
minimum force if the angle of friction is φ? Ans. = .
22. To raise a heavy stone block weighing 2000 N, the arrangement
shown in Fig. T is used. What horizontal force P will it be
necessary to apply to the wedge in order to raise the block if the
coefficient of friction for all the contiguous surface is µ = 1/4?
Neglect the weight of the wedge. Ans. = 1865 .
23. A block of weight Q rests on a inclined plane and has
attached to it a string that overruns a pulley and carries a
weight P at its other end as shown in Fig. U. If the
coefficient of friction between the block Q and the
inclined plane is µ, find the limiting values of the ratio
consistent with equilibrium. Neglect friction in the pulley, and assume that the
angle of inclination α of the plane is greater than the angle of friction φ = arctan µ.
Ans. = ∝− , = ∝+ .
**********