PHY2048 Quiz 3

Jan 26 (Due Jan 29th in class)

1) In most cases, the sum of the magnitudes of two vectors is a) less than b) greater than, or c) equal to the magnitude of the sum of two vectors? (b). Only in the case when two vectors are parallel does the sum of the magnitudes of two vectors equal the magnitude of the sum of the vectors. Otherwise, the sum of the magnitudes of two vectors is greater than the magnitude of the sum of the vectors, as illustrated below. This is precisely the reason why the total distance traveled (the sum of magnitudes) is almost always greater than the magnitude of the total displacement (the magnitude of the sum).

2. On a fishing expedition, you travel 60 km in your boat in a direction 30 north of due east and then travel 20 km straight south. At this location, your engine catches on fire and you radio the coast guard to come as quickly as possible. To arrive as quickly as possible, the coast guard should a) retrace your exact path over the entire 80 km distance b) travel straight east hoping o o that they will come within visual sight of your boat c) travel 11 north of due east d) travel 17 o north of due east, e) travel 17 east of due North (c). It is necessary to add vectors to solve this problem. As shown below, the path of the coast guard ship is just the sum of the two vectors representing each leg of the trip. Considering east as the positive x direction and north as the positive y direction, the x and y components of vector A are 60 km cos30 = 52 km and 60 km sin30 = 30 km, respectively. The x and y components of vector B are 0 and 20 km, respectively. The x and y components of the resultant vector C are 52 km and 10 km, respectively. The angle with respect to the positive x direction (east) is found from = tan-1(10/52) = 11o. Therefore, the coast guard ship should travel 11o north of due east to reach the boat.

3. On a certain clear day, the sun is directly above the leaning tower of Pisa, as shown. If the height of the tower is h and the angle between the tower and the ground is , the length of the shadow on the ground is a) hcos, b) hsin, c) htan, d) h/cos, e) h/sin, or f) h/tan?

(f). The forward leaning wall of the tower can be represented by a vector and the components of that vector would be the height, h, and the length of the shadow, L. Since tanq = h/L, then L = h/tanq.

4.

The vector equation that describes the relationship among vectors A, B and C is a) B = C + A b) B = C - A c) C = A - B d) A = B - C e) A = B + C b)

5. A force, F1, of magnitude 2.0 N and directed due east is exerted on an object. A second force exerted on the object is F2 = 2.0 N, due north. What is the magnitude and direction in degrees of a third force, F3, which must be exerted on the object so that the resultant force is
zero? A) 1.4 N, 45 north of east B) 1.4 N, 45 south of west, C) 2.8 N, 45 north of east, D) 2.8 N, 45 south of west E) 4.0 N, 45 east of north

You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother Albert Einstein