Byju’s Practice Workshop

Topics covered:
 Centre of mass and Collision
 Centre of mass (COM)
 Applications of COM and Collision
 Miscellaneous

Centre of mass

1. Figure shows a uniform disc of radius 𝑅, from which a hole of radius 𝑅/2 has been cut
out from left of the centre and is placed on the right of the centre of the disc. Find the
COM of the resulting disc.

2. A particle of mass 4𝑚 is projected from the ground at some angle with horizontal. Its
horizontal range is 𝑅. At the highest point of its path it breaks into two pieces of masses
𝑚 and 3𝑚 respectively such that the smaller mass comes to rest. The larger mass finally
falls at a distance 𝑥 from the point of projection, where 𝑥 is equal to
2𝑅 7𝑅
a. b.
3 6
c.
5𝑅 d. None of these.
4

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 Byju’s Practice Workshop
3. A machinist starts with three identical square plates but cuts one corner from one of
them, two corners from the second and three corners from the third. Rank the three
according to the 𝑥 - coordinates of their center of mass, from smallest to largest.

a. 3, 1, 2 b. 1, 3, 2
c. 3, 2, 1 d. 1 and 3 tie, then 2.

Applications of COM and Collision

4. Two equal spheres 𝐴 and 𝐵 lie on a smooth horizontal circular groove at opposite ends
of a diameter. At time t=0, 𝐴 is projected along the groove and it first impinges on 𝐵 at
𝑇
time t=𝑇1 and again at time t=𝑇2 . If 𝑒 is the coefficient of restitution, the ratio 𝑇2 is
1
2 (2+𝑒)
a. b.
𝑒 2
2(𝑒+1) (2+𝑒)
c. d.
𝑒 𝑒

5. A hockey player receives a corner shot at a speed of 15 m⁄s at angle 30° with 𝑦 – axis
and then shoots the ball along 𝑥 –axis with the speed 30 m⁄s. If the mass of the ball is
150 grams and it remains in contact with the hockey stick for 0.01 s, the force exerted on
the ball along 𝑥 – axis is
a. 281 N b. 187.5 N
c. 562.5 N d. 375 N

6. Three objects 𝐴, 𝐵 and 𝐶 are kept in a straight line on a frictionless horizontal surface.
These have masses 𝑚, 2𝑚 and 𝑚 respectively. The object 𝐴 moves towards 𝐵 with a speed
of 9 m⁄s and makes an elastic collision with it. Thereafter, B makes completely inelastic
collision with 𝐶. All motions occur on the same straight line. Find the final speed (in m/s)
of object 𝐶.

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 Byju’s Practice Workshop
7. A plank of mass 𝑀 and length 𝐿 is at rest on a frictionless floor. The top surface of the
plank has friction. At one end of it a man of mass 𝑚 is standing as shown in Figure. If the
man walks towards the other end, find the distance, which the plank moves (a) till the
man reaches the centre of the plank, (b) till the man reaches the other end of the plank.

Miscellaneous

8. A block of mass 𝑚 moving with a velocity 𝑣° collides with a stationary block of mass 𝑀 to
which a spring of stiffness 𝑘 is attached, as shown in figure. Choose the correct
alternative(s).

a. The velocity of centre of mass is 𝑣° .

1 𝑚𝑀
b. The initial kinetic energy of the system in the centre of mass frame is ( ) 𝑣° 2 .
4 𝑚+𝑀
𝑚𝑀 1
c. The maximum compression in the spring is 𝑣° √𝑚+𝑀 𝑘 .
d. When the spring is in the state of maximum compression, the kinetic energy in the
centre of mass frame is zero.

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 Byju’s Practice Workshop
9. A particle is projected with a speed 𝑢 at an angle 𝜃 with horizontal from point 𝐴. It strikes
elastically with a vertical wall at height ℎ/2. It rebounds and reaches maximum height ℎ
and falls back on the ground at point 𝐵 as shown in Figure. Distances from 𝐴 to wall and
from wall to 𝐵 are 𝑥1 and 𝑥2 , and time to cover is 𝑡1 and 𝑡2 respectively. Match the values
in column I with the expressions in column II.

Column I Column II
𝑥2 −𝑥1 𝑥2 +𝑥1
i. √2 a. or
𝑥2 +𝑥1 𝑥2 −𝑥1
1 𝑡2 −𝑡1 𝑡2 +𝑡1
ii. b. or
√2 𝑡2 +𝑡1 𝑡2 −𝑡1
𝑢 sin 𝜃
iii. 1 c.
𝑔(𝑡2 +𝑡1 )
1 𝑢 cos 𝜃(𝑡1 +𝑡2 )
iv. d. (𝑥1 +𝑥2 )
2

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ANSWER KEY

Question
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Number

Correct 𝑅 7𝑅 𝑚𝐿 𝑚𝐿
(b) (d) (c) 4 (𝑎) (𝑏)
Answer 4 6 2(𝑚+𝑀) (𝑚+𝑀)

8 9

(c), (d) (i) a, b (ii) a, b

(iii) d (iv) c

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