PHYS 101 – General Physics I Midterm Exam 2

Duration: 120 minutes Saturday, 25 November 2017, 10:00

1. A block of mass 𝑚 is on a horizontal surface and is attached to a spring whose other end is fixed. The stiffness
constant of the spring is 𝑘. A force ⃗𝑭 acts on the block always making an angle 𝜃 with the horizontal, as shown in the
figure. The magnitude of the force is adjusted so that the block moves with constant speed along the horizontal surface a
distance d from the equilibrium position of the spring. The
coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the
horizontal surface is 𝜇. ⃗
𝑭 ⃗⃗
𝒈

(a) (5 Pts.) Find the work done by the gravitational force. 𝜃

𝑘
𝜇
(b) (6 Pts.) Find the work done by the spring force. 𝑚
𝑥
⃗ as a function
(c) (7 Pts.) Find the magnitude of the force 𝑭
𝑥=0 𝑥=𝑑
of the position x.

(d) (7 Pts.) What is the work done by the net force?

Solution:

(a) Wg  0 because Fg is perpendicular to the displacement d . Or Wg  U g  mg y  0.

1
(b) Ws  U s   kd 2 .
2 ⃗𝑭𝑁 ⃗𝑭

(c) From the free-body diagram, we see that

⃗𝑭𝑠
𝜃
F cos   Ff  kx  0 in the horizontal direction, and
⃗𝑭𝑓
FN  F sin   mg  0  FN  mg  F sin  in the vertical direction. ⃗⃗
𝑚𝒈

We also have Ff   FN   (mg  F sin  ) . Using this result in the first equation, we get

kx   mg
F cos    (mg  F sin  )  kx  0  F  .
cos    sin 

(d) Using the work-energy principle, we get Wnet  K  0 .

2. On August 17, 2017 scientist all over the world have detected the first observable collision between two neutron stars.
The observation was made possible by the new gravitational wave detector LIGO, founders of which have received this
year’s Nobel Prize in Physics. Here is a toy model of the collision they have observed:

(a) (12 Pts.) Assume two neutron stars with equal radii R one of which has mass 𝑀⊙ , and the other one has mass 2 𝑀⊙ .
Initially the distance between their centers is d. If they are orbiting around their common center of mass in circular
trajectories, find the period of their rotation.

(b) (13 Pts.) Because neutron stars are very dense, the motion you found in part (a) generates gravitational waves, and
the neutron stars slowly come closer to each other. In this process their total mechanical energy (kinetic and
gravitational potential energy) is converted into gravitational waves. Total energy radiated in the form of gravitational
waves is the difference between initial and final mechanical energies Ei  E f . Find the total amount of energy radiated
into gravitational waves as the distance between their centers changes from d to 2𝑅, where 𝑅 ≪ 𝑑.

Solution:

(a) The center of mass of the two star system is at a distance 𝑀⨀ 𝐶𝑀 2𝑀⨀
2𝑑⁄3 from the star with mass M as shown in the figure.
Consider the first star with mass M . The radius of its circular 2𝑑ൗ 𝑑ൗ
3 3
orbit is 2𝑑⁄3. Therefore, we have

2M 2 M v2 4GM
FG  G   v .
d 2 (2d / 3) 3d

The period common to both stars is found as

4 d 4 2 d 3
T  2 (2d / 3)
3d
  T .
v 3 4GM 3GM

2 3GM 3GM
(b) Both stars are rotating with angular speed    2  means that the linear speed of the
T 4 2 d 3 d3
R GM
second star is v    . Therefore, initially the total mechanical energy of the two stars is
3 3d

1 1 2GM 2 2GM 2 GM 2 GM 2
2

Ei  U G  M v  (2M )v  
2
   .
2 2 d 3d 3d d

GM 2
Similarly, final total mechanical energy is E f   .
2R

Therefore, energy radiated will be

GM 2 GM 2 2  1 1 2  d  2R  GM 2
Ei  E f     GM     GM   .
d 2R  2R d   2 Rd  2R
3. Consider the track shown in the figure. The section AB is one quadrant of a circle of radius 2.0 m and is frictionless.
B to C is a horizontal span 3.0 m long with a coefficient of kinetic friction k  0.25 . The section CD under the spring
is frictionless. A block of mass 1.0 kg is released from rest at A. After sliding on the track, it compresses the spring by
0.20 m. Take the gravitational acceleration as 𝑔 = 10 m/s2 and, determine:

(a) (6 Pts.) the velocity of the block at point B;

(b) (6 Pts.) the thermal energy produced as the block slides from B to C;

(c) (6 Pts.) the velocity of the block at point C;

(d) (7 Pts.) the stiffness constant k for the spring.

Solution:

(a) Taking the bottom of the track to the be 0 level for gravitational potential energy, we have

Etop  Ebottom  mgr  12 mvbottom

2


vbottom  2 gr  
2 10 m s 2   2.0 m   40 m s  2 10 m s  6.3 m s

(b) The thermal energy produced is the negative of the work done by the friction force.

Ethermal  Wfriction  Ffriction x   Ffriction x cos     k mg x  cos180    k mg x


  0.25 1.0 kg  10 m s 2   3.0m   7.5 J

(c) The work done by friction is the change in kinetic energy of the block as it moves from point B to point C.

Wfriction  K  K C  K B  12 m vC2  vB2   

2Wfriction 2  7.5 J 
vC   vB2   40  25 m s  5 m s
m 1.0 kg 

(d) The kinetic energy when the block just contacts the spring is equal to the potential energy when the spring is fully
compressed and the block has no speed. Therefore

Einitial  Efinal  1
2
2
mvcontact  12 kxmax
2


5 m s
2 2
vcontact
km  1.0 kg   625 N m
 0.20 m 
2 2
xmax
4. Two masses 𝑚 and 2𝑚 are on a frictionless horizontal track which has a lower and a higher part with vertical
separation 𝐻. The larger mass is moving towards the smaller mass with speed 𝑣 as shown in the figure. The collision
between the masses will be elastic.

(a) (9 Pts.) Find the expression for the velocities of both masses immediately after the collision.

(b) (8 Pts.) What is the minimum speed 𝑣 so that the smaller mass can reach the upper part of the track?

(c) (8 Pts.) What is the minimum speed 𝑣 so that both masses reach the upper part of the track?

⃗⃗
𝒈
𝐻
2𝑚 𝑚
⃗𝒗

Solution:

Let the speed of the 2𝑚 mass after the collision be v1 , and the speed of the other mass after the collision be v2 .

(a) Since the collision is elastic, linear momentum in the horizontal direction and kinetic energy is conserved.

Pi  2mv  Pf  2mv1  mv2  2v1  v2  2v  2(v  v1)  v2

1 1 1
Ki  (2m)v 2  K f  (2m)v12  mv22  2v 2  2v12  v22  2(v  v1)(v  v1)  v22
2 2 2

Two results imply v  v1  v2   v1  v2  v . Solving this equation together with 2v1  v2  2v gives

v 4v
v1  , v2  .
3 3

(b) Total mechanical energy is conserved after the collision. Therefore, to reach the upper part of the track, the kinetic
energy of the smaller mass after the collision must be greater than or equal to its gravitational potential energy at the
upper part. This means

1 3
mv22  mgH  v  2 gH .
2 4

(c) If the larger mass is also to reach the upper part of the track, we need to have

1
(2m)v12  2mgH  v  3 2 gH .
2