1. Leo, an 80 Kg climber, is attached to a cliff by two 1.5 m lengths of rope.

To stabilise him, these are

attached to the rock such that Leo and the two pieces of rope lie in a vertical plane. One piece of rope
is on Leo’s left and one is on his right; both are at an angle θ to the horizontal.
Total for Question 1: 8
(a) Draw a free-body diagram for the climber. Mark on your diagram the tension in the ropes (T ), the [1]
climber’s weight (W ) and the angle between each rope and the horizontal (θ).

Solution: A ‘Y’ shape, with the single ‘leg’ representing the climber’s weight (mg) and each
‘arm’ representing the tension (T ) in a rope. The angles between the horizontal and the ‘arms’
are both θ.

For each of the following values of θ, calculate the tension that the rope must be able to withstand if
Joe is not to fall.
(b) θ = 90 [1]

Solution: 392 N

(c) θ = 60 [1]

Solution: 453 N

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 (f) Leo thinks that it would be sensible to avoid exerting a force greater than his own weight onto each [1]
strand of rope. Using your graph, approximately what value of θ should he not exceed?

Solution: Leo should avoid angles of θ greater than exactly 30◦ .

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 2. Mirja is pulling her 50 kg dinghy up a smooth, sloped beach with the help of her father, Niila. Mirja
pulls on her rope with a force of Fm N at an angle θm away from the line of greatest slope whilst Niila
pulls on his with a force of Fn N at an angle θn on the other side of the line. The slope of the beach is
10◦ .
Total for Question 2: 9
(a) Draw free-body diagrams for the dinghy from each of the following directions:
i. In a vertical plane showing the boat’s weight (W ), the normal reaction (R) and the combined [1]
tug of both people (F ).

Solution: 3 arrows: one upslope labelled F, one downwards labelled W and one perpen-
dicular to the slope labelled R. No friction force as the slope is smooth.

ii. In the plane of the slope, showing the component of the weight acting downslope (Wslope ), and [1]
the pulls from Niila and Mirja (Fn and Fm , respectively).

Solution: 3 arrows: one downslope labelled Wslope , and two in approximately NW and
NE directions labelled Fn and Fm (either way around).

(b) For θm = 20 and θn = 10, express Wslope in terms of Fn and Fm when the boat is stationary. [2]

Solution: Wslope = Fn cos10 + Fm cos20

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 (c) Calculate the minimum force Mirja and Niila must each exert to make upward progress. To do this [5]
you will need to balance forces in two perpendicular directions in the plane of the slope.

Solution: Fm = 29.6 N
Fn = 58.3 N

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 4. Olivia is using a 90◦ crowbar to extract a large nail from a piece of wood, as is shown schematically
below. The nail is embedded such that a vertically resolved force of x N, or more, is required to remove
it.
Total for Question 4: 4

(a) By considering the moments abut the pivot point, express x in terms of the force applied (F ), the [3]
lengths of the crowbar arms (L1 and L2 ) and the angles (θ and α).

F L1 sin θ
Solution: x < L2 sin α

(b) To reduce the effort required, should Olivia try to minimise the angle θ or not? If not, what should [1]
she do?

Solution: No - she should pull at 90◦ .

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 5. A child is stood on a ladder placed against the smooth wall of the house.
Total for Question 5: 5
(a) Draw a free-body diagram for the ladder. [3]

Solution: 5 forces should be marked on:

W - the weight of the ladder, acting downwards.
Rw - wall’s reaction force, acting away from wall
Rf - floor’s reaction force, acting upwards
F - frictional force on the ladder’s base, acting towards the wall
Rc - child’s contact force, acting downwards
(NB: the child’s weight is not drawn because it is a free-body diagram for the ladder. Rc is of
equal magnitude and direction though.)

(b) Could this equilibrium persist if the floor were to lose its rough surface? If not, why not? Explain [2]
in the context of the balance/imbalance of the forces.

Solution: No.
The reaction of the wall is balanced by the friction; without it the system would be destabilised.

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 1. Total for Question 1: 5
(a) Define momentum. Is it a vector or scalar quantity? [1]

Solution: Product of mass and velocity. Since velocity has magnitude and direction, it is a
vector quantity.

(b) Use Newton’s second law to explain the impulse of a force. [2]

Solution: N2L: F = m ∆v
∆t . Impulse is F ∆t which equals change of momentum.

(c) Compare and contrast elastic and inelastic collisions. [2]

Solution: Elastic collisions conserve both momentum and kinetic energy.

Inelastic collisions conserve only momentum. However, total energy is conserved, since some
kinetic energy will be converted into other forms.

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 2. Particle A, which is stationary, radioactively decays to create particle B and an α particle. The α particle
weighs only 1.5% of particle B.
Total for Question 2: 13
p2
(a) Show that kinetic energy and momentum can be linked by the equation Ek = 2m , where p is [2]
momentum, m is mass and v is velocity.

m2 v 2
Solution: Ek = 12 mv 2 = 2m
p2
But p = mv so Ek = 2m

(b) Use the principle of conservation of energy to express the total energy release in terms of the [1]
products’ momenta and masses. Assume that energy is released only as kinetic energy.

p2B p2α
Solution: Etotal = EB + Eα = 2mB + 2mα

(c) Write an expression for the conservation of linear momentum in this explosion. [1]

Solution: 0 = pB + pα → pB = −pα

EB
(d) By considering the ratio Eα , express EB in terms of Eα , mB and mα . [3]

Eα mα
Solution: EB = mB

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 (e) Using your answer to the previous part, show that EB = Etotal mBm+m
α
α
[3]

Solution: EB = Em α mα
B
can be put back into the expression pertaining to the total energy
release. Working through gives the expression here.

(f) In this reaction, 5.00 MeV is released. Particle B has a mass of 4.00 × 10−25 Kg. Calculate the [3]
kinetic energies of both particles after the collision.

Solution:
α: 4.93 MeV
B: 0.07 MeV

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 3. Air hockey is a game played by two players on a low-friction table using a paddle each and a puck. This
question will explore the nature of collisions in one and two dimensions during a game.
Simon and Andrena are practising using two pucks of different masses. They hit their pucks towards
each other. The resultant collision is head-on and is illustrated in Figure 1.
Total for Question 3: 12

Figure 1: Head-on collision between pucks of different masses. The arrows show the direction of the pucks’
motion.

(a) Use the principle of conservation of momentum to express the velocity v in terms of u. [2]

u
Solution: v = 4

(b) Show that the collision is inelastic and calculate the amount of energy converted to forms other [2]
than kinetic.

115 2
Solution: 144 mu

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 A little while later two different pucks collide elastically and obliquely, as is shown in Figure 2. This
causes the once-stationary puck to move off in the direction of the dashed line.

Figure 2: Oblique collision between pucks of equal masses.

(c) What is the total kinetic energy in the system before the collision? [1]

p2
Solution: 2m

(d) Explain using the principle of conservation of linear momentum why the pucks must move off at [2]
90◦ to one another.

Solution: The momentum of the moving particle can be resolved into two components: that
along the line of collision and that perpendicular to it. All of the momentum along the line of
collision is transferred to the other particle, since they are of equal masses and one is initially
stationary. Thus, the particle that was initially moving only has momentum along an axis
perpendicular to the collision line.

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 (e) Draw a diagram showing the momenta of the pucks after the collision. Ensure that you label any [2]
vectors with their magnitudes.

Solution: p cos θ along the collision. p sin θ perpendicular to the collision line.

(f) Show that kinetic energy is conserved in the collision. [3]

Solution:
p2
Before collision: Ek = 2m
p2 p2 p2
After collision: Ek = 2m cos
2
θ+ 2m sin2 θ. But, sin2 θ + cos2 θ = 1 → Ek = 2m

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 1. Figure 1 shows three plots of force, F, against extension, x. Measurements were taken during loading
and unloading.
Total for Question 1: 15

Figure 1: Plot of stress against strain for a typical metal. Elastic and plastic regions of deformation are
indicated by the dashed line. Circles represent key points of the curve.

(a) These plots are associated with a shopping bag, a piece of wire and an elastic band. Assign a [3]
material to each graph.

Solution:
Left: wire
Middle: rubber band
Right: bag

(b) What is represented by the area underneath a graph of force against extension? [1]

Solution: Work done/energy stored.

(c) The Hookean material deforms according to the equation F = −kx (Hooke’s Law). Show that the [2]
elastic strain energy stored when it is stretched is 21 kx2 .

Solution:
Work done stretching a spring = average force × displacement = 12 F x = 12 (−kx)x = − 12 kx2
Energy stored is that which can be recovered by undoing this work i.e. 12 kx2

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 A cylindrical, Hookean wire has a diameter of 3 mm, a length of 1 m and a mass of 64 g when it is not
being loaded. An applied force of 10 N is required to induce an extension of 2 cm.
(d) What is the density of the wire? [2]

Solution: 9054 kgm−3

(e) When extended by 10 cm what is the elastic strain energy stored in the wire? [3]

Solution: 2.5 joules

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 (f) If the wire were coiled to form a spring, and this was used to suspend a mass, describe how energy [4]
would be transferred between kinetic, gravitational potential and elastic strain forms when the mass
moves up and down.

Solution:
Total energy is always conserved.
At the top of its range, kinetic energy and elastic strain energy are zero; all energy is GPE. As
the mass falls, its initial GPE is transferred to elastic strain energy and kinetic energy. Kinetic
energy is at a maximum half way through the fall. At the bottom, GPE is zero, kinetic is zero;
all energy is elastic strain.

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 2. Figure 2 is a typical stress strain graph for a metal.
Total for Question 2: 15

Figure 2: Plot of stress against strain for a typical metal. Elastic and plastic regions of deformation are
indicated by the dashed line. Circles represent key points of the curve.

(a) Define tensile stress and tensile strain. [2]

Solution:
Tensile stress: applied force per unit cross-sectional area, σ = F/A
Tensile strain: extension per unit of original length,  = ∆l/l0

(b) What are meant by the terms elastic and plastic deformation? [2]

Solution: Elastic deformation: deformation after which the material returns to its original
dimensions.
Plastic deformation: deformation after which the material does not return to its original di-
mensions i.e. deformation is permanent.

(c) Label each circle on the plot above with one of the following terms: ultimate tensile stress, elastic [5]
strain energy, limit of proportionality, breaking stress, Young’s modulus, elastic limit, yield stress.
Note that not all terms need be used.

Solution: From L to R:
limit of prop., elastic limit, yield stress, ultimate tensile stress, breaking stress.

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 Ahmed wants to know the Young’s modulus (E = σ/) of copper. He generates a graph like that above
using a piece of copper wire whose original length and diameter were 1 m and 1 mm, respectively. The
Young’s modulus he calculates is 10 × 1010 Pa.
(d) Outline a simple method Ahmed could have used, detailing the apparatus used, the measurements [3]
taken and the the way in which the data is analysed.

Solution:
Experimental setup: clamp holds one end of wire; a marker is attached to the wire at an
appropriate point (the distance between the clamp and marker is the original length); a ruler
is fixed to the surface as a reference with zero at the marker; the other end of the wire is then
weighted using a known mass; extension measured using the marker; repeat final two steps for
incrementally greater weights.
Measurements: extension, x, for incrementally increasing loads, F, original length, l0 , original
wire diameter, d.
Plot of stress (4F/πd2 ) against strain (l/l0 ). Gradient is E.

(e) The limit of proportionality was plotted when the extension measured 1 cm. Assuming that the [3]
line goes through (0,0) and is linear between there and this point, calculate the applied force when
this measurement was taken.

Solution: 250π N

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