Y13 Further Maths Revision – Hooke’s Law & Work / Energy / Power

Q1. A ball has mass 0.5 kg and is released from rest at a height of 6 metres above ground level.
(a) Assume that no resistance force acts on the ball as it falls.

(i) Find the kinetic energy of the ball when it has fallen 3 metres. (2)

(ii) Use an energy method to find the speed of the ball when it hits the ground. (3)

(b) Assume that a constant resistance force acts on the ball as it falls and that the ball hits the
ground travelling at 2 m s–1. Use an energy method to find the magnitude of the resistance
force. (4)
(Total 9 marks)

Q2. When a car, of mass 1200 kg, travels at a speed of v m s–1, it experiences a resistance force
of magnitude 30v newtons.

The car has a maximum constant speed of 48 m s–1 on a straight horizontal road.

(a) Show that the maximum power of the car is 69 120 watts. (2)

(b) The car is travelling along a straight horizontal road.

Find the maximum possible acceleration of the car when it is travelling at a speed of
40 m s–1. (4)

(c) The car starts to descend a hill on a straight road which is inclined at an angle of 3° to the
horizontal. Find the maximum possible constant speed of the car as it travels on this road
down the hill. (7)
(Total 13 marks)

Q3. The diagram shows a simple slide made of two sections AB and BC. Section AB has length
10 metres and is at an angle of 40° to the horizontal. Section BC is horizontal.

A child uses the slide, pushing himself off so that at A his

speed is 2 m s– 1. When he reaches B his speed is 6 m s–
1. The mass of the child is 35 kg.

(a) (i) Calculate the kinetic energy of the child at A. (2)

(ii) Calculate the gain in kinetic energy as the child moves from A to B. (3)

(b) Show that the loss in potential energy as the child moves from A to B is 2200 joules,
correct to three significant figures. (2)

(c) As the child moves from A to B, a resistance force acts on him. Assume that this force has
a constant magnitude F newtons. Find F. (3)

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(d) Assume that the same resistance force acts on the child as he moves on BC and that he
stops at C. Find the length of BC.
(3)
(Total 13 marks)

Q4. A car, of mass 1200 kg, is travelling up a slope at a constant speed of 20 m s–1. The slope is
at an angle of 6° to the horizontal. A resistance force of magnitude 420 N also acts on the car
when travelling at this speed. In this situation, the power output of the car is a maximum.

(a) Show that the maximum power output of the car is 33 000 W to three significant figures. (4)

(b) The resistance force acting on the car has magnitude kv newtons, where k is a constant
and v m s–1 is its speed. Find k. (2)

(c) Find the maximum constant speed of the car on a horizontal road. (4)
(Total 10 marks)

Q5. A van, of mass 1500 kg, travels at a constant speed of 22 m s–1 up a slope inclined at an

angle θ to the horizontal, where sin θ = .

The van experiences a resistance force of 8 000 N.

Find the power output of the van’s engine, giving your answer in kilowatts.
(Total 5 marks)

Q6. A particle, of mass m, is attached to one end of a spring. The spring has natural length l and
modulus of elasticity λ. The other end of the spring is fixed to the point Q. Initially the particle
is in equilibrium, vertically below Q.

(a) Find, in terms of m, g, λ and l, the extension of the spring when the particle is in equilibrium.
(2)

(b) The particle is then pulled down, so that it is vertically below its equilibrium position, and
released. The displacement of the particle from its equilibrium position is x at time t. Show
that

(5)

(c) Find, in terms of A. I and m, the period of the subsequent motion. (2)

(d) The spring is now replaced with another spring of natural length 1, but with modulus

of elasticity . What happens to the period of the motion? (2)

(Total 11 marks)

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 Q7.
A bungee jumper, of mass 80 kg, is attached to one end of a light elastic cord, of natural length
16 metres and modulus of elasticity 784 N. The other end of the cord is attached to a horizontal
platform, which is at a height of 65 metres above the ground.

The bungee jumper steps off the platform at the point where the cord is attached and falls
vertically. The bungee jumper can be modelled as a particle. Hooke’s law can be assumed to
apply throughout the motion and air resistance can be assumed to be negligible.

(a) Find the length of the cord when the acceleration of the bungee jumper is zero. (3)

(b) The cord extends by x metres beyond its natural length before the bungee jumper
first comes to rest.

(i) Show that x2 − 32x − 512 = 0. (4)

(ii) Find the distance above the ground at which the bungee jumper first comes to rest.
(4)
(Total 11 marks)

Q8.
Two small blocks, A and B, of masses 0.8 kg and 1.2 kg respectively, are stuck together. A
spring has natural length 0.5 metres and modulus of elasticity 49 N. One end of the spring is
attached to the top of the block A and the other end of the spring is attached to a fixed point O.

(a) The system hangs in equilibrium with the blocks stuck together, as shown in the
diagram.

Find the extension of the spring.

(3)

(b) Show that the elastic potential energy of the spring when the system is in
equilibrium is 1.96 J.
(2)

(c) The system is hanging in this equilibrium position when block B falls off and block A begins
to move vertically upwards.

Block A next comes to rest when the spring is compressed by x metres.

(i) Show that x satisfies the equation x2 + 0.16x – 0.008 = 0 (5)

(ii) Find the value of x.

(2)
(Total 12 marks)

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 Q9.
A particle, of mass 10 kg, is attached to one end of a light elastic string of natural length
0.4 metres and modulus of elasticity 100 N. The other end of the string is fixed to the point O.

(a) Find the length of the elastic string when the particle hangs in equilibrium directly below
O. (2)

(b) The particle is pulled down and held at a point P, which is 1 metre vertically below O.

Show that the elastic potential energy of the string when the particle is in this position is 45 J.
(2)

(c) The particle is released from rest at the point P. In the subsequent motion, the particle has
speed v m s –1 when it is x metres below O.

(i) Show that, while the string is taut, v2 = 39.6x – 25x2 – 14.6 (7)

(ii) Find the value of x when the particle comes to rest for the first time after being
released, given that the string is still taut. (3)
(Total 14 marks)

Q10.A light spring of natural length 0.4 metres and modulus of elasticity λ newtons lies on a smooth
horizontal table. One end of the spring is attached to the table at a point O and the other end is attached
to a particle. The particle is held in equilibrium on the table by a horizontal force of magnitude 12.5
newtons. In this position the length of the spring is 0.5 metres.

(a) Show that λ = 50. (3)

(b) The horizontal force is removed and the particle, which is of mass 0.2 kg, is released
from rest and moves towards O. Calculate its speed when the spring reaches its
natural length. (5)
(Total 8 marks)

Q11.
A block of mass 2 kg is placed on a horizontal surface. An elastic string has natural length
0.5 metres and modulus of elasticity 30 newtons. One end of the string is fixed to the surface
at the point O and the other end is attached to the block. The block is pulled along the surface
away from O until it is at the point P, where the length of OP is 1.8 metres. The block can be
modelled as a particle.

(a) Calculate the elastic potential energy in the string when the block is at P. (2)

(b) Assume that the horizontal surface is smooth.

(i) The block is then released from P and moves towards O. Show that, when the block has
moved 0.5 metres, its speed is 5.61 m s–1, correct to three significant figures. (5)

(ii) Find the speed of the block when it reaches O. (3)

(c) Assume that the horizontal surface is rough and that the coefficient of friction between
the surface and the block is 0.1. Find the speed of the block when it reaches O. (5)
(Total 15 marks)

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