Imperial College London

BSc/MSci EXAMINATION April 2010

This paper is also taken for the relevant Examination for the Associateship

MECHANICS & RELATIVITY

For First-Year Physics Students

Wednesday 30th April 2010: 10.00 to 12.00

Answer ALL parts of Section A and TWO questions from Section B.

Marks shown on this paper are indicative of those the Examiners anticipate assigning.

General Instructions

Write your CANDIDATE NUMBER clearly on each of the FOUR answer books provided.

If an electronic calculator is used, write its serial number in the box at the top right hand corner of the
front cover of each answer book.

USE ONE ANSWER BOOK FOR EACH QUESTION.

Enter the number of each question attempted in the horizontal box on the front cover of its
corresponding answer book.

Hand in FOUR answer books even if they have not all been used.

You are reminded that the Examiners attach great importance to legibility, accuracy
and clarity of expression
 SECTION A

1. (i) (a) State the work-energy theorem.

(b) A car of mass m is travelling along a straight, level road. It is accelerated
from an initial speed, u, by a constant power P. Show that its speed at time
t after the start of the acceleration is given by
!1/2
22P
v= u + t .
m

(c) For a car of mass m = 1.5 × 103 kg with an initial speed u = 5 m s−1 ,
calculate its speed after accelerating for 10 s with a constant power of 50
kW.
[6 marks]
(ii) An object moves in one dimension such that its potential energy as a function of
distance is given by U(x) = 20.0e−0.1x , where U and x are in SI units. Find the
force (vector) acting on the object at x = 2 m. [4 marks]
(iii) A particle of mass 8 kg collides with and sticks to a particle of mass 2 kg. Before
the collision the 8 kg particle had a velocity of 10i m s−1 while the 2 kg particle
had a velocity of 20j m s−1 . Find:
(a) the velocity of the centre of mass before the collision,
(b) the velocity of the centre of mass after the collision,
(c) the total kinetic energy before the collision, and
(d) the total kinetic energy after the collision.
[6 marks]
(iv) A large flywheel stores 1.5 × 109 J of energy when rotating at 150 revolutions
per minute. Calculate:
(a) its moment of inertia, and,
(b) the magnitude of its angular momentum.
[4 marks]
(v) (a) Show that a planet in circular orbit around a star of mass M has an orbital
period given by
2 π r 3/2
T= √
GM
where G is the gravitational constant and r is the radius of the orbit.
(b) The Earth follows a nearly circular orbit of mean radius 1.50 × 1011 m about
the Sun. Calculate the mass of the Sun.
[7 marks]
[Total 27 marks]

xxxx/y/zzz 2
 2. Are the following statements true, false, or impossible to say:

(i) Simultaneous events must occur in the same place. [1 mark]

(ii) If two events are not simultaneous in one frame, they cannot be simultaneous
in any other frame. [1 mark]
(iii) If two particles are tightly bound together by a strong attractive force, the mass
of the system is less than the sum of the masses of the individual particles.
[1 mark]

An object moving with velocity u in frame A is observed to have a velocity u0 in a

frame B moving with velocity v with respect to A , where u and u0 are related by
u−v
u0 = .
1 − uv /c 2

(iv) An observer on earth sees two spaceships moving apart with equal and oppo-
site velocities ±w. If w = 0.9c, what is the speed of one spaceship as measured
by the other? [2 marks]
(v) If |w | < c in the earth frame, show that one ship will always observe the other
moving at less than the speed of light. [4 marks]

[Total 9 marks]

xxxx/y/zzz 3 Please turn over

 SECTION B

3. (i) A projectile is launched at time t = 0 from the ground at an angle of 45o to

the horizontal with an initial speed v0 . Assuming that air resistance can be ne-
glected, find an expression in terms of v0 and g (the acceleration due to gravity)
for tf = time at which the projectile hits the ground.
Show that the maximum height reached by the projectile in its flight is given by
v2
H = 0 , and that the range (i.e., the total horizontal distance travelled by the
4g
v2
projectile) is given by R = 0 . [7 marks]
g
(ii) Assuming that the projectile referred to in part (i) has mass m, find expressions
in terms of m and v0 for
(a) E = total mechanical energy of the projectile,
(b) Umax = maximum potential energy of the projectile in its flight (assuming
that the zero of potential energy is defined at ground-level), and,
(c) Kmin = minimum kinetic energy of the projectile in its flight.
[6 marks]
(iii) On the same set of axes sketch, and label clearly, graphs of potential energy,
U, kinetic energy, K , and total mechanical energy, E, as functions of time, from
t = 0 (launch) to t = tf (hits ground). [6 marks]
(iv) Show that the equation of the trajectory of a projectile launched at 45o to the
g
horizontal with an initial speed v0 is z = x − 2 x 2 , where x and z are its hori-
v0
zontal and vertical coordinates with respect to an origin defined at the launch
point. [2 marks]
(v) Sieges frequently occured in medieval warfare, in which an attacking army at-
tempted to capture a castle. Catapults were often used in these operations
to launch projectiles over the walls of the castle (the projectiles included large
stones, beehives, and the rotting carcasses of animals which had died from the
plague). Consider a catapult which launches projectiles at 45o to the horizontal,
located distance d from the wall of a castle. Show that there are two values of
d for which the projectile just clears the wall, given by
 !1/2 
R 
 h 

d= 1 ± 1 − ,
 
2 H


 



where R and H are range of the projectile and the maximum height it reaches
respectively [see part (i)], and h is the height of the wall. [7 marks]
(vi) The catapult discussed in part (v) is employed against a castle with walls 10m
high. Assuming that it launches projectiles with an initial speed of 40 m s−1 ,
calculate the maximum distance from the wall at which the catapult can fire
projectiles over the wall. [4 marks]
[Total 32 marks]

xxxx/y/zzz 4
 4. (i) An object falling with a parachute experiences a drag force of the form D = bv,
where b is a constant and v is the object’s speed. Show that the terminal velocity
of the object is given by vt = mg /b, where g is the acceleration due to gravity.
For an 80 kg person falling with a parachute b = 150 kg s−1 . Calculate their
terminal velocity. [5 marks]
(ii) Show that Newton’s second law for an object falling vertically and subject to a
drag force of the type considered in part (i) can be written

dv
= α(vt − v) ,
dt
where vt is the terminal velocity and α = g /vt , and down has been defined as
the positive vertical direction. [4 marks]
(iii) Consider an object with a parachute which is moving downwards with a speed v0
at time t = 0. Integrate the equation found in part (ii) to show that at subsequent
times its speed is given by v = vt + (v0 − vt )e −αt . Sketch graphs of v against t for
(a) v0 = 0, and,
(b) v0 = 10vt .
[10 marks]
(iv) An object falling without a parachute experiences a drag force of the form D =
kd v 2 , where kd is a constant. Show that, in this case, the terminal velocity of the
object is given by vt = mg /kd .
p

For an 80 kg person falling without a parachute kd = 0.25 kg m−1 . Calculate

their terminal velocity. [5 marks]
(v) An 80 kg skydiver opens their parachute when they reach 90% of the terminal
velocity calculated in part (iv). Assuming the parachute opens instanteously
and that thereafter the drag force is of the form D = bv, where b = 150 kg s−1 ,
find the magnitude and direction of the acceleration experienced by the skydiver
immediately after the parachute opens.
Briefly explain why a very rapidly opening parachute would be undesirable.
[8 marks]
[Total 32 marks]

xxxx/y/zzz 5 Please turn over

 5. (i) A particle has angular momentum L and is acted on by a torque τ, both mea-
dL
sured about the origin. Show that = τ.
dt
An object moving through space experiences a gravitational force due to a star.
If this is the only force acting show that the angular momentum of the object
about the star is constant. [5 marks]
(ii) An object of mass m moves under the influence of the gravitational force of a
star. Its angular momentum about the star has magnitude L . Show that the rate
at which a line joining the object to the star sweeps out area is given by
dA L
= = constant,
dt 2m
(i.e., Kepler’s second law of planetary motion). [5 marks]
(iii) Write down an expression for the gravitational potential energy of an object
mass m, distance r from a star of mass M.
Show that the object’s total mechanical energy can be written in the form
1
E= mv 2 + U ∗ (r) ,
2 r
where
L2 GMm
U∗ = 2
− ,
2mr r
L = the magnitude of the object’s angular momentum about the star, and
dr
vr = . [5 marks]
dt
(iv) The function U ∗ (r) can be regarded as a “pseudo-potential-energy”. Sketch a
graph of U ∗ as a function of r, and find expressions, in terms of L , M, m, and G,
∗
for Umin = the minimum value of U ∗ , and rc = the value of r at which the minimum
occurs. [5 marks]
(v) Qualitatively describe the motion of the object if its total mechanical energy, E,
satisfies each of the following in turn:
∗
(a) E = Umin ,
(b) Umin < E < 0,
∗

(c) E > 0.
[6 marks]
(vi) A very distant object of mass m falls under gravity towards the star of mass M.
At r = ∞ the object has a radial component of velocity (i.e., towards the star) of
vr ∞ , and the magnitude of its angular momentum about the star is L . Assuming
that the star is a uniform sphere of radius a, show that if the object hits the star,
the component of its velocity normal to the surface at the instant it reaches the
surface is given by r
L2 2GM
vra = − vr2∞ − 2 2 + .
m a a
L2 2GM
Sketch the trajectory of the object if vr2∞ < 2 2 − . [6 marks]
m a a
[Total 32 marks]

xxxx/y/zzz 6
 6. With the usual definitions β = v /c, γ = 1/ 1 − β2 , the Lorentz transformations be-
p

tween a frame S and a frame S 0 moving with relative velocity v are

ct 0 = γ(ct − βx),
x 0 = γ(x − βct).

(i) Show that the double transformation of an event with coordinates (x, t) in S
to S 0 and then back to S leaves the coordinates of the event unchanged. As
part of your answer you will need to write down (or derive) the inverse Lorentz
transformations. [8 marks]
(ii) The time dilation formula is often written as ∆tA = γ∆tB . Show that this equa-
tion follows from the Lorentz transformation formulas. Make sure your answer
clearly states which frame records tA and which tB . Your answer should include
a definition of proper time. [8 marks]
(iii) How great must the relative velocity be between two frames for their time interval
measurements to differ by 1%? [4 marks]
(iv) How far must a plane, flying at 150 m/s (540 km/h), travel before its clock is 1s
slow compared a ground based clock? [4 marks]
(v) Two events occur in frame S. Let D = x2 − x1 and T = t2 − t1 .
(a) What relation(s) must be statisfied by D and T if event 1 was the cause of
event 2? [4 marks]
(b) Show that causality is preserved, that is, if event 1 is the cause of event 2
in one frame, it can be the cause when observed from any other frame.
[4 marks]

[Total 32 marks]

xxxx/y/zzz 7 End of examination paper