Nikko Jean Reyes

CE201

Problem Set #1

A. Scalar and Vectors

1. A hiker walks 53.1 degrees north of east for 2.5km then due east for 2.0km. What is
her total displacement from her starting point if you measure the distance along a
straight line?

Ax= | A|cos ϕ1= 3cos 53.1 ° =1.8km

Ay= | A|sin ϕ1= 3sin 53.1° = 2.4km

Bx= |B|cos 0 °=2.0km

By= |B|sin 0 °=0km

(A,B)=(Ax+Bx)+(Ay+By)=(1.8km+2.0km)+(2.4km+0km)=(3.8km,2.4km)

C=√ Cx2 +Cy 2= √ 3.82 +2.42 = 4.49km

Cy −1 2.4 km
= tan
−1
Angle of Resultant: ϕ2= tan = 32.28º
Cx 3.8 km

2. The silhouette of a Christmas tree is an isosceles triangle. The angle at the top of the
triangle is 30.0º, and the base measures 2.00 m across. How tall is the tree?

2θ + 30◦ = 180◦ = 2θ = 180◦−30◦

2θ 150◦
2
= 2 = θ=75◦

y
tanθ=
1.00 m

y= 1.00mtanθ = 1.00mtan75 ◦

y= 3.73m
3. A golfer, putting on a green, requires three strokes to “ hole the ball”. During the first
putt, the ball rolls 5.0 m due east. For the second putt, the ball travels 2.1 m at an angle
of 20.0 ◦ north of east. The third putt is 0.50 m due north. What displacement
(magnitude and direction relative to due east) would have been needed to “ hole the
ball” on the very first putt?

Rx= 5.0 m + (2.1 m) cos 20◦ + 0.0 m = 6.97 m

Ry = 0.0 m + (2.1 m) sin 20◦ + 0.50 m = 1.22 m

2 2 2 2
R= √ Rx + Ry = √ (6.97 m) +(1.22 m) = 7.1m

R y 1.22m
tanθ= = = 0.175
R x 6.97 m

θ=tan −1 ( 0.175 ) = 9.9º

4. Find the resultant of the three displacement vectors in Fig. 1.16by means of the
component method. The magnitudes of the vectors are A = 5.00 m, B = 5.00 m and C =
4.00 m.

Note: First find the individual components of each of the vectors. Note, the angles given
in the figure are measured in different ways so we have to think about the signs of the
components. Here, the x component of vector A is negative and the y component of
vector C is also negative.

Ax= − (5.00 m) cos (20.0 ◦ ) = −4.698 m

Ay= (5.00 m) sin (20.0 ◦) = 1.710 m

Bx= (5.00 m) cos (60.0 ◦) = 2.500 m

By= (5.00 m) sin (60.0 ◦) = 4.330 m

Cx=0m Cy= −4.00 m

2.040 m
Rx= Ax+ Bx+ Cx = −4.698m+2.500m+0m = −2.198 m tanθ= = −0.928
−2.198 m

Ry= Ay+ By+ Cy = 1.710m+4.330m+−4.00m = 2.040 m

R=√ Rx2 + Ry2= √ (−2.198 m)2+(2.040 m)2= 3.00m

Motion in One Dimension

B. Velocity

5. One drop of oil falls straight down onto the road from the engine of a moving car
every 5s. It shows the pattern of the drops left behind on the pavement. What is the
average speed of the car over this section of this motion?

Note: Count Spaces not dots. Count 5 not 6.

The first drop falls at time zero is and the last drop

at 5x5s= 25s

∆x 600 m
Vxavg= ∆t = 5s = 24 m/s
6. An automobile travels on a straight road for 40 km at 30 km/h. It then continues in the
same direction for another 40 km at 60 km/h.

(a) What is the average velocity of the car during the full 80 km trip?

(b) What is the average speed?

d tv d d
( )
Formula: t v = t t = v = v = t= v

40 km 40 km
Segment 1: t= 1 hr =0.4s Segment 2: t= 1 hr =1.9s
30 km/hr × 6 0 km/hr ×
3600 s 3600 s

∆ x f +∆ x i 40 km+40 km
Solution: Vxavg= ∆ t f +∆ t i = 1.9 s+ 0.4 s = 34.78km/s or 34,780m/s
7. A boy is walking at the rate of 5 miles per hour toward the foot of a flag pole 60 feet
high.  At what rate is his distance from the top of the pole changing when he is 80 feet
from its foot?

Let the boy be at the point A, which is a distance x from the foot of the flag pole.
Let s be his distance from the top of the pole.

ds
We are to calculate 
dt

The figure is a right triangle.  s2 = x2 + 3600.

ds dx ds x dx
Differentiate implicitly with respect to t. 2s = 2x = = 
dt dt dt s dt
dx
Now we are given x=80 ft., and = −5mi/hr. We write the minus sign because x is
dt
decreasing as he approaches the flag pole.

ds 80 ft .
s=√ (80 ft .)2 +(60 ft .)2= 100ft. =  ×−5 mi ./hr = −4mi./hr.
dt 100 ft .

8. A young mathematician throws a ball straight into the air with a velocity of 40ft/sec. Its
height (in feet) after (t) seconds is given by s (t) = 40t−16t2 (feet above the ground).
What is the height of the ball after 2 seconds?

(t) = 40t−16t2

(t=2s) = 40(2)−16(2)2

h= 16ft.
C. Acceleration

9. A racehorse coming out of the gate accelerates from rest to a velocity of 15.0 m/s
due west in 1.80 s. What is its average acceleration?

∆ v x f −∆ v x i −15.0 m/s−0 m/s

axavg= ∆ t f −∆ t i = 1.8 s−0 s =−8.33m/s2

10. David drives and slows to a stop when he sees a stop sign. A graph of his velocity
over time is shown below. What is his average acceleration from 10 to 20 seconds?

∆ v x f −∆ v x i 20 m/s−0 m/s
axavg= ∆ t f −∆ t i = 20 s−1 0 s = 2m/s
11. The velocity of a particle moving along the x axis varies according to the expression
vx = 40 – 5t², where vx is in meters per second and t is in seconds.

(A) Find the average acceleration in the time interval t = 0 to t = 2.0 s.

(B) Determine the acceleration at t = 2.0 s

A. VxA = 40 – 5t²= 40 – 5(0s)²= 40m/s

VxB = 40 – 5t²= 40 – 5(2.0s)²= 20m/s

∆ v x B −∆ v x A 20 m/s−4 0 m/ s
axavg= ∆ t B −∆ t A = 2 .0 s−0 s = −10m/s
2

B. Vxf= 40−5(t+∆t)2 = 40−5t2−10t ∆t −5(∆t)2

∆vx= Vxf – Vxi= −10t ∆t −5(∆t)2

∆ vx
ax= lim = ∆lim ¿ (−10t ∆t −5(0)2)= −10t
∆ t →0 ∆t t →0

ax= −10(2.0 m/s2) = −20 m/s2

12. A constant A constant force changes the speed of a car from force changes the
speed of a car from 8 m/s to 20 m/s in 4 s. What is average acceleration?

∆ v x f −∆ v x i 20 m/s−8 m/s
axavg= ∆ t f −∆ t i = 4 s−0 s =3m/s