Final Exam, Physics 9A

June 10, 2021

√
1. a) Just before the collision, the sphere moves at speed v = 2gh = 2.8 m/s.
If vb and vs are the velocities of the block and sphere, respectively, immediately after the
collision, then by conservation of momentum and energy

1.2v = 1.8vb + 1.2vs

1 1 1
(1.2)v 2 = (1.8)vb2 + (1.2)vs2
2 2 2
Using the momentum conservation equation to eliminate vb in the energy equation,

1 1 1.22 1
(1.2)v 2 = (v − vs )2 + (1.2)vs2
2 2 1.8 2
This simplifies to 5vs2 − 4vvs − v 2 = 0, so vs = − 15 v. The kinetic energy of the sphere has
dropped by a factor of 25. The maximum potential energy will drop by the same factor, so
the final height reached will be h/25 = 0.016 m.
b) From the equations in part a, the initial velocity vb of the wheeled structure is 0.8v = 2.24 m/s.
With constant force from the cotton candy, there will also be a constance deceleration, so the
velocity changes linearly and the average velocity is vb /2 = 1.12 m/s. Hence the structure
travels for a time L/(vb /2) = 1.3 s.
q
c) At a distance L/2, the velocity is given by vb2 + 2a(L/2), where the acceleration is a =
−vb /1.3 = −1.72 m/s2 . Plugging in numbers gives a velocity of 1.56 m/s. The instantaneous
power loss is F v = M av = 4.8 W.
2. a) The moment of inertia of the merry-go-round is I = 12 M R2 = 1
2 (50)(9) = 225 kg m2 , so its
angular momentum is L = Iω = 225(2π/4.2) = 337 kg m2 /s.
b) Each mudball should hit near the outer edge of the merry-go-round. Just before it hits, its
horizontal velocity should be directed exactly opposite to that of the spot on the merry-go-
round just underneath it. This gives maximum torque in the direction opposing the rotation.
c) Just before the mudball hits, its vertical angular momentum about the center of the merry-
go-round is Rmv = 3(0.15)(15) = 6.75 kg m2 /s. From angular momentum conservation, the
angular momentum of the merry-go-round and mudball just after the collision is 337 − 6.75
kg m2 /s. The total angular momentum continues to decrease by the same amount for each
new mudball, so it takes about 337/6.75 = 50 mudballs to stop the merry-go-round.
3. a) Let v be the total velocity of the combined objects when they leave the table. They then drop
1.1 m to the ground. This happens in time t, where 21 gt2 = 1.1 or t = 0.474 s. In that time,
the objects travel 2.5 m horizontally form the edge of the table. This means v = 2.5/.474 =
5.28 m/s.
4. a) There are three stable equilibrium points, at the local minima. These are near x = −3.3, x =
−0.7, and x = 2.1 m.
b) Initial kinetic energy is 12 (7.3)(1.3)2 =6.2 J. Potential energy at zero is 5 J. With total energy
of 11.2 J, the object passes over the maximum near x = 0.8 m. The turning points, where
all energy is potential, are near x = 2.9 m and x = −1.8 m.
c) Leftward force corresponds to positive slope. The largest magnitude is when that slope is
steepest, which happens to be near the right turning point of x = 2.9 m. The derivative
dU/dx gives the magnitude, which is about 7.5/.5 = 15 N.
5. a) There are five forces to draw: gravity (acting at the center of the beam, downwards), a tension in
each string (call the upper tension T1 , the lower tension T2 , and orient both away from the
beam), a normal force N where the beam meets the wall, and a friction force Ff , also where
the beam meets the wall. I assume Ff is oriented upwards.
Ff T1
N

T2
Mg
b) The constraints from balancing the external forces are

N − (T1 + T2 ) cos θ = 0

Ff − mg + (T1 − T2 ) sin θ = 0
while the constraint from balancing torque around the right end of the beam is
L
LFf − Mg = 0
2
The torque balance equation gives Ff = 12 M g. Using this, and plugging in sin 30◦ = 21 , the
second force balance equation becomes M g = T1 − T2 . Use this to eliminate T1 in the first
force balance equation, so N = (2T2 + M g) cos θ = 61.5 Nt. (As a check, the friction force is
24.5 Nt, which is less than µs N = 27.7 Nt.)
c) As the tension in the lower rope decreases, so does the normal force. But for a static ar-
rangement, the friction is fixed at 12 M g = 24.5 Nt, so the normal force cannot go below
Ff /µs = 54.4 Nt. From part b, N = (2T2 + M g) cos θ, so the corresponding tension in the
lower rope would be T2 = 6.93 Nt.
6. a) About the center of the rod, the moment of inertia is

ad5
Z d/2
a 5 d/2 3
I= (dxax2 )(x2 ) = x |−d/2 = = kg-m2
−d/2 5 80 32

b) For the moment of inertia around the end, add M ( d2 )2 = 0.16 kg-m2 . The total is 0.25 kg-m2 .
c) The spinning rod has angular momentum, and tilting the support post will change the direction
of that angular momentum. This requires a torque. By the right-hand-rule, the angular
momentum is initially directed upward. The person wants it directed slightly to the right
of upward, which requires a mostly rightward torque. This can be achieved by pushing the
bottom of the support rod (i.e., applying a force) into the page/screen, which will make the
rod tilt in a direction perpendicular to the applied force.