PROBLEM SHEET 1 (CIV205- Mechanics I)

Exercise 1
1.1 Compute the moment of inertia of a uniform rod of mass M and length L about an axis
perpendicular to the rod and passing through a point located at distance d from the rod’s center.
1
Show that 𝐼𝐼 = 𝑀𝑀𝐿𝐿2 when d=L/2 (about rod end).
3
1.2 Compute the moment of inertia of a rigid system of 3 particles of mass m each, located at the
vertices of an equilateral triangle of side a about an axis perpendicular to the triangle and
passing through a point located at the middle of an edge.

Exercise 2 (Push the fridge)

An initially stationary 110 kg refrigerator sits on the floor. The coefficient of static friction
between the refrigerator and the floor is 0.60, and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the
refrigerator and the floor is 0.40. A person pushing on the refrigerator tries to budge the fridge
with the following forces:
(a) 𝐹𝐹push = 400 N, (b) 𝐹𝐹push = 600 N, (c) 𝐹𝐹push = 800 N.

For each individual case listed above, determine the magnitude of the frictional force that will
exist between the bottom of the refrigerator and the floor. Justify.

Exercise 3 (Box pulled across a rough table)

A 1.3 kg box of frozen chocolate chip waffles is pulled at constant velocity across a table by a rope.
The rope is at an angle 𝜃𝜃 = 60° and under a tension of 4 N.

What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the table and the box?
Exercise 4 (Block on a plane): A block of mass M rests on a fixed plane inclined at an angle θ.
You apply a horizontal force of Mg on the block, as shown in the figure.

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Assume that the friction force between the block and the plane is large enough to keep the block
at rest. What are the normal and friction forces (call them N and f) that the plane exerts on the
block? If the coefficient of static friction is µ, for what range of angles θ will the block in fact
remain at rest?
Exercise 5: Rope wrapped around a pole

A rope wraps an angle θ around a pole. You grab one end and pull with a tension 𝑇𝑇0 . The other
end is attached to a large object, say, a boat. If the coefficient of static friction between the rope
and the pole is µ, what is the largest force the rope can exert on the boat, if the rope is not to slip
around the pole?
Comment: This is an example involving a rope in which the tension varies with position. We’ll
need to consider differential pieces of the rope to solve this problem.
Exercise 6 (Designing a mount for camera motion)
You are designing a mount for moving a 1 kg camera smoothly over a vertical distance of 50
mm. The design calls for the camera to slide on a pair of rails, with a spring supporting the
camera and pulling it up against the tip of an adjustment screw as shown in Figure below. The
nominal length of the spring is 𝐿𝐿0 = 50 mm. What would be the inconvenient of connecting the
camera directly to the screw? What is the minimum spring constant required for this design?

Exercise 7 (Strut in equilibrium)

A mass of 225 kg hangs from the end of the uniform strut whose mass is 45.0 kg.

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Find (a) the tension T in the cable and the (b) horizontal and (c) vertical force components
exerted on the strut by the hinge.

Exercise 8 (Stirring the liquid)

A thin rod of mass 5 kg and length 2 meters is being used to stir a liquid contained in a plastic
barrel of cylindrical form and height 60 centimeters. The liquid is being used for construction
works in a building site. We neglect the mass of the barrel. The density of the liquid is around
900 kilograms per cubic meter.

a) Find the radius of the barrel.

b) Study the equilibrium of the barrel when the barrel is almost full and compute the force
exerted by the immersed end of the rod on the barrel.
Study the equilibrium of the barrel when the liquid has an arbitrary height h. Discuss the
limit of small h.
Neglect the (viscous) friction.

Exercise 9

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Exercise 10

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