Problem Set - III

1. A body is allowed to slide on a frictionless track from rest position under gravity. The track ends in a
circular loop of diameter D. What is the minimum height of the body so that it may complete the
loop.

2. A simple ballistic pendulum consists of a wooden block of mass M into

which the bullet is shot. The block is suspended from cables of length l, and
the impact of the bullet causes it to swing through a maximum angle φ, as
shown. The initial speed of the bullet is v, and its mass is m.

(a) How fast is the block moving immediately after the bullet comes to rest?

(b) Show how to find the velocity of the bullet by measuring m, M, l, and φ.

3. (a) Show that the gravitational force is conservative.

x ^j +2 xz k^ , then show that it is conservative. Calculate the amount of work

2 ^
(b) If ⃗
F =(2 xy + z ) i+
2

done by this force in moving a particle from (0,1,2) to (5,2,7).

4. Discuss the conservation of energy principle for a spring-mass system.

5. A small block slides from rest from the top of a frictionless sphere of radius R, as shown in the
picture. How far below the top “x” does it lose contact with the sphere? The sphere does not move.
(hint: block separates when normal force is zero)

6. (a) A particle of mass m moves along the X-axis under the influence of a conservative field, having a
potential V(x). If the particle is located at positions x 1 and x2 at respective times t1 and t2, prove that, if

√
x2
m
E be the total energy, t 2−t 1= ∫ dx
2 x1 √ E−V (x)
1 2
(b) If in the above problem V = k x and the particle starts from the rest at x = a, find the equation
2
of motion in terms of x and t.

7. A particle of mass 20 gm moving in a circle at 4 cm radius with constant speed of 10 cm/sec. What is
its angular momentum about i) the center of the circle, ii) a point on the axis of the circle and at 3 cm
distance from its centre? Describe the direction of the angular momentum in both the cases.
8. A 1300 Kg car is parked on a 30o slope, facing uphill. The center of mass of the car is halfway
between the front and rear wheels and is 0.5 m above the ground. The wheels are 3 m apart. Find the
normal force exerted by the road on the front wheels and on the rear wheels.

9. A meteor of mass m is approaching the Earth (mass M E and radius RE) as shown in the figure.
Assume that the meteor started very far away from the earth with speed V i and at a perpendicular
distance h from the axis of symmetry of the orbit. At some later time the meteor just grazes the Earth.
You may ignore all other gravitational forces except due to earth. Find the distance h.

10. Find the moment of inertia of a uniform sphere of mass M and radius R around an axis through the
center.

11. A physical pendulum is made of a uniform disk of mass M and radius R suspended from a rod of
negligible mass. The distance from the pivot to the center of the disk is l. What value of l makes the
period a minimum?

12. A pendulum is made of two disks each of mass M and radius R separated by a massless rod. One of
the disks is pivoted through its center by a small pin. The disks hang in the same plane and their
centers are a distance l apart. Find the period for small oscillations.