Due: 5 pm on Fri. Sep. 15.

Where: Mailbox, Rm. 6, Hopper Science Center

Phys 131 – Problem set 1

1. I agree to hire you for 30 days. You decide between two methods of payment: Option A:
$1000 a day, or Option B:. 1 penny on the first day, 2 pennies on the second day, 4
pennies on the third day …etc. up to day 30.
a. Show that the Option B is financially the best decision? [4 points]
b. How many days will you have to work under Option B to earn more than 30 days
of work with Option A? [6 points] [Hint: you may find the following expression
𝑎(1−𝑟𝑛 )
useful: 𝑎 + 𝑎𝑟 + 𝑎𝑟 2 + 𝑎𝑟 3 + 𝑎𝑟 4 + ⋯ + 𝑎𝑟 𝑛−1 = 1−𝑟 , but you don’t
necessarily need it!]
2. The smallest meaningful measure of length is called the Planck length, 𝑙𝑝 , and is defined
in terms of three fundamental constants in nature: the speed of light 𝑐 =
3.00 × 108 m/s, the gravitational constant 𝐺 = 6.67 × 10−11 m3 /kg ⋅ s 2, and Planck’s
constant ℎ = 6.63 × 10−34 kg ⋅ m2 /s. Algebraically, the Planck length is given by

𝐺ℎ
𝑙𝑝 = √ .
𝑐3
Show that the dimensions of 𝑙𝑝 are length [𝐿]. [10 points]

3. The observable universe is thought to be a sphere of radius 𝑅 ∼ 4 × 1026 m with a total

mass density of 10−26 kg/m3. Only 4% of the total mass is due to “ordinary” matter
(protons, neutrons, electrons). Estimate how much ordinary matter (in kg) there is in the
observable universe. [10 points]

4. A ball is dropped from the top of a tall building, of height ℎ. At the same instant, a
second ball is thrown upward from ground level, with initial speed 𝑣0. When the two
balls pass one another, one on the way up, the other on the way down, which of the
following statements are true?: [3 points]
a. The acceleration of the dropped ball is greater.
b. The acceleration of the ball thrown upward is greater.
c. The acceleration of both balls is the same.
d. The acceleration changes during the motion, so you cannot predict the exact
value when the two balls pass each other.
e. The accelerations are in opposite directions.

If the balls cross over exactly halfway up the building, what is the initial speed 𝑣0 ?
[7 points]

5. According to a rule-of-thumb, each five seconds between a lightning flash and the
following thunder gives the distance to the flash in miles. a. Assuming the flash of light
arrives in essentially no time at all, estimate the speed of sound in m/s from this rule. [7
points] b. what would the rule be for kilometers? [3 points]
Due: 5 pm on Fri. Sep. 15.
Where: Mailbox, Rm. 6, Hopper Science Center

6. A bowling ball traveling with constant speed, 𝑣, hits the pins at the end of the bowling
lane, which is 𝑙 meters long. The bowler hears the ball hitting the pins 𝑇 seconds after
the ball is released from his hands.
a. Show that:
𝑙(𝑣 + 𝑣𝑠 )
𝑇= .
𝑣𝑣𝑠
[5 points] [Hint: break this problem into two parts: 𝑡1 , the time the ball travels to
the pins, and 𝑡2 , the time it takes the sound to travel to the bowler. The total
time is 𝑇 = 𝑡1 + 𝑡2]
b. Interpret the equation above for when the speed of sound 𝑣𝑠 is assumed
infinitely large, (i.e. 𝑣𝑠 ≫ 𝑣) [1 point].
c. Show that the speed of the ball is given by [3 points]:
𝑙𝑣𝑠
𝑣=
(𝑣𝑠 𝑇 − 𝑙)
d. What is 𝑣 when 𝑣𝑠 𝑇 ≫ 𝑙? Explain why this makes sense [1 point].

7. A baseball pitcher throws a baseball with a speed 𝑣 = 43 m/s. Assume the pitcher
accelerates the ball through a displacement of 3.5 m from behind the body to the point
it is released.
a. Estimate the average acceleration of the ball. [4 points]
b. Describe the subsequent motion of the ball. (Will it move off at a constant
speed? Will it slow down? Will its height change?) [3 points]
Another pitcher throws the ball with a shorter extension of 3 m.
c. How much more acceleration is required from this second pitcher to ensure the
ball is pitched with the same speed?
[3 points]
Due: 5 pm on Fri. Sep. 15.
Where: Mailbox, Rm. 6, Hopper Science Center
8. A 75 m-long train begins uniform acceleration from rest. The front of the train has a
speed of 18 m/s when it passes a railway worker who is standing 180 m from where the
front of the train started. What will be the speed of the last car as it passes the worker?
[10 points]

9. Mary and Sally are in a foot race. When Mary is 22 m from the finish line, she has a
speed of 4 m/s and is 5 m behind sally, who has a speed of 5 m/s. Sally thinks she has
the race won, and so decelerates for the remainder of the race at a constant rate of
0.4 m/s2. What constant acceleration does Mary need to cross the finish line side-by-
side with Sally? [10 points]

10. An unmarked police car traveling a constant 95 km/h is passed by a speeder traveling
135 km/h. Precisely 1 s after the speeder passes, the police officer steps on the
accelerator. If the police car’s acceleration is 2.6 m/s2, how much time passes before
the police car overtakes the speeder (assumed moving at constant speed)? [10 points]