PHYSICS for Sciences and Engineering / 101

Chapter 4 : Motion in two dimension

Q1 : A motorist drives south at for , then

turns west and travels at for , and finally
travels northwest at for . For this
trip , find :
a) the total vector displacement
b) the average speed
c) the average velocity (let the positive x-axis point east )

( ) ( ̂)
( ) ( )̂

a) Net displacement at angle ⃗

⃗ ( ̂ )̂
|⃗ | √

√( ) ( )

( )

( )

b) Average speed

c) Average velocity

⃗ ⃗

⁄ ⃗
Q3: Suppose the position vector for a particle is given as
a function of time by
⃗( ) ( ) ̂ ( ) ̂ , with
( ) and ( )
,where , , , and
.
(a) Calculate the average velocity during the time
interval from to .
(b) Determine the velocity and the speed at .

a)For the average velocity, we have

( ) ( )

[( ) ] [( ) ]

( ) ( )
 [( ) ] [( ) ]

( ̂ )̂

b) For the velocity components, we have

( )

( ) ̂

( )

( )

( )
̂

( ) ( ) ( )

( ) ( ̂ )̂
Then the speed is

| )| √(
( ( )) ( ( )
)

√( ) ( )

Q5 : A golf ball is hit off a tee at the edge of a cliff its

and coordinates as functions of time are given by the
following expressions :
( ⁄ )
( ⁄ ) ( ⁄ )

a) write a vector expression for the ball's position as a

function of time .using the unit vectors ̂ and ̂ .
By taking derivatives , obtain expressions for :
b) the velocity vector as a function of time and
c) the acceleration vector a function of time .

a)

⃗ ⃗

̂ ( )̂
b)

[ ]̂ [ ( ) ]̂

c)

( ⁄ )̂

next use unit vector notation to write expressions for

(d) the position (e) the velocity (f) the acceleration of
the golf ball , all at

d) By substitution ,

( ) ( )̂ ( )̂

e)

( ) ( ⁄ )̂ ( ⁄ )̂

f)

( ) ( ⁄ )̂
Q6: A particle initially located at the origin has an
acceleration of ( ̂) and an initial velocity of
( ̂) . Find
(a) the vector position and velocity of the particle at any
time
(b) the coordinates and speed of the particle at
( ̂ ̂)
a)

[ ( ) ̂ ( ) ]̂

( ̂ )̂

[( ) ̂ ( ) ]̂

b) at

[( ) ̂ ( ) ̂] ( ̂ )̂

So,

[( ) ̂ ( ) ]̂ ( ̂ )̂

So,
The speed

| | √

√( ) ( )

Q7 : The vector position of a particle varies in time

according to the expression ( ̂ ̂) .
(a) Find expressions for the velocity and acceleration of
the particle as functions of time.
(b) Determine the particle’s position and velocity at
.

a)

( ̂ )̂

( )̂

( ̂)

( ̂)

b) by substitution
 ( ) ( ̂ ( ) )̂

( ) ( ̂ )̂

( ) ( ( ) )̂

( ) ( )̂

Q9: A fish swimming in a horizontal plane has velocity

( ̂ ̂) ⁄
at a point in the ocean where the position relative to a
certain is ⃗ ( ̂ ̂)
After the fish swims with constant acceleration for
its velocity is
( ̂ ̂) ⁄
a) What are the component of the acceleration ?
b) What is the direction of the acceleration with respect
to unit vector ̂?
c) If the fish maintains constant acceleration , where is it
at and in what direction is it moving ?

⃗⃗⃗ ( ̂ )̂

( ) ( ̂ )̂ ⁄

a)
 ⁄

b)

( )

( )

c)

[ ( )] [ ( )( ) ]

[ ( )] [ ( )( ) ]
 ( ) ⁄

( ) ⁄

( )

( )

Q15: A projectile is fired in such a way that its horizontal

range is equal to three times its maximum height . what
is the angle of projection ?

( )
Q19: The speed of a projectile when it reaches its
maximum height is one-half its speed when it is at half
its maximum height. What is the initial projection angle
of the projectile?
Consider the motion from original zero height to maximum
height h:

( )
[ ( )]

Now consider the motion from the original point to half the
maximum height:

( )

(√ ) [ ( )]

At maximum height, the speed is

√
 √

Now the projection angle is

√
√
√

(√ )
Q21: A firefighter, a distance from a burning building,
directs a stream of water from a fire hose at angle
above the horizontal as shown in Figure P4.14. If the
initial speed of the stream is , at what height does
the water strike the building?
The horizontal component of
displacement is

( )

Therefore, the time required to

reach the building a distance
away is
( )

At this time, the altitude of the water is

[ ] [ ( ) ]

[ ] [ ]

Therefore, the water strikes the building at a height h above

ground level of
Q25: A playground is on the flat roof of a city school,
above the street below (Fig. P4.25). The vertical
wall of the building is high, forming a -high
railing around the playground. A ball has fallen to the
street below, and a passerby returns it by launching it at
an angle of above the horizontal at a point
from the base of the building wall. The ball takes
to reach a point vertically above the wall.

(a) Find the speed at which the ball was launched.

(b) Find the vertical distance by which the ball clears the
wall.
(c) Find the distance from the wall to the point on the
roof where the ball lands.

a) For the horizontal motion, we have

( )( )
b) As it passes over the wall, the ball is above the street by

( )( )

( )( ) ( ) ( )

So it clears the parapet by

c) Note that the highest point of the ball’s trajectory is not

directly above the wall. For the whole flight, we have from the
trajectory equation

( ) ( )

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
Solving,

( ) ( )

√( ) ( )( )
( )
This yields two results:

√ √

The ball passes twice through the level of the roof.

It hits the roof at distance from the wall

Q27: A soccer player kicks a rock horizontally off a

high cliff into a pool of water. If the player hears
the sound of the splash 3 s later ,what was the initial
speed given to the rock ? Assume the speed of sound in
air is 343 m/s ?

( )

The extra time

This is the time required for the sound she hears to travel
straight back to the player . it covers distance

( ) ( )

√ ( )

Where represent the horizontal distance the rock travels .

Q29: A student stands at the edge of a cliff and throws a

stone horizontally over the edge with a speed of
. The cliff is above a body of
water as shown in Figure P4.29.
(a) What are the coordinates of
the initial position of the stone?
(b) What are the components of
the initial velocity of the stone?
(c) What is the appropriate
analysis model for the vertical
motion of the stone?
(d) What is the appropriate analysis model for the
horizontal motion of the stone?
(e) Write symbolic equations for the and
components of the velocity of the stone as a function of
time.
(f) Write symbolic equations for the position of the
stone as a function of time.
(g) How long after being released does the stone strike
the water below the cliff?
(h) With what speed and angle of impact does the stone
land?

a) Initial coordinates:

b) Components of initial velocity:

̂ ̂

c) Free fall motion, with constant downward acceleration

d) Constant velocity motion in the horizontal direction. There is

no horizontal acceleration from gravity.
e)

f)
g)
We find the time of impact:

h)
At impact,
,and the vertical component is

√
 √

√( ) ( )

( )

which in this case means the velocity points into the fourth
quadrant because its y component is negative.
Q36: A tire in radius rotates at a constant rate of
. Find the speed and acceleration of a
small stone lodged in the tread of the tire (on its outer
edge).

The radius of the tire . The speed of the stone on

its outer edge is

and its acceleration is

( )
Q40: Figure P4.40 represents the total acceleration of a
particle moving clockwise in a circle of radius at a
certain instant of time . At this instant , find
(a) the radial acceleration
(b) the speed of the particle , and
(c) its tangential acceleration .

a)

( )( )

b)

( ⁄ )
⁄

√ ⁄

c)

√ √( ) ( ) ⁄
Q42: A ball swings in a vertical circle at the end of rope
long . when the ball is past the lowest point
on its way up ,its total acceleration is ( ̂
̂) ⁄ At that instant ,
(a) sketch a vector diagram showing the components of
its acceleration ,
(b) determine the magnitude of its acceleration ,and
(c) determine the speed and velocity of the ball.

a)

see the figure

b)

( ) ( )
( )

c)

√ ( )

⁄
Q45: An airplane maintains a speed of
relative to the air it is flying through as it makes a trip to
a city away to the north.
(a) What time interval is required for the trip if the plane
flies through a headwind blowing at toward
the south?
(b) What time interval is required if there is a tailwind
with the same speed?
(c) What time interval is required if there is a crosswind
blowing at to the east relative to the ground?
The airplane (AP) travels through the air (W) that can move
relative to the ground (G). The airplane is to make a
displacement of north. Treat north as positive and
west as positive .
a)
The wind (W) is blowing at , south. The northern
component of the airplane’s velocity relative to the ground is
( ) ( ) ( )

We can find the time interval the airplane takes to travel

north:
( )

( )
b)
The wind (W) is blowing at , north. The northern
component of the airplane’s velocity relative to the ground is
( ) ( ) ( )

We can find the time interval the airplane takes to travel

north:

( )

c)
Now, the wind (W) is blowing at , east. The airplane
must travel directly north to reach its destination, so it must
head somewhat west and north so that the east component of
the wind’s velocity is cancelled by the airplane’s west
component of velocity. If the airplane heads at an angle
measured west of north, then
( ) ( ) ( )

The northern component of the airplane’s velocity relative to

the ground is
( ) ( ) ( )

( )

We can find the time interval the airplane takes to travel

north:

( )