Mechanics I

Chapter 7 – Applications on Newton's Second Law

Section 7.1 A Problem – Solving Strategy

(118) 1. The adjacent figure shows a trolley accelerating towards the right, with a mass m
placed against its vertical front surface. What minimum acceleration should the
trolley have for m not to slip, knowing that the coefficient of static friction between
m and the trolley is 0.40?

Section 7.2 Horizontal Acceleration

B2.(119) 2. A lorry of mass 2.5 tons experiences a resistance force of 800 N when
traveling along a level road. The engine is producing a driving force of 2400 N.
By modeling the lorry as a particle, find the acceleration of the lorry.

B3.(120) 3. A body of mass 2.0 kg is suspended at the end of a massless spring tied to the
ceiling of a bus. When the bus is accelerating, the string makes an angle α = 15°
with the vertical.
a) Find the tension in the string.
b) Find the acceleration of the bus.

(121) 4. The figure shows a boy pushing two blocks A and B with a horizontal force F.

Find the force exerted by B on A knowing that F = 20 N, mA = 3mB = 3 kg and the

surface is frictionless.

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B1.(122) 5. [G] A block of mass 5.00 kg is pushed along a rough horizontal surface. The
coefficient of friction between the block and the surface is 0.250.
a) Find the pushing force needed to produce an acceleration of 4.00 m/s2. Use g =
10.0 m/s2.
b) The same block is moving on a smooth surface and is subjected to the same force
found in part (a). Find the acceleration of the block.

BG4. Two masses m and 3 m are connected by an inextensible string S and being pulled by a
force F along a rough horizontal surface. The coefficient of friction between the surface and
the masses is 0.4. If the acceleration of the system is 2.5 m/s2, find
(a) the tension in the string.
(b) the magnitude of the force F.

Section 7.3 Vertical Acceleration

B5. A child of mass 50 kg is standing in a lift of mass 80kg accelerating upwards at 2.5 m/s2. .
(a) By modelling the child as a particle, find the force between the child and the floor
of the lift.
(b) If the lift is connected to a cable pulling it upward find the tension in the cable.

BG6. A particle A of mass 1.5 kg is suspended by a vertical string S1. A particle B of mass 2.0 kg
is suspended from A by means of another string S2. A force of 40 N is applied to the upper
string and the particles move upwards. Find the tension in S2 and the acceleration of the
system.

B9.(123) 6. The pulleys in the figure are massless and frictionless, determine the
acceleration of each of m1 and m2, given that m1 = 4.00 kg, m2 = 1.00 kg, and the
surface is frictionless and horizontal.

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(124) 7. [G] A massless inextensible rope carries two masses m1 = 4.0 kg and m2 = 2.0 kg
at either end. The rope passes through the groove of a massless pulley that can
rotate without friction around a horizontal axis through its center. What is the
acceleration of mass m1? Use g = 10.0 m/s2.

B7.(125) 8. [G] A man of mass 95.0 kg stands on a light bathroom scale inside a lift. The
mass of the lift is 300 kg and the lift accelerates downwards.
a) What is the reading of the scale if the acceleration of the lift is 1.50 m/s2? Use g =
10.0 m/s2.
(b) Find the acceleration of the lift when the reading of the scale is 950 N.

BG8. Two Particles of mass 5 kg and 2 kg are attached to the ends of a light inextensible string
which passes over a smooth fixed pulley. The system is released from rest.
(a) Find the acceleration of the system.
G(b) Find the tension in the string.
G(c) Find the distance moved by the 5 kg mass in the first 3 seconds assuming that
neither particle reaches the pulley.

BTG10 The diagram shows a box B, of

mass 0.4 kg , resting on the smooth horizontal B
surface of a table. An inextensible light string
connects B to another particle A of mass 0.1 kg.
The string passes over a small smooth pulley
fixed at the edge of the table. The system is
released from rest with the string taut and the A
hanging part vertical.
(a) Calculate the magnitude of the acceleration of B.
G(b) Calculate the tension in the string.

Section 7.4 Acceleration along an Inclined Axis

BG13.(126) 9. A particle of mass 2 kg rests in limiting equilibrium on a plane inclined at

25° to the horizontal. The angle of inclination is decreased to 20° and a force of
magnitude 20 N is applied up the line of greatest slope. Find the acceleration of the
particle.

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B11.(127) 10. A block of mass 1.6 kg is placed on a rough plane inclined at 45° to the
horizontal. The coefficient of friction between the block and the plane is 0.25.
By modeling the block as a particle,
a) find the acceleration of the particle down the plane.
b) find the velocity of the block after 32 s, assuming that it starts from rest.

(128) 11. Two particles A and B, of masses 10 kg and 12 kg respectively, are connected by
a light inextensible string which passes over a light smooth pulley P. Particle A
rests on a smooth horizontal surface and B rests on a smooth plane inclined at 45°
to the horizontal. with the string taut and perpendicular to the line of intersection
of the table and the plane. The system is released from rest.
a) Find the magnitude of the acceleration of the particles.
b) Find the tension in the string.

B12.(129) 12. [G] A parcel P of mass 5.00 kg is released from rest on a rough ramp of
inclination  = arcsin (3/5) and slides down the ramp. After 3.00 s, P has a speed
of 4.90 m/s. Treating the parcel as a particle, find the coefficient of friction
between the parcel and the ramp. Use g = 10.0 m/s2.

B14.The diagram shows a particle A, of mass 5 kg resting on

a smooth plane which is inclined at 30 to the horizontal. P
A light inextensible string connects A to a second particle B
of mass 3 kg which hangs freely. The string passes over a A
small smooth pulley P fixed at the top of the inclined plane,
and the portion AP of the string is parallel to a line of greatest B
30
slope of the plane. The system is released from rest with the
string taut and the hanging part vertical.
(a) Calculate the acceleration of A.
(b) Calculate the tension in the string.

B15. Two particles A and B, of masses 10 Kg and 12 Kg respectively, are connected by

a light inextensible string which passes over a light smooth pulley P. Particle A
rests on a smooth horizontal surface and B rests on a smooth plane inclined at 45
to the horizontal. With the string taut and perpendicular to the line of intersection
of the table and the plane. The system is released from rest
(a) Find the magnitude of the acceleration of the particles.
(b) Find the tension in the string. A

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 Mechanics I

Section 7.5 Dynamics of Uniform Circular Motion

BG17.(130) 13. [G] A car of mass 1.2 tons goes at a speed of 72.0 km/h round a banked
curve of radius 200. m. If the surface is frictionless find the least angle between
the curve and the horizontal so that the car rounds the curve without skidding. Use
g = 10.0 m/s2.
(131) 14. [G] Calculate the centripetal force exerted on a 1200 kg car that negotiates a 250
m radius curve at 25 m/s.

(132) 15. [G] An aircraft travels along a circle at a speed of 120 km/h. What is the diameter
of the circle if the angle of banking is 7.0º?

B16. A pilot banks his aircraft at an angle of 15 to travel in a circle of diameter 2 km. If
air resistance is negligible, find the speed of the aircraft.

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 Mechanics I

Chapter 8 – Work, Energy, and Power

Section 8.1 Introduction

(133) 1. Is the application of Newton’s Second Law always the easiest method to solve a
problem? Explain.

Section 8.2 Work – Energy Theorem

BG1.(134) 2. [G]
a) State the work-kinetic energy theorem.
b) A package of mass 8.0 kg is pushed in a straight line across a smooth horizontal floor
by means of a constant horizontal force of magnitude 16 N. The package has a speed
of 3.0 m/s when it passes through point A and a speed of 5.0 m/s when it reaches
point B. Find the distance AB.

Section 8.3 Workless Forces

(135) 3. An ice puck of mass 1.0 kg moves with a speed of 2.0 m/s on a frictionless
horizontal surface.
a) What are the two forces acting on the body?
b) Find the work done by each force as the body moves through a distance of 1.0 m.

(136) 4. [G] What are the two cases in which a force does zero work on an object?

Section 8.4 Work Done by a Force

B2. (137) 5. A body of mass 5 kg moves on a horizontal rough surface. The body is
subjected to a force of magnitude 50 N making an angle of 30° with the
horizontal. If the coefficient of friction between the table and the surface is 0.15,
find the work done by the net force acting on the body to move it a distance of 100
m.

(138) 6. [G] A force F of magnitude 20.0 N acts on a box at an angle of 60 with the
horizontal. If the force applied to the box causes it to move horizontally through
10.0 m, what is the work done by F?

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Section 8.6 Work as Area Under the F-x Curve

(139) 7. [G] A force-displacement graph of a moving cart is shown below.

Determine the amount of work done by the force over the displacement 0 m to 5
m.

Section 8.7 Work Done by Gravity (near the surface of the Earth)

B3.(140) 8. A man lifts 20 boxes each of mass 15 kg through a height of 1.5 m. Find the
work done by the man against gravity.

B4.(141) 9. A box of mass 60 kg is released from rest on a rough inclined plane making an
angle α= sin–1 (2/7) with the horizontal. After traveling 90 m, the box reaches a
speed of 12 m/s. Find, using the Work–Energy Theorem, the coefficient of friction
between the body and the plane.

B6.(142) 10. A girl pushes her bicycle 120 m up a hill inclined at an angle αto the horizontal,
where sinα = 1/10. If the combined weight of the girl and her bicycle is 700 N,
a) find the work she does against gravity, and
b) find the total work done by the girl knowing that the average resistance to
motion is of magnitude 20 N.

(143) 11. [G] A woman of mass 60.0 kg takes a ride in a ski lift. Find the work done by
gravity on the woman as she goes up 100. m along a slope of 37.0°. Use g = 10.0
m/s2.

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 Mechanics I

Section 8.8 Power

B7.(144) 12. a) Define the following terms: average power, instantaneous power.
b) On a level track, a train has a maximum speed of 50 m/s. The total resistance
to motion is 28 kN. Find the maximum power of the engine.
c) A stone of mass 2 kg thrown vertically upwards reaches a maximum height of
30 m in 6 s. Find the average power developed by the stone.

BG8.(145) 13. A car of mass 1500 kg moves up a hill inclined at an angle 30° to the
horizontal. When the engine is working at 250 kW, the maximum speed is 20 m/s.
Find the resistance to motion.

(146) 14. [G] A man of mass 80.0 kg climbs up 25 stairs each of height 20.0 cm in 20.0 s.
What is the average power developed by the man? Use g = 10.0 m/s2.

(147) 15. [G] A box on a motorized cart starts from rest and moves with a constant
acceleration of 1.40 m/s2. A worker assists the cart by pushing on the box with a
force of magnitude F(t) = (5.00 N/s)t and along the same direction of the
acceleration. What is the instantaneous power supplied by this force at t = 4.00 s?

B9. (a) A car of mass 1.2 tonnes is travelling along a level road against a constant
resistance of 400 N. Given that the maximum speed of the car is 40 m/s, find the power
developed by the engine.
(b) With the car engine working at the same rate and the resistance unchanged the car
ascends a slope inclined at 10 to the horizontal. Find its maximum velocity up the hill.

1
B10. A car of mass 1000 kg is moving up a hill inclined at arcsin at a steady speed of 25
20
m/s.
(a) Given that the power developed by the engine is 20 kW, find the resistance to
motion.
(b) The road now becomes horizontal. Find the initial acceleration, assuming
the resistance remains unchanged.

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Section 8.9 Gravitational Potential Energy

B11b.(148) 16. A child of mass 30 kg slides 5 m down a playground slide inclined at 40°
to the horizontal. By modeling the child as a particle, calculate the potential
energy lost by the child.

B11a. (149) 17. [G] A box of mass 4 kg is raised vertically upward through a distance of 2
m. Find the change in the gravitational potential energy of the box. What is the
work done by gravity on the box? Use g = 10 m/s2.

Section 8.10 Conservative and Non-Conservative Forces

(150) 18. A 3.0 kg body is pulled vertically upward by a force P at a constant velocity
through a distance of 1.0 m. (Consider g = 10 m/s2)
a) What is the magnitude of P?
b) What is the energy transferred to the body by the person exerting P?
c) What is the energy transferred to the body by the Earth?
d) What is the net increase in the kinetic energy of the body?

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BG12.(151) 19. [G] What is the difference between conservative and non-conservative
forces? Give examples on each of these forces.

Section 8.11 Potential Energy of a Compressed Spring (Elastic Potential Energy)

(152) 20. A massless spring is compressed 0.20 m by a force of 20 N, and 0.30 m by a

force of 30 N.
a) What is the force constant k of the spring?
b) How much work is needed to compress the spring
i. by 0.20 m?
ii. by 0.30 m?
c) A 1.0 kg steel cube moving at 3.0 m/s on a frictionless surface collides with
the spring. How much will the cube compress the spring before coming to a
stop?

(153) 21. [G] A 15.0 cm long spring, of negligible mass, is stretched to 23.0 cm by a force
F acting on one of its extremities. The spring has a spring constant of 350. N/m.
What is the elastic potential energy stored in the spring?

BG13. A 5.0 m long spring, of negligible mass is stretched to 6.0 m by a force F acting on one of
the extremities of the string, the second extremity being fixed. The spring has a spring
constant of 350 N/m.
G(a) What is the elastic potential energy stored in the spring.
(b) Find F.

Section 8.12 Generalization of the Theorem of Kinetic Energy

(154) 22. A body of mass 4.0 kg is placed on a plane, inclined at 30° with the horizontal,
starting from rest. The body slides down from rest and attains a speed of 2.0 m/s
after 2.0 m. Calculate the force of friction, assumed constant, exerted by the
surface on the box.
a) If we consider the Earth, the plane and body as one system, list the forces
acting on the body and classify them as external or internal. What is then ∑Wext?
b) Find the change in kinetic energy of the body.
c) Find the change in potential energy of the body.
d) Evaluate the energy dissipated using Wext = ΔEk+ ΔU + Energy dissipated.
e) Knowing that the energy dissipated is nothing but the work done by friction f,
express this energy in terms of f and deduce the magnitude of f.
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B5. A particle of mass 4 kg is projected up a rough inclined plane making an angle arcsin
13
to the horizontal with a velocity of 8 m/s. Given that the coefficient of friction between the
particle and the plane is 0.2, find, by energy consideration, the distance the particle moves
up the plane before coming to rest.

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Section 8.13 Mechanical Energy

B14.(155) 23. A boy and his skateboard have a mass of 50 kg. The boy descends a slope
inclined at 12º to the horizontal starting from rest. At the bottom of the incline,
the ground becomes horizontal for 10 m before rising at 8º to the horizontal. The
boy travels 30 m up the inclined before coming to rest again. By modeling the
boy and the skateboard as a particle, find the distance the boy traveled down the
slope knowing that throughout the motion, the boy is subject to a constant
resistance of 20 N.

B16. (156) 24. [G] Two identical masses of mass m are connected by a light inelastic
string of length 2.00 m. One particle, A, rests in smooth contact with a horizontal
table and the other particle hangs freely over the edge of the table. The string is
perpendicular to that edge. If A is released from rest when it is at a distance 1.00
m from the table edge, use the principle of conservation of mechanical energy to
find the speed of A when it reaches the edge. Use g = 9.80 m/s2.

B15. A bead is threaded on to a circular ring of radius 0.5 m and center O, which is fixed in a
vertical plane. The bead is projected from the lowest point of the ring, A, with a speed of
4m/s, and first comes to instantaneous rest at a point B. Contact between the ring and the
bead is smooth and there is no other resistance to motion. Find the height of B above A.

BG17. A small block A of mass 2m, is lying in smooth contact with a table top. A light
inextensible string of length 1 m is attached at one end to A, passes over a smooth pulley at
the edge of the table, and carries a block of mass m hanging freely at the other end.
Initially A is held at rest, 0.8 m from the edge of the table. If the system is released, find
the speed of A when it reaches the edge.

BG18. The seat of a swing is 0.4 m above the ground when it is stationary. A girl is swinging so
that she passes through the lowest point with speed 5.4 m/s. Find the height of the seat
above the ground when she first comes to rest.

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