November 8, 2007

Physics 130 -a

Dr. Schmidt

Midterm II Answer Key

Put your answers in the blue book. Start a new page for each problem. Partial credit will be given for incomplete
answers.
1. (10 points) How is work defined in physics? If you cite an equation be sure to tell what each quantity in the
equation represents. For each example, tell whether work is done by the force. Indicate with a simple yes or no.
a) Friction of the snow on the bottom of a ski as the skier glides down a slope at a constant speed. Yes
a) Force of a trampoline on an acrobat as he acrobat is launched into the air. Yes
a) Tension in the rope that carries a pail of water from a pump to a washtub at the same level. No.
a) Normal force of a steel track on a steel wheel as a train goes over a hill. No.
a) The force of the floor of an elevator on a passenger as the elevator moves down at a constant speed.Yes
2. (15 points) An Australian aboriginal noisemaker called a bullroarer consists a small flat piece
of wood tied to a string. When the wood piece is whirled around in a circle at the end of the string
the wood spins rapidly making an eerie whirring noise. Paul Hogan used such a device in
Crocodile Dundee II.
a) If it s whirled around in a horizontal circle overhead where in the path around the
circle is the tension in the string the greatest? Explain. The tension in the string
pulls the bullroarer into a circular path. Gravity acts at right angles to this
tension at all points around the path. The tension is the same everywhere
around the path.
a) If it is whirled in a vertical circle at the persons side where in the path around the circle is the tension in
the string the greatest? Explain. At the top of the circle gravity acts down and the tension acts down.
Together they pull the bullroarer into a circular path. The tension can be less than part a). At the
bottom of the circle gravity acts down and the tension acts up. The tension has to not only support
the weight of the bullroarer but also pull it into a circular path. The tension must be greater than
part a) and is the greatest at the bottom than anywhere else in the path.
a) Is there any point in each of the two paths where the tension is the same for both orientations? Explain.
At a point half way up the vertical circle the tension acts horizontal and gravity is down just as it is
in part a).
3. (15 points) For each of the following indicate if the statement is true of false. If false, reword the statement to make
it true.
a) In an elastic collision the relative speed between the objects colliding before and after the collision
remains the same even if the masses are different. True.
not
a) Kinetic energy is ^conserved in an inelastic collision. False.
a) If the impulse on a system is not zero the total momentum of the system will change. True.
no
a) In a completely inelastic collision all momentum is lost. False.
time
a) The impulse is the area under the force vs. position curve False.
4. (15 points) A spring loaded launcher propels a 5.0 kg block horizontally on a 0.50 m length of track that ends in a
ramp that makes an angle of 30o with the horizontal. The block has a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.30 with the
track and ramp surfaces. If the launcher initially compresses the spring 15 cm, what spring constant is needed to get
the block to slide up to a point 0.80 m up along the ramp before coming to rest? Assume no losses due to friction in
the launcher.
KE + PEG + PES = Wf
1/2 mv2 1/2 mvo2 + mgy mgyo + 1/2k x2 1/2 k xo2 = Wf
mgy 1/2 k xo2 = Wf = -mgxlevel - mg cos 30oxslope

mg(xslope sin 30o) 1/2 k xo2 = -(mgxlevel + mg cos 30oxslope)

mg(xslope sin 30o) + (mgxlevel + mg xslopecos 30o)= 1/2 k xo2
1/2 k xo2 = mg[(xslope sin 30o) + (xlevel + xslopecos 30o)]
k = 2mg[(xslope sin 30o) + (xlevel + xslopecos 30o)]/xo2
k = 2(5.0 kg)(9.8 m/s2)[((0.80 m) sin 30o) + (0.30)(0.50 m + (0.80 m)cos 30o)]/(0.15 m)2
k = 3300.8 N/m 3300 N/m

5. (15 points) How many revolutions per second must one swing a bucket around in a circle with a radius of
0.80 m lying in a vertical plane so as not to spill the water at the top of the motion? Assume a constant
speed through the entire motion.
At the top of the circle T + mg = mv2/R
For a minimum speed T goes to zero.
mg = mv2/R
g = v2/R
v = gR = (9.8 m/s2)(0.80 m) = 2.8 m/s
Since a distance of the circumference 2R = 1 Rev
2(0.80m) = 5.03 m = 1 Rev
2.8 m/s(1 Rev/ 5.03 m) = 0.557 Rev/s 0.56 Rev/s
6. (15 points) A 0.056 kg tennis ball is struck by a 0.25 kg racquet. The racquet is in contact with the ball over a
distance of 0.52 meters of the horizontal swing, imparting a speed of 25 m/s to the ball, which was initially at rest.
What is the average force the racquet exerted on the ball over this distance?
KE = KE KEo = W = Fx KEo = 0
KE = Fx
1/2 mv2 = Fx
F = 1/2 mv2/x = mv2/2x = (0.0.56kg)(25 m/s)2/2(0.52 m) = 33.6 N 34 N
7. A human being can take accelerations up to 5 times the acceleration of gravity or 5 gs without blacking out.
Racecars can achieve speeds of 230 mi/hr. Assume the 5 is an integer. 1 mi/hr = 0.447 m/s
a) (8 points) What minimum turn radius can a racecar negotiate at that speed without exceeding 5 gs
horizontally?
v2/R = ac = 5g
R = v2/5g = [(230 mi/hr)(0.447 m/s/mi/hr)]2/5(9.8 m/s2) = 215.7 m = 220 m
b) (7 points) What bank angle would the track need to allow the car to negotiate a turn with this radius without
friction?
FC /mg = tan = mac/mg = ac/g = 5g/g = 5
tan = 5
= 78.6o 79o

FN

mg

Fc