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Tutorial Topic 7

1. A car has a mass of 1,000 kg and is travelling in a straight line at a constant velocity
of 120 km/hr. If the ignition is switched off and the gear placed in neutral just as it
starts up a steep incline then, ignoring all frictional effects and, taking the potential
energy to be zero at this point, calculate the following:
(a) The kinetic energy of the car just before the ignition is switched off.
(b) The maximum vertical elevation the car will reach before it comes to a
complete stop.
(c) If the driver is adept enough the kinetic energy and velocity of the car, now
travelling backwards downhill, when it just reached the bottom of the incline.

2. A sports car has a mass of 900 kg and accelerates from rest to 60 m.p.h. in only 6 s.
Ignoring all frictional effects calculate the following:
(a) The linear acceleration of the car over this time period – assume the
acceleration is constant.
(b) The displacement of the vehicle over the 6 s time period while it is accelerating
to its final speed.
(c) The work done to achieve this final velocity over the specified time (kJ).
(d) The final kinetic energy of the car (kJ).
(e) If the car brakes and come to rest after 2 seconds find the distance travelled
during the braking phase and the average rate of heat transfer (kW) from each
of the four brake callipers over the two second braking period.

©Heriot-Watt University B47AC V4 April 2016

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3. A car engine develops maximum power output of 100 kW when tested on a brake
dynamometer (a device that measures the power produced by an engine). If the
speed of the engine is 4,000 r.p.m. calculate the following:
(a) The periodic time and angular velocity of the engine crankshaft at this r.p.m.
(b) The torque produced by this engine under these conditions.

4. A small rocket, mass 400g, is fired vertically upwards powered by a chemical

propellant. If 100 J of work is done during the flight to lift the rocket calculate the
maximum height attained by the rocket.

5. A four-bladed ceiling fan rotates with an angular velocity of 10.0 rad s-1. The length
of each blade is 45 cm and the mass of each blade is 600 g. Each blade can be
modelled as a uniform thin rod which rotates about one end. Determine the total
kinetic energy of the four blades (In order to solve this problem a Rotational Kinetic
Energy formula from one of the previous topics will be needed).

6. A machine shaft is rotating at 3,000 revolutions per minute. If it consumes 5kW of

power calculate the Torque acting on the shaft.

7. An electric motor draws 5kW of power from the mains supply determine the
following:
(a) Calculate how much mechanical power is available at the output shaft of the
motor assuming that the motor is 80% efficient.
(b) Calculate the power that is available to raise water from a well if the same
motor is connected to a water pump, which itself has an efficiency of 60%.
(c) Calculate how many litres of water can be raised per second assuming that the
well is 15 m deep.
(d) Calculate how long it would take to fill a 2000 litre water tank.

©Heriot-Watt University B47AC V4 April 2016