PH141 – Summer 2020 – Test 1

©Mark Watkins – Colorado State University

This test is open book, notes, internet, and calculator but all work should be your own; by submitting
this test you are asserting that the work presented is yours and no one else’s.

Some of the problems may require you to look up information such as constants or unit conversions.
Show all relevant work for each problem and include a note for the course of this information (“Google
search”, or “Book Cover”, for example). Submit each problem’s individual solution to its associated
assignment on Canvas no later than 5:25 PM on June 26, 2020.

Many problems have connected parts... meaning, for example, the answer from part a) is used in part b)
or c); you will not be penalized for using a wrong answer, or making up an answer, from a previous part
of the question in order to solve future parts as long as you clearly state what values you are using.

Q1 – Units and Measurement

During a thunderstorm, a total of 1.4 inches of rain falls.

1. a) How much water falls on one acre of land expressed in cubic inches?
2. b) How many kilograms of water fell?
3. c) People are mostly water. If the average person is about 70 Liters, express the volume of
water

that fell in “Persons”

Q2 – 1D Motion

A typical automobile under hard braking loses speed at a rate of 7.0 m/s2; the typical reaction time to
engage the brakes is 0.50 s for the average driver. A local school board sets the speed limit in a school
zone such that all cars should be able to stop within 4.0 m including distance traveled during the
reaction period.

1. a) What maximum speed does this imply for an automobile in this zone?
2. b) Using the answer from a, how far does the car travel before the driver reacts and applies the

brakes?

3. c) Sketch a graph of the position vs. time and velocity vs. time for the process of stopping
including

the reaction time.

Q3 – Projectile Motion
A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a 24-m tall tower. The stone strikes the ground 18 m from
the base of the tower. Ignore air resistance.

1. a) Draw a picture of the problem including the initial velocity vector, tower height, trajectory,
and landing position. Next to the drawing make a table of the x and y kinematic quantities as
demonstrated in class.
2. b) Find the velocity (a vector) of the stone when it is launched.
3. c) Find the speed (a scalar) the moment before it hits the ground.

Q4 – Circular Motion

Consider someone standing at a fixed spot on a carousel as it spins around in a circle.

1. a) If she is standing 4.0 m from the center and measures her acceleration using a smart phone
as 0.80 m/s2, what is her linear and angular speed in SI units?
2. b) If she moves to a point 2.0 m from the center what is her new linear speed, angular speed,
and acceleration assuming the carousel’s motion hasn’t changed?
3. c) Explain in your own words why centripetal acceleration is needed for circular motion

Q5 – Newton’s Laws and Force

A box is held in position on a frictionless incline by a cable as shown to the right. Theangleθ=60o
andandm=50kg.

1. a) Draw a free-body diagram of the mass m including an x and y coordinate system. (hint: not all
the forces are shown to the right)
2. b) Find the tension in the rope.
3. c) Write an expression for the tension as a function of the θ and m and

explain in words what the limiting cases of θ = 0o and θ = 90o mean using that function.

Q6 – Newton’s Laws and Motion

Al and Bert sit in the middle of a large frozen lake that is frictionless for our purposes. Al pushed on Bert
with a force of of 20 N for 1.5 s. Bert’s mass is 100 kg. Al’s mass is 80 kg. Both are at rest before the
push.

1. a) Draw a free-body diagram of Al and of Bert. Label the force of Burt pushing on Al and explain
how you determined it’s value.
2. b) Find Bert’s velocity (a vector) after the push
3. c) Find Al’s velocity (a vector) after the push