Physics 40A - Midterm Exam Solutions – Summer 2012

Problem 1 [25 points]

A stone is thrown from the top of a building upward at an angle of 30° to the horizontal and with
an initial speed of 20 m/s. (a) What are the horizontal and vertical components of the initial
velocity? If the height of the building is 45 m, (b) how long is the ball in flight before it hits the
ground? and (c) what are the components of the velocity of the stone just before it hits the
ground?

Solution:

This is a projectile motion problem so the horizontal acceleration is zero and the vertical
acceleration is g. We define the origin of our coordinate system at the initial position of the
stone with +y vertically upward and +x horizontal (away from the building).

(a) The x and y components of the initial velocity are

v 0x = v 0 cos 0 = 20 m/scos 30°  = 17.3 m/s
v 0y = v 0 sin 0 = 20 m/ssin 30°  = 10.0 m/s

(b) The stone hits the ground when y = -45 m. To find the time we can use
y − y 0 = v 0y t − ½ g t 2 . The initial height of the stone is y0 = 0, so we obtain
1
−45 m − 0 = 10 m/st − 9.8 m/s2 t 2
2
or  4.9 m/s  t −  10 m/s  t −  45 m  = 0
2 2

The roots of this quadratic equation are

10 ±  102 − 4  4.9 −45 
t = = 4.22 s and −2.18 s
2  4.9 
The negative root is not physical, so we must have t = 4.22 s

(c) There is no acceleration in the x direction, so from part (a)

v x = v 0x = 17.3 m/s
To find the y component of v we can use v y = v 0y − g t with v0y = 10 m/s and t = 4.22 s. We
obtain
v y =  10 m/s  − 9.8 m/s  4.22 s v y = −31.4 m/s

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Physics 40A - Midterm Exam Solutions – Summer 2012

Problem 2 [25 points]

A block of mass M = 2.0 kg on a frictionless horizontal surface is connected to a second block of
mass m = 1.0 kg by a massless cord over a massless, frictionless pulley as shown. A force of
magnitude F = 5 N is applied to mass M as shown in the figure, where  = 30°. Find the
magnitude and direction of the acceleration of the block of mass m.

Solution:

The forces acting on mass M are the applied force F, the tension (along the cord toward the
pulley), the gravitational force Mg (downward), and the normal force N (upward). We define +x
horizontal pointing along the surface toward the pulley and +y vertical. Applying Newton's
second law in the x direction, we obtain
−F cos  T = Ma
For the block of mass m, we define +y pointing downward so that the acceleration of m is also a.
The Newton's second law in the y direction gives
mg − T = ma
⇒ T = m g − a 
Substiututing for T in the first equation above gives
−F cos  m g − a = Ma
⇒ Ma  ma = mg − F cos
⇒ aM  m = mg − F cos 
This yields
mg − F cos 1 kg9.8 m/s 2  − 5 N cos 30°
a = =
M  m 2 kg  1 kg
2
a = 1.82 m/s

Since a is positive and +y is downward, the acceleration of mass m is in the downward direction.

2
 Physics 40A -- Midterm Exam -- Summer 2012
Each multiple choice question is worth 2 points.
MULTIPLE CHOICE.  Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1) A skier begins skiing straight down a hill having a constant slope, starting from rest. If friction is 1)
negligible, as the skier  goes down the hill, his/her
A) acceleration increases with time.
B) acceleration is constant, with a value of roughly 10 m/s/s.
C) acceleration is constant, with a value less than 10 m/s/s.
D) acceleration is zero.

2) Two identical stones are dropped from a tall building, one after the other. Assume  air resistance is 2)
negligible. While both stones are falling, what will happen to the vertical distance between them?
A) It will decrease.
B) It will first increase and then remain constant.
C) It will increase.
D) It will remain the same.

3) A racing car accelerates uniformly from rest along a straight track.  This track has markers spaced 3)
at equal distances along it from the start, as shown below.  The car reaches a speed of 140 km/h as
it passes marker 2.

Whereabouts on the track was the car when it was travelling at half this speed, i.e., at 70 km/h?
Explain your reasoning.
A) Before marker 1
B) Between marker 1 and marker 2
C) At marker 1

4) Bob and Biff throw identical rocks off a tall building at the same time.  Bob throws his rock straight 4)
downward. Biff throws his rock  downward and outward such that the angle between the initial
velocity of the rock and the horizon is 30 degrees. Biff throws the rock with a speed twice that of
Bobʹs rock. Which rock hits the ground first (assume the ground near the building is flat)?
A) Bobʹs rock B) Impossible to determine
C) They hit at the same time. D) Biffʹs rock

5) A rabbit trying to escape a fox runs north for 8.0 m, darts northwest for 1.0 m, then drops 1.0 m 5)

down a hole into its burrow. What is the magnitude of the net displacement of the rabbit?
A) 8.8 m B) 10 m C) 66 m D) 8.1 m
6) Two bodies P and Q on a smooth horizontal surface are connected by a light cord. The mass of P is 6)
greater than that of Q.  A horizontal force  F  is applied to Q as shown, accelerating the bodies to
the right.

The magnitude of the force exerted by the connecting cord on body P will be
A) equal to F. B) greater than F.
C) less than F but not zero. D) zero.

7) A person who normally weighs 200 pounds is standing on a scale inside an elevator. The elevator 7)
is moving upwards with a speed of 7 m/s, and then begins to decelerate at a rate of  5 m/ s2 . Before
the elevator begins to decelerate, the reading of the scale is _________, and while the elevator is
slowing down, the reading of the scale is ________.
A) greater than 200 pounds, 100 pounds
B) greater than 200 pounds, 0 pounds
C) less than 200 pounds, 100 pounds
D) 200 pounds, 100 pounds
E) none of the above

8) A dog is standing in the tail bed of a pickup truck.  The tail bed is coated with ice, causing the force 8)
of friction between the dog and the truck to be zero. The truck is initially at rest, and then
accelerates to the right, moving along a flat road.  As seen from a stationary observer (watching the
truck move to the right), the dog
A) does not move left or right, but the back of the truck moves towards the dog.
B) moves to the right at the same rate as the truck, so it doesnʹt slide.
C) moves to the left, as the truck moves to the right, causing the dog to slide towards the back of
the truck.
D) moves to the right, but not as quickly as the truck is moving to the right, causing it to slide
towards the back of the truck.

9) The motions of a car and a truck along a straight road are represented by the velocity -time graphs 9)
below.   The two vehicles are initially alongside each other at time t = 0.

At time T, what is true of the distances travelled by the vehicles since time t  = 0?
A) The car will have travelled further than the truck.
B) The truck will have travelled further than the car.
C) The truck will not have moved.
D) They will have travelled the same distance.
10) Two unequal masses M and m are connected by a light cord passing over a pulley of negligible 10)
mass. When released, the system accelerates. Friction is negligible.

Which figure below gives  the correct free-body force diagrams for the two masses in the moving
system?

A) B)

C) D)
11) A cat leaps to catch a bird. If the catʹs jump was at 60.0° off the ground and its initial velocity was 11)
9.58 m/s, what is the highest point of its trajectory?
A) 38.32 m B) 7.04 m C) 3.52 m D) 2.29 m

12) A small boat is moving at a velocity of 3.35 m/s when it is accelerated by a river current 12)

perpendicular to the initial direction of motion. If the current acceleration is 0.750 m/s2 , what will
the new velocity of the boat be after 33.5 s?
A) 640.1 m/s at 82.4° from initial direction of motion
B) 640.1 m/s at 7.59° from initial direction of motion
C) 25.3 m/s at 7.59° from initial direction of motion
D) 25.3 m/s at 82.4° from initial direction of motion

13) A 65 kg ice skater pushes off his partner and accelerates backwards at  1.3 m/s2 . If the partner 13)

accelerates in the opposite direction at 2.0 m/s2 , what is the mass of the other skater? Assume that
frictional forces are negligible.
A) 42 kg B) 100 kg C) 37 kg D) 45 kg
Answer Key
Testname: MIDTERM_EXAM_MC_U12

1) C
2) C
3) A
4) C
5) A
6) C
7) D
8) A
9) B
10) C
11) C
12) D
13) A