Review Sample Problems (FINALS)

Work Energy and Power

1. A crate of mass 50kg is pushed along a floor with a force of 20N for
a distance of 5m. Calculate the work done.
Solution:
Use

WD = F x d
= 20N x 5m

WD = 100Nm

But energy transformed = work done

Energy is measured in Joules (J) so N*m must be the same
unit as J.
This means we can say that

WD = 100J

2. How far must a 5N force pull a 50g toy car if 30J of energy are
transferred?
Solution:
Use
WD = F x d

Rearrange to get

3. A man exerts a force of 2kN on a boulder but fails to move it.

Calculate the work done.
Solution:

4. A football of mass 2.5kg is lifted up to the top of a cliff that is 180m

high. How much potential energy does the football gain?
Solution:

Use
Ep = mgh
= 2.5 x 10 x 180
so
Ep = 4500J

5. A person of mass 70kg runs up a flight of stairs with a vertical height

of 5m. If the trip takes 7s to complete, calculate the person’s
power.
Solution:

WD = Ep = mgh

= 70 x 10 x 5

= 3500J

6. A lift motor has to move a fully laden lift 4m between floors in 1.5s.
The lift has a mass of 1850kg (ignore friction).

a) Calculate the weight of the fully laden lift.

W = mg = 1850 x 10 = 18500N

b) What is the upward force in the cable when the lift is moving at a
constant speed?

At constant speed, forces must be balanced.

Upward force = downward force (weight)
Upward force = 18500N

c) What is the work done by the motor?

WD = F x d
= 18500 x 4
so
WD = 74000J
d) What is the minimum power of the motor to raise the lift at a
steady speed?
Steady speed means forces are balanced.

Fluids

1. If the area of A1 = 0.001 m2 and the area of A2 = 0.1 m2 , external input force F1 =
100 N, then the external output force F2 ?

The area of A1 = 0.001 m2

The area of A2 = 0.1 m2
External input force F1 = 100 Newton
Wanted : External output force (F2)
Solution :
P1 = P2
F1 / A1 = F2 / A2
100 N / 0.001 m2 = F2 / 0.1 m2
100 N / 0.001 = F2 / 0.1
100,000 N = F2 / 0.1
F2 = (0.1)(100,000 N)
F2 = 10,000 N
2. Car’s weight = 16,000 N. What is the external input force F?

Car’s weight (w) = 16,000 N

Area of B (AB) = 4000 cm2 = 4000 / 10,000 m2 = 4 / 10 m2 = 0.4 m2
Area of A (AA) = 50 cm2 = 50 / 10,000 m2 = 0.005 m2
Wanted : Force F
Solution :
F / AA = w / AB
F / 0.005 m2 = 16,000 N / 0.4 m2
F / 0.005 = 16,000 N / 0.4
F / 0.005 = 40,000 N
F = (40,000 N)(0.005)
F = 200 Newton

3. A standard basketball (mass = 624 grams; 24.3 cm in diameter) is held fully under
water. Calculate the buoyant force and weight. When released, does the ball sink to
the bottom or float to the surface? If it floats, what percentage of it is sticking out of
the water? If it sinks, what is the normal force, FN with which it sits on the bottom of
the pool?

SOLUTION

The weight of the ball is

To calculate the buoyancy, we need the volume of displaced water, which is the
volume of the ball because it is being held completely submerged.

The buoyant force is equal to the weight of that volume of water.

That's a lot stronger than the 6.1N downward pull of gravity, so the ball will rise
to the surface when released. The density of the ball is
 which is 8.3% the density of water. The ball will therefore be
floating with 8.3% of its volume below the level of the surface,
and 91.7% sticking out of the water.

Momentum and Impulse

1. A 10-gram ball falls freely from a height, hits the floor at 15 m/s, then reflected
upward at 10 m/s. Determine the impulse!
Known :
Mass (m) = 10 gram = 0.01 kg
Initial velocity (vo) = -15 m/s
Final velocity (vt) = 10 m/s
Solution :
The impulse (I) equals the change in momentum (Δp)
I = m vt – m vo = m (vt – vo)
Impulse :
I = 0.01 (10 – (-15)) = 0.01 (10 + 15)
I = 0.01 (25)
I = 0.25 kg m/s
2. A 200-gram ball thrown horizontally with a speed of 4 m/s, then the ball was hit in
the same direction. The duration of the ball in contact with the bat is 2 milliseconds
and the ball speed after leaving the bat is 12 m/s. The magnitude of force exerted by
the batter on the ball is …
Known :
Mass (m) = 200 gram = 0.2 kg
Initial velocity (vo) = 4 m/s
Final velocity (vt) = 12 m/s
Time interval (t) = 2 milliseconds = (2/1000) seconds = 0.002 seconds
Wanted : The magnitude of the force (F)
Solution :
Formula of impulse :
I=Ft
Formula of the change in momentum :
m vt – m vo = m (vt – vo)
The impulse (I) equals the change in momentum (Δp)
I = Δp
F t = m (vt – vo)
F (0.002) = (0.2)(12 – 4)
F (0.002) = (0.2)(8)
F (0.002) = 1.6
F = 1.6 / 0.002
F = 800 Newton

Kirchhoff's Law

1. If R1 = 2Ω, R2 = 4Ω, R3 = 6Ω, determine the electric current flows in the circuit
below.
Known :
Resistor 1 (R1) = 2Ω
Resistor 2 (R2) = 4Ω
Resistor 3 (R3) = 6Ω
Source of emf 1 (E1) = 9 V
Source of emf 2 (E2) = 3 V
Wanted: Electric current (IT)
Solution :

– IT R1 + E1 – IT R2 – IT R3 – E2 = 0
– 2 IT + 9 – 4 IT – 6 IT – 3 = 0
– 12 IT + 6 = 0
– 12 IT = – 6
I = -6 / -12
IT = 0.5A