REGALARIO, JEREMIAH DANIEL A.

12-STEM A
GENERAL PHYSICS 1 – PROBLEM SET #2
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B. Uniform Acceleration

B.11. A construction worker accidentally drops a hammer from a high scaffold in a site at BGC.
What is the velocity of the hammer after 5 seconds? How high does the hammer fall during
this time?

Given: 𝑡𝑡 = 5 s, 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑖𝑖 = 0 m/s, 𝑎𝑎⃗ = 𝑔𝑔 ⃗ = −9.8 m/s2 (not stated but is added since this is a free fall)
Asked: 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑓𝑓 , 𝑑𝑑 ⃗
Solution: Using the derived kinematics formulas:
𝑎𝑎⃗𝑡𝑡2
𝑣𝑣⃗𝑓𝑓 = 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑖𝑖 + 𝑎𝑎⃗𝑡𝑡, 𝑑𝑑 ⃗ = 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑖𝑖 𝑡𝑡 +
2

𝑣𝑣⃗𝑓𝑓 = 0 m/s + (−9.8 m/s2 )(5 s) = −49 m/s

(−9.8 m/s2 )(5 s)2
𝑑𝑑 ⃗ = (0 m/s)(5 s) + = −122.5 m
2

Answer:
The velocity of the hammer is 5 × 101 m/s downwards (−5 × 101 m/s) and the hammer
fell 1 × 102 m high downwards (−1 × 102 m). (rounded to 1 significant figure).

B.12. A red car is travelling at 90 km/h when its driver notices a very slow blue car 50 m ahead.
The driver stepped on the brakes and the car stopped after 5 seconds. What is the
acceleration of the red car? How far will the red car go before stopping? Will it hit the blue
car?
Given: 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 = 90 km/hr, 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 = 0 km/hr, 𝑑𝑑𝑏𝑏⃗ = 50 m, 𝑡𝑡 = 5 s
Asked: 𝑎𝑎⃗𝑟𝑟 , 𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑟⃗

Solution: Conversion of units:

90 km 1000 m 1h 0 km 1000 m 1h
𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 = × × = 25 m/s, 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 = × × = 0 m/s
h 1 km 3600 s h 1 km 3600 s

Using the kinematic formulas:

𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 − 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 + 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
𝑎𝑎⃗𝑟𝑟 = , 𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑟⃗ = � � 𝑡𝑡
𝑡𝑡 2

𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 − 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 (0 m/s) − (25 m/s)

𝑎𝑎⃗𝑟𝑟 = = = −5 m/s2
𝑡𝑡 5s
𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 + 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 25 m/s + 0 m/s
𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑟⃗ = � � 𝑡𝑡 = � � (5 s) = 62.5 m
2 2
 Answer:
The acceleration of the red car (𝑎𝑎⃗𝑟𝑟 ) is − 5 × 100 m/s2 and it travelled �𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑟⃗ � 6 × 101 m before stopping.
Assuming that the blue car has negligible velocity, the red car will hit the blue car since
the distance it will take before stopping is greater than the distance between them �𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑟⃗ > 𝑑𝑑𝑏𝑏⃗ �.
(rounded to 1 significant figure).

B.13. A police officer is in pursuit of a man travelling at 2 m/s who snatched a bag from a
woman in a market. The police officer starts from rest and begins to run when the culprit is
at the same position as the policeman. He caught the culprit in 20 s. What is the
acceleration of the policeman?

Given: 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑚𝑚 = 2 m/s, 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 = 0 m/s, 𝑡𝑡 = 20 s

Asked: 𝑎𝑎⃗𝑝𝑝

Solution: Using the kinematic equations:

2(𝑑𝑑 ⃗ − 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 𝑡𝑡)
𝑑𝑑 ⃗ = 𝑣𝑣⃗𝑚𝑚 𝑡𝑡, 𝑎𝑎⃗𝑝𝑝 = (manipulated form)
𝑡𝑡2

𝑑𝑑 ⃗ = (2 m/s)(20 s) = 40 m
2(40 m − (0 m/s)(20 s))
𝑎𝑎⃗𝑝𝑝 = = 0.2 m/s2
(20 s)2

Answer: The acceleration of the policeman �𝑎𝑎⃗𝑝𝑝 � is 2 × 10−1 m/s2 . (rounded to 1 significant
figure)