Department of Physics

PHY 111: MECHANICS TEST 1 (40 marks) 6:00 PM-7:30 PM 2/06/2022

Instructions
Attempt all the 3 questions
Start each question on a fresh page of your answer sheet

Uniformly accelerated motion equations

1
𝑣 = 𝑣0 + 𝑎𝑡, ∆𝑥 = 𝑣0 𝑡 + 2 𝑎𝑡 2 , 𝑣 2 = 𝑣0 2 + 2𝑎∆𝑥
Acceleration due to gravity g = 9.8𝑚/𝑠 2

Question 1

a) Express 0.000,000,008,67 m, (a) in scientific notation, (b) in terms of prefixes

and, (c) to two significant figures. [6 marks]

Solution
✓ 𝟖. 𝟔𝟕 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟗 𝒎
✓ 𝟖. 𝟔𝟕𝒏𝒎
✓ 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟎, 𝟎𝟎𝟖, 𝟕𝒎

b) The acceleration 𝑎, of a particle moving with uniform speed v, in a uniform

circle of a radius r is given by 𝑎 = 𝑘𝑟 𝑛 𝑣 𝑚 . Using the method of dimensional
analysis, determine the values of n and m and write the simplest form of the
equation for acceleration. [5 marks]

ሾ𝒗ሿ𝒎 = ሾ𝐋𝑻−𝟏 ሿ𝒎
ሾ𝒓ሿ𝒏 = ሾ𝑳ሿ𝒏
ሾ𝒂ሿ = 𝐋𝐓 −𝟐 ሾ𝒌ሿ = 𝟏

𝐋𝐓 −𝟐 = ሾ𝑳ሿ𝒏 ሾ𝐋𝑻−𝟏 ሿ𝒎

𝐋𝐓 −𝟐 = 𝐋𝒎+𝒏 𝑻−𝒎

𝒎 + 𝒏 = 𝟏 , 𝒎 = 𝟐 and n=-1
𝑘𝑣 2
∴𝑎=
𝑟

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Question 2
Three forces are acting on the particle as shown in the figure 1 below.

Figure 1
⃗ ⃗⃗ ⃗
If 𝐴 = 90𝑁 , 𝐵 = 75𝑁 and 𝐶 = 40𝑁 . Use the method of components to
calculate,

a) the magnitude of the resultant force [10 marks]

b) the direction [2 marks]

Vector ∑ 𝑭𝒙 ∑ 𝑭𝒚

⃗⃗⃗
𝑨 90 cos 50 = 57.85𝑁 90 sin 50 = 68.94𝑁

⃗𝑩
⃗⃗ −75 cos 60 75sin 60 = 64.95𝑁
= −37.5𝑁

⃗𝑪⃗ -40sin 30 = −20𝑁 −40 cos 30

= −34.64𝑁

Total 0.34𝑁 99.25𝑁

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 2 2
𝑅 = ඨቀ∑ 𝑭𝒙 ቁ + ቀ∑ 𝑭𝒚 ቁ = 99.25𝑁

−1
σ 𝑭𝒚
𝜃 = tan ቆ ቇ = 89.80
σ 𝑭𝒙
Question 3
a) The motion of the particle along the x axis is given by 𝑥 = 2𝑡 3 + 𝑡 2 − 𝑡 + 1,
where 𝑥 is the position of the particle in meters (m) and t is time in seconds
(s). Calculate displacement of the particle between t = 1.00s and 5.00s
[3 marks]

𝑥ሺ1ሻ = 2ሺ1ሻ3 + ሺ1ሻ2 − ሺ1ሻ + 1 = 3m

𝑥ሺ5ሻ = 2ሺ5ሻ3 + ሺ5ሻ2 − ሺ5ሻ + 1 = 271m
∆𝑥 = 𝑥ሺ5ሻ − 𝑥ሺ1ሻ = 271𝑚 − 3𝑚 = 268𝑚

b) A footballer kicks a ball giving it a velocity of 15m/s at an angle of 350 to the

horizontal to score a winning goal. (Ignore the air resistance)
i. How long will the ball take to reach its maximum height? [4 marks]

𝑣𝑦 = 𝑣0𝑦 − gt

At maximum height 𝑣𝑦 = 0 so we have

0 = 𝑣0 sin 𝜃 − 𝑔𝑡

Making t subject of the formula we have

𝑣0 sin 𝜃
𝑡= = 0.88s
𝑔

ii. What is the balls horizontal range [3 marks]

𝑣0 2 sin 2𝜃
𝑅 = 𝑣0 cos 𝜃 𝑡 𝑅=
𝑔

𝑅 = 15𝑚/𝑠 × cos 35 × ሺ0.88 × 2ሻ = 21.63𝑚

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 iii. Explain how this range would change if this shot had been played on the
moon. [Hint; gravity at moon 1.62 m/s²] [3 marks]

The force of gravity on the moon is smaller than that of the

earth, the time of flight was going to be longer and hence the
horizontal range was going to be longer than that of the earth.

iv. What are the horizontal and vertical components of the balls velocity just
after it hits the ground? [4 marks]

Horizontal component
𝒗𝒙 = 𝒗𝟎 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝜽 = 𝟏𝟐. 𝟐𝟗𝒎/𝒔

Vertical component
𝒗𝒚 = 𝒗𝟎 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽 − 𝐠𝐭 = −𝟖. 𝟔𝟒𝐦/𝐬

THE END

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