PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

Student’s Question’s
FACULTY OF SCIENCE Mark Mark

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS (APK) Q1 20

Q2 20
MODULE: PHYS1A1
Q3 32
INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS
Q4 20
PAPER B Q5 8
DATE: JUNE 2022 Total 100

150 MINUTES

EXAMINER/SECOND EXAMINER Mr P. Molefe, Ms S.P

Xhakaza, Prof. B. Doyle
MODERATOR Dr B.M. Sondezi
TIME 2.5 HOURS
MARKS 100
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INSTRUCTIONS: ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS IN THE SPACES PROVIDED

NUMBER OF PAGES: 16 BACK-TO-BACK, INCLUDING COVER PAGE AND ROUGH

WORK PAGES.
REQUIREMENTS: SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR, NO PROGRAMMABLE CALCULATORS
ARE ALLOWED

Student Number

ID Number

Surname and Initials: __________________________________________

Contact Number: ______________________________________________

1.1 A B C D E 1.6 A B C D E

1.2 A B C D E 1.7 A B C D E
1.3 A B C D E 1.8 A B C D E
1.4 A B C D E 1.9 A B C D E
1.5 A B C D E 1.10 A B C D E

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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

QUESTION 1 [20]

ANSWER THIS QUESTION ON THE TABLE ABOVE

1.1 A 2.0 N rock slides on a frictionless inclined plane. Which one of the following statements is
true concerning the normal force that the plane exerts on the rock?

A) The normal force is zero newtons.

B) The normal force is 2.0 N.
C) The normal force is less than 2.0 N, but greater than zero newtons.
D) The normal force is greater than 2.0 N.
E) It increases as the angle of inclination, θ, is increased.

1.2 In which one of the following situations is zero net work done?
A) A ball rolls down an inclined plane.
B) A physics student stretches a spring.
C) A projectile falls toward the surface of Earth.
D) A box is pulled across a rough floor at constant velocity.
E) A child pulls a toy across a rough surface causing it to accelerate

1.3 The component of acceleration of a particle parallel to the instantaneous velocity of the particle
is referred to as the
A) centripetal acceleration
B) instantaneous acceleration
C) radial acceleration
D) tangential acceleration
E) relative acceleration

1.4 The orbital speed of a satellite orbiting the Earth in a circular path in independent of
A) the mass of the satellite
B) the height of the satellite above the surface of the Earth
C) the orbital period of the satellite
D) the angular velocity of the satellite.
E) the orbital speed depends on all of the above.

1.5 The resultant of A  B is the same as:

 A  B, (B  A).
A) B  A, B) C) ( A  B), D) -A -B E)

1.6 If the period of a system in SHM is doubled, the frequency of the system is

A) doubled B) halved C) four times as large D) one-quarter as large E) 1/3 larger

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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

1.7 The center of mass of an object

A) always lies at the center of the object,
B) is at the location of the most massive particle in the object,
C) always lies within the object,
D) always lies outside the object,
E) none of the preceding.

1.8 The acceleration due to gravity of an object on the Earth’s surface

A) is a universal constant, like G;
B) does not depend on the Earth’s mass;
C) is directly proportional to the Earth’s radius;
D) does not depend on the object’s mass.
E) none of the preceding

1.9 For a liquid in an open container, the total pressure at any depth depends on
A) atmospheric pressure,
B) liquid density,
C) acceleration due to gravity,
D) variable force
E) all of the preceding.

1.10 Beats are the direct result of

A) interference, B) refraction, C) diffraction, C) the Doppler effect, E) all of the preceding

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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

QUESTION 2 [20]

2.1 Can two cars traveling in opposite directions on a highway have the same velocity? Support
your answer with an explanation. [2]
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2.2 A ball is shot straight up near the Earth’s surface. Is the velocity of the ball the same at any
two points, one of which is on the upward trajectory, and one of which is on the downward one?
[2]
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2.3 Based on the v(t) curve in the figure below, explain whether the statement is true for the time
interval. The object has zero velocity at some instant. [2]

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2.4 If you start walking from standstill, can you consider your body an isolated system? Support
your answer with an explanation. [2]

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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

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2.5 A small bullet is fired into a large piece of wood. After the bullet penetrates the wood, the
assembly moves as one unit along a low-friction track in the direction of travel of the bullet. After
the bullet is stuck in the piece of wood, is the momentum of the wood (not including the bullet)
greater than, equal to, or less than the initial momentum of the bullet? State any assumptions
explicitly. [3]
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2.6 You are discussing physics homework with a friend while the two of you are riding your bikes.
Distracted, you collide with a parked car. The car doesn’t move. Your friend says, “Of course not!
The force of the collision wasn’t enough to overcome the inertia of the car.” How do you respond?
[2]
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2.7 An object moves in a circular path at a constant speed. How would you characterize its
acceleration? Does the angle between 𝑣⃑ and 𝑎⃑ ever change? [3]
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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

2.8 When the wrench you are working with does not loosen a nut, you can sometimes succeed by
slipping a length of pipe over the end of the wrench and pushing at the end of the pipe. Why does
this work? [2]
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2.9 The engines of most rockets produce a constant thrust (forward force). However, when a
rocket is fired, its acceleration increases with time as the engine continues to operate. Is this
situation a violation of Newton’s second law? Explain. [3]
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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

QUESTION 3 (32)
3.1 For the motion represented in figure below.

(a) Calculate the object’s average velocity between t = 0 and t = 1.2 s. [3]
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(b) Calculate its average speed during this same time interval. [2]
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3.2 The driver of a pickup truck going 100 km/h applies the brakes, giving the truck a uniform
deceleration of 6.50 m/s2 while it travels 20.0 m. Calculate:

(a) the speed of the truck in kilometres per hour at the end of this distance. [4]

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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

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3.3 The figure below shows the vx(t) curves for two carts, A and B, that collide on a low-friction
track.

What is the ratio of their inertias? [4]

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3.4 Two carts A and B collide on a low-friction track. Measurements show that their initial and final
momenta are 𝑝⃑A,i = +3.0 kg · m/s 𝑖̂, 𝑝⃑A,f = +1.0 kg · m/s 𝑖̂, 𝑝⃑B,i = +2.0 kg · m/s 𝑖̂, and 𝑝⃑B,f = -6.0
kg · m/s 𝑖̂.

(a) What is the change in the momentum of each cart during the collision? [4]

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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

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(b) What is the sum of these changes in momenta? [3]

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(c) Is this collision consistent with the physics you know? Why or why not? [2]

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3.5 Derive the expression for the conservation of linear momentum within an isolated system using
the expression muΔu x + msΔs x = 0 [4]
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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

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3.6 Cart 1 and 2 slide on ice and collide. The inertia of cart 2 is twice that of cart 1. Cart 1 initially
moves at 0.9 m/s; cart 2 initially moves at 0.10 m/s in a direction that makes an angle of 45
with the direction of cart 1. After the collision, cart 1 moves at 0.40 m/s in a direction that makes
an angle of 60 with its original direction. Calculate the final velocity of cart 2 after the collision?
[6]
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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

QUESTION 4 (20)

4.1 Show how to convert from rectangular coordinates to polar coordinates. You must make a
drawing. [3]

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4.2 Pucks 1 and 2 slide on ice and collide. The inertia of puck 2 is twice that of puck 1. Puck 1
initially moves at 1.8 m/s. Puck 2 initially move at 0.20 m/s in a direction that makes an angle of
45° with the direction of puck 1. After the collision puck 1 moves at 0.80 m/s in a direction that
makes an angle of 60° with its original direction. Determine the speed and direction of puck 2 after
the collision [8]

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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

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4.3 Make a drawing showing the change in the direction of the position 𝑟⃗ and the velocity 𝑣⃗ for an
object moving in a circle at constant speed. It should contain two similar triangles. Use this drawing
to show that the centripetal acceleration is given by,
𝑣2
𝑎c = . [6]
𝑟

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4.4 Torque is given by: 𝜏 = 𝑟⊥ 𝐹 = 𝑟𝐹⊥ . Show that this leads to torque being written as,
𝜏 = 𝐼𝛼.
[3]

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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

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QUESTION 5 (8)

5.1 State Fourier’s theorem. [2]

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5.2 An object attached to one end of a spring makes 25 complete oscillations in 5.0 seconds. What
are its period and frequency? [2]
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5.3 A block of mass 𝑚 = 2.5 kg is suspended vertically from a spring of spring constant 𝑘 =
200 N/m. The equilibrium position of the free spring without the mass is 𝑥0 . The equilibrium
position of the spring plus block system is 𝑥eq . The block is pulled down and released from rest.
Calculate how far it must be pulled down from 𝑥eq that its highest position reached with be 𝑥0 .
[4]
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PHY S1A1 –PAPER B 2022

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_______________________________________ End of Paper __________________________________________

ROUGH-WORK
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