Mechanics Assignment 1 Solution

(1)Imagine a tank traveling with constant speed v1 along direction AB, and a missile
is chasing the tank with constant speed v2. The direction of motion of the missile is
always pointing towards the tank. At time t the tank is at position F and the missile
is at position D, where FDAB and FD = L (see figure). What is the acceleration
of the missile at this instant?
F

D
Ans: a v1v2 / L
(2)A uniform rod AB with length l and weight W is placed as shown in the figure,
with end A touching a rough wall and end B hanging by a strong, inextensible
string. The other end of the string is fixed at point C on the wall. The coefficient
of friction between the rod and the wall is . The rod is hung horizontally and the
angle between the string and the rod is . Derive the condition that and should
satisfy such that the rod stays at equilibrium.

Ans: tan
(3)An empty cylindrical container has height L, mass m and inner
radius r. The center of gravity of the container is located at
height h from its bottom. How much water (in terms of height)
should one pour into the container to make it most stable? The
density of water is .

Ans: The container is most stable when the center of gravity is

lowest. This happens when height of water x is equal to
m

m 2 2r 2 mh

r 2

(4)A car accelerating at uniform rate ao has a small ball hung under
the roof by a string of length L. What is the angle between the
string and the vertical direction when the ball is in steady state?
What will be the frequency of oscillation if the ball is set in small
oscillation?
Ans:

tan 1 (

ao
1
) f
g ,
2

g 2 ao2
l

(5)A boat of mass M and length l has a shape symmetric with

respect to a reflection between front and end. When it is resting
on still water, a man with mass m is standing at the front of the
boat. If the man walks with constant speed v from the front to the
end of the boat, how much distance will the boat move
backward?
Ans: distance

m
l
mM

(6)A boat with mass M (>> 1 kg) is moving forward with a constant
speed v = 2 ms-1. A man on the boat throws a ball with mass m =
1kg forward at speed v = 4 ms-1 relative to the boat. What is the
work done by the man? How about if the man throws the ball
backward? Discuss where the work goes (to the ball and/or to the
boat) in the reference frame of (a) moving at 2 m/s in the same
direction as the boat; and (b) ground.
Ans: W = 8 J in both cases.
(7)A mass m1 is moving at constant speed vo towards a rest mass
m2 on a frictionless surface. A (massless) spring with spring
constant k is attached to m2. What is the maximum displacement
of the spring during the process of collision of the two masses?
(see figure)
m1

m2

Ans: maximum displacement

m1m2
vo
k (m1 m2 )

(8)A ball with mass m is attached to the wall by a massless spring

with spring constant k. The coefficient of kinetic friction between

the ball and the surface is (see figure). The ball stays at point O
when the spring is at its natural length. Suppose the ball is
released at position A located at distance d at the left of O at
time zero. What is the allowed range of values of where the ball
stops at the right of O after passing through O only once?

O
d

Ans: kd / 4mg kd / 2mg