Two blocks, of masses M = 2 kg and 2M, are connected to a

spring of spring constant k = 200 N/m that has one end fixed, as
shown in Figure 8-64. The horizontal surface and pulley are
frictionless, and the pulley has negligible mass. The blocks are
released from rest with the spring relaxed. (a) What is the
combined kinetic energy of the two blocks when the hanging
block has fallen 0.090 m? (b) What is the kinetic energy of the
hanging block when it has fallen 0.090 m? (c) What maximum distance does the hanging block fall
before momentarily stopping?
<Solution> The initial height of the 2M block, shown in Fig. 8-64, is the y = 0 level in our
computations of its value of Ug. As that block drops, the spring stretches accordingly.
Also, the kinetic energy Ksys is evaluated for the system -- that is, for a total moving
mass of 3M.
(a) The conservation of energy, Eq. 8-17, leads to
Ki + Ui = Ksys + Usys

0 + 0 = Ksys + (2M)g(0.090) + k(0.090)2 .

Thus, with M = 2.0 kg, we obtain Ksys = 2.7 J.

(b) The kinetic energy of the 2M block represents a fraction of the total kinetic energy:
K 2 M (2 M )v 2 / 2 2
=
=
K sys (3M )v 2 / 2 3
Therefore, K2M = (2.7 J) = 1.8 J.
(c) Here we let y = d and solve for d.
Ki + Ui = Ksys + Usys

0 + 0 = 0 + (2M)g(d) + kd2 .

Thus, with M = 2.0 kg, we obtain d = 0.39 m.

Approximately 5.5106 kg of water falls 50 m over Niagara Falls each second.(a) What is the

decrease in the gravitational potential energy of the water-Earth system each second? (b) If all this
energy could be converted to electrical energy (it cannot be), at what rate would the electrical
energy be supplied? (The mass of 1 m3 water is 1000 kg.) (c) If the electrical energy were sold at 1
cent/kWh, what would be the yearly income?
<Solution> (a) During one second, the decrease in potential energy is
U = m g y = 5.5106 kg 9.8 m/ s 2 50 m = 2.710 9 J
where +y is upward and y = yf yi.
(b) The information relating mass to volume is not needed in the computation. By Eq.
8-40 (and the SI relation W = J/s), the result follows:
P = (2.7 109 J)/(1 s) = 2.7 109 W.
(c) One year is equivalent to 24 365.25 = 8766 h which we write as 8.77 kh. Thus, the
energy supply rate multiplied by the cost and by the time is
9

2.710 W 8.77 kh

1 cent
10
8
= 2.410 cents = $ 2.410 .
1 kWh

A 1500 kg car starts from rest on a horizontal road and gains a speed of 72 km/h in 30 s. (a) What
is its kinetic energy at the end of the 30 s? (b) What is the average power required of the car during
the 30s interval? (c) What is the instantaneous power at the end of the 30s inetrval, assuming that
the acceleration is constant?
<Solution> (a) The kinetic energy K of the automobile of mass m at t = 30 s is
1
1000 m/km 2
1
2
] = 3.0105 J
E k = m v = 1500 kg [72 km/h
2
2
3600 s /h
(b) The average power required is
Pavg =

K 3.0 105 J
=
= 10
. 104 W.
t
30 s

(c) Since the acceleration a is constant, the power is P = Fv = mav = ma(at) = ma2t
using Eq. 2-11. By contrast, from part (b), the average power is Pavg

becomes

mv 2
=
which
2t

1 2
ma t when v = at is again utilized. Thus, the instantaneous power at the
2

end of the interval is twice the average power during it:

P = 2 P avg = 2 1.010 4 W = 2.010 4 W .

To make a pendulum, a 300 g ball is attached to one end of a string that has a length of 1.4 m and
negligible mass. (the other end of the string is fixed.) The ball is pulled to one side until the string
makes an angle of 30.0 with the vertical; then (with the string taut) the ball is released from rest.
Find (a) the speed of the ball when the string makes an angle of 20.0 with the vertical and (b) the
maximum speed of the ball. (c) What is the angle between the string and the vertical when the speed
of the ball is one-third its maximum value?
<Solution> The connection between angle (measured from vertical) and height h (measured from
the lowest point, which is our choice of reference position in computing the
gravitational potential energy) is given by h = L(1 cos ) where L is the length of the
pendulum.
(a) We use energy conservation in the form of Eq. 8-17.
E k ,1 E p ,1 = E k ,2 E p , 2
0 m g L 1 cos 1 =

1
2
m v 2 m g L 1 cos 2
2

With L = 1.4 m, 1 = 30, and 2 = 20, we have

v 2 = 2 g L cos 2 cos 1 = 1.4 m/ s .
(b) The maximum speed v3 is at the lowest point. Our formula for h gives h3 = 0 when

3 = 0, as expected. From
E k ,1 E p ,1 = E k ,3 E p ,3

0 m g L 1 cos 1 =

1
m v 23 0
2

. m s.
we obtain v3 = 19
(c) We look for an angle 4 such that the speed there is v4 = v3 3 . To be as accurate as
possible, we proceed algebraically (substituting v 23 = 2 g L 1 cos 1 at the
appropriate place) and plug numbers in at the end. Energy conservation leads to
E k ,1 E p ,1 = E k ,4 E p , 4
0 m g L 1 cos 1 =

1
m v 24 m g L1 cos 4
2
2

1 v
m g L1 cos 1 = m 3 m g L1 cos 4
2 9

g L cos 1 =

1 2 g L1 cos 1
g L cos 4
2
9

where in the last step we have subtracted out mgL and then divided by m. Thus, we
obtain
8
1
o
o
4 = arccos cos 1 = 28.2 28 .
9
9

Figure 9-41 shows a cubical box that has been constructed from uniform
metal plate of negligible thickness. The box is open at the top and has edge
length L = 40 cm. Find (a) the x coordinate, (b) the y coordinate, and (c) the z
coordinate of the center of mass of the box.
<Solution> The centers of mass (with centimeters understood) for each of the five sides are as
follows:
(x1 , y1 , z1 ) = (0, 20, 20)

for the side in the yz plane

(x2 , y2 , z2 ) = (20, 0, 20)

for the side in the xz plane

(x3 , y3 , z3 ) = (20, 20, 0)

for the side in the xy plane

(x4 , y4 , z4 ) = (40, 20, 20)

for the remaining side parallel to side 1

(x5 , y5 , z5 ) = (20, 40, 20)

for the remaining side parallel to side 2

Recognizing that all sides have the same mass m, we plug these into Eq. 9-5 to obtain
the results (the first two being expected based on the symmetry of the problem).
(a) The x coordinate of the center of mass is
xcom =

mx1 + mx2 + mx3 + mx4 + mx5 0 + 20 + 20 + 40 + 20

=
= 20 cm
5m
5

(b) The y coordinate of the center of mass is

ycom =

my1 + my2 + my3 + my4 + my5 20 + 0 + 20 + 20 + 40

=
= 20 cm
5m
5

(c) The z coordinate of the center of mass is

zcom =

mz1 + mz2 + mz3 + mz4 + mz5 20 + 20 + 0 + 20 + 20

=
= 16 cm
5m
5