Tutorial 1

Fundamentals of Physics I (PHY103): Monsoon 2017

31 July 2017

1. Prove that the triangle ABC is the right triangle, where the points A, B and C in a coordinate plane have the
coordinates A(-1,1), B(2,-1) and C(6,5).

2. Find the angle between the face diagonals of a cube.

3. Find a vector N~ that is perpendicular to the plane determined by the points P(1, 2, 3), Q( - 1, 3, 2), R(3, -
1, 2), and find the area of the triangle.
4. A child applies the brakes on a bicycle by applying a downward force of 20 lbs. on a pedal which is attached
to the crank (a lever arm) when the crank makes a 40 degree angle with the horizontal. Find the torque at
the cranks pivot point if the crank is 6 inches long.
5. Consider a particle moving with constant velocity ~v = ui, along the line y = 2 (a straight line). Describe ~v in
polar coordinates.
6. Show that finite rotations are not vectors (although they have magnitude the angle of rotation, and direction
the direction of the axis), i.e., they do not satify the vactor law of addition, unless the angles of rotation
are infinitesimally small.
7. Show that the position vector ~r depends on the coordinate system, while displacement vector ~S is independent
of coordinate system.