Relative Velocity

If vA is the velocity of A and vB that of B, then the relative velocity of A with respect
to B will be
vAB = vA − vB (1.7)
Motion in Resisting Medium
In the absence of air the initial speed of a particle thrown upward is equal to that
of final speed, and the time of ascent is equal to that of descent. However, in the
presence of air resistance the final speed is less than the initial speed and the time of
descent is greater than that of ascent (see prob. 1.21).
1.2 Problems 3
Equation of motion of a body in air whose resistance varies as the velocity of the
body (see prob. 1.22).
Centre of mass is defined as
 1.2
Problems
1.2.1 Motion in One Dimension
1.1 A car starts from rest at constant acceleration of 2.0m/s2. At the same instant
a truck travelling with a constant speed of 10 m/s overtakes and passes the car.
(a) How far beyond the starting point will the car overtake the truck?
(b) After what time will this happen?
(c) At that instant what will be the speed of the car?
1.2 From an elevated point A, a stone is projected vertically upward. When the
stone reaches a distance h below A, its velocity is double of what it was at a
height h above A. Show that the greatest height obtained by the stone above A
is 5h/3.
[Adelaide University]
1.3 A stone is dropped from a height of 19.6m, above the ground while a second
stone is simultaneously projected from the ground with sufficient velocity to
enable it to ascend 19.6m. When and where the stones would meet.
1.4 A particle moves according to the law x = A sin πt, where x is the displacement
and t is time. Find the distance traversed by the particle in 3.0 s.
1.5 A man of height 1.8m walks away from a lamp at a height of 6m. If the man’s
speed is 7m/s, find the speed in m/s at which the tip of the shadow moves.

1.6 The relation 3t =√3x + 6 describes the displacement of a particle in one

direction, where x is in metres and t in seconds. Find the displacement when
the velocity is zero.
1.7 A particle projected up passes the same height h at 2 and 10 s. Find h if g =9.8m/s2.

1.8 Cars A and B are travelling in adjacent lanes along a straight road (Fig. 1.2).
At time, t = 0 their positions and speeds are as shown in the diagram. If car A
has a constant acceleration of 0.6m/s2 and car B has a constant deceleration of
0.46m/s2, determine when A will overtake B.
[University of Manchester 2007]
1.9 A boy stands at A in a field at a distance 600m from the road BC. In the field
he can walk at 1m/s while on the road at 2m/s. He can walk in the field along
AD and on the road along DC so as to reach the destination C (Fig. 1.3). What
should be his route s

1.10 Water drips from the nozzle of a shower onto the floor 2.45mbelow. The drops
fall at regular interval of time, the first drop striking the floor at the instant the
third drop begins to fall. Locate the second drop when the first drop strikes the
floor.
1.11 The velocity–time graph for the vertical component of the velocity of an object
thrown upward from the ground which reaches the roof of a building and
returns to the ground is shown in Fig. 1.4. Calculate the height of the building.
1.12 A ball is dropped into a lake from a diving board 4.9m above the water. It
hits the water with velocity v and then sinks to the bottom with the constant
velocity v. It reaches the bottom of the lake 5.0 s after it is dropped. Find
(a) the average velocity of the ball and
(b) the depth of the lake.

1.13 A stone is dropped into the water from a tower 44.1m above the ground.
Another stone is thrown vertically down 1.0 s after the first one is dropped.
Both the stones strike the ground at the same time. What was the initial velocity
of the second stone?

1.14 A boy observes a cricket ball move up and down past a window 2m high. If
the total time the ball is in sight is 1.0 s, find the height above the window that
the ball rises.
1.15 In the last second of a free fall, a body covered three-fourth of its total path:
(a) For what time did the body fall?
(b) From what height did the body fall?
1.15 In the last second of a free fall, a body covered three-fourth of its total path:
(a) For what time did the body fall?
(b) From what height did the body fall?
1.16 A man travelling west at 4 km/h finds that the wind appears to blow from
the south. On doubling his speed he finds that it appears to blow from the
southwest. Find the magnitude and direction of the wind’s velocity.
1.17 An elevator of height h ascends with constant acceleration a. When it crosses
a platform, it has acquired a velocity u. At this instant a bolt drops from the
top of the elevator. Find the time for the bolt to hit the floor of the elevator.

1.18 A car and a truck are both travelling with a constant speed of 20 m/s. The
car is 10m behind the truck. The truck driver suddenly applies his brakes,
causing the truck to decelerate at the constant rate of 2m/s2. Two seconds later
the driver of the car applies his brakes and just manages to avoid a rear-end
collision. Determine the constant rate at which the car decelerated.
1.19 Ship A is 10 km due west of ship B. Ship A is heading directly north at a speed
of 30 km/h, while ship B is heading in a direction 60 ◦ west of north at a speed
of 20 km/h.

(i) Determine the magnitude and direction of the velocity of ship B relativeto ship A.

(ii) What will be their distance of closest approach?

[University of Manchester 2008]
1.20 A balloon is ascending at the rate of 9.8 m/s at a height of 98m above the
ground when a packet is dropped. How long does it take the packet to reach
the ground?

1.2.2 Motion in Resisting Medium

1.21 An object of mass m is thrown vertically up. In the presence of heavy air
resistance the time of ascent (t1) is no longer equal to the time of descent (t2).
Similarly the initial speed (u) with which the body is thrown is not equal to the
final speed (v) with which the object returns. Assuming that the air resistance
F is constant show that
1.22 Determine the motion of a body falling under gravity, the resistance of air
being assumed proportional to the velocity.
1.23 Determine the motion of a body falling under gravity, the resistance of air
being assumed proportional to the square of the velocity.
1.24 A body is projected upward with initial velocity u against air resistance which
is assumed to be proportional to the square of velocity. Determine the height
to which the body will rise.
1.25 Under the assumption of the air resistance being proportional to the square
of velocity, find the loss in kinetic energy when the body has been projected
upward with velocity u and return to the point of projection.
1.2.3 Motion in Two Dimensions
1.26 A particle moving in the xy-plane has velocity components dx/dt = 6 + 2t
and dy/dt = 4 + t
where x and y are measured in metres and t in seconds.
(i) Integrate the above equation to obtain x and y as functions of time, given
that the particle was initially at the origin.
(ii) Write the velocity v of the particle in terms of the unit vectors ˆi and ˆj .
1.2 Problems 7
(iii) Show that the acceleration of the particle may be written as a = 2ˆi + ˆj .
(iv) Find the magnitude of the acceleration and its direction with respect to
the x-axis.
[
University of Aberystwyth Wales 2000]

1.27 Two objects are projected horizontally in opposite directions from the top of
a tower with velocities u1 and u2. Find the time when the velocity vectors are
perpendicular to each other and the distance of separation at that instant.
1.28 From the ground an object is projected upward with sufficient velocity so that
it crosses the top of a tower in time t1 and reaches the maximum height. It then
comes down and recrosses the top of the tower in time t2, time being measured
from the instant the object was projected up. A second object released from
the top of the tower reaches the ground in time t3. Show that t3 =√t1t2.
1.29 A shell is fired at an angle θ with the horizontal up a plane inclined at an angle
α. Show that for maximum range, θ = α2 + π 4
.
1.30 A stone is thrown from ground level over horizontal ground. It just clears three
walls, the successive distances between them being r and 2r . The inner wall
is 15/7 times as high as the outer walls which are equal in height. The total
horizontal range is nr, where n is an integer. Find n.
[University of Dublin]
1.31 A boy wishes to throw a ball through a house via two small openings, one in
the front and the other in the back window, the second window being directly
behind the first. If the boy stands at a distance of 5m in front of the house and
the house is 6m deep and if the opening in the front window is 5m above him
and that in the back window 2m higher, calculate the velocity and the angle
of projection of the ball that will enable him to accomplish his desire.
[University of Dublin]
1.32 A hunter directs his uncalibrated rifle toward a monkey sitting on a tree, at a
height h above the ground and at distance d. The instant the monkey observes
the flash of the fire of the rifle, it drops from the tree. Will the bullet hit the
monkey?
1.33 If α is the angle of projection, R the range, h the maximum height, T the time
of flight then show that
(a) tan α = 4h/R and
(b) h = gT 2/8

1.34 A projectile is fired at an angle of 60° to the horizontal with an initial velocity
of 800 m/s:
(i) Find the time of flight of the projectile before it hits the ground
(ii) Find the distance it travels before it hits the ground (range)
(iii) Find the time of flight for the projectile to reach its maximum height

(iv) Show that the shape of its flight is in the form of a parabola y = bx+cx2,

where b and c are constants [acceleration due to gravity g = 9.8m/s2].

[University of Aberystwyth, Wales 2004]
1.35 A projectile of mass 20.0 kg is fired at an angle of 55 .0◦ to the horizontal
with an initial velocity of 350 m/s. At the highest point of the trajectory the
projectile explodes into two equal fragments, one of which falls vertically
downwards with no initial velocity immediately after the explosion. Neglect
the effect of air resistance:
(i) How long after firing does the explosion occur?
(ii) Relative to the firing point, where do the two fragments hit the ground?
(iii) How much energy is released in the explosion?
[University of Manchester 2008]
1.36 An object is projected horizontally with velocity 10 m/s. Find the radius of
curvature of its trajectory in 3 s after the motion has begun.

1.37 A and B are points on opposite banks of a river of breadth a and AB is at right
angles to the flow of the river (Fig. 1.4). A boat leaves B and is rowed with
constant velocity with the bow always directed toward A. If the velocity of the
river is equal to this velocity, find the path of the boat (Fig. 1.5).
1.38 A ball is thrown from a height h above the ground. The ball leaves the point
located at distance d from the wall, at 45◦ to the horizontal with velocity u.
How far from the wall does the ball hit the ground (Fig. 1.6)?

1.38 Take the origin at O, Fig. 1.22. Draw the reference line OC parallel to AB, the
ground level. Let the ball hit the wall at a height H above C. Initially at O,
1.2.4 Force and Torque
1.39 Three vector forces F1, F2 and F3 act on a particle of mass m = 3.80 kg as
shown in Fig. 1.7:
(i) Calculate the magnitude and direction of the net force acting on the
particle.
(ii) Calculate the particle’s acceleration.
(iii) If an additional stabilizing force F4 is applied to create an equilibrium
condition with a resultant net force of zero, what would be the magnitude
and direction of F4?

1.40 (a) A thin cylindrical wheel of radius r = 40 cm is allowed to spin on a

frictionless axle. The wheel, which is initially at rest, has a tangential
force applied at right angles to its radius of magnitude 50N as shown in
Fig. 1.8a. The wheel has a moment of inertia equal to 20 kgm2.
Fig. 1.8a
Calculate
(i) The torque applied to the wheel
(ii) The angular acceleration of the wheel
(iii) The angular velocity of the wheel after 3 s
(iv) The total angle swept out in this time
(b) The same wheel now has the same force applied but inclined at an angle
of 20◦ to the tangent as shown in Fig. 1.8b. Calculate
(i) The torque applied to the wheel
(ii) The angular acceleration of the wheel

1.41 A container of mass 200 kg rests on the back of an open truck. If the truck
accelerates at 1.5m/s2, what is the minimum coefficient of static friction
between the container and the bed of the truck required to prevent the container
from sliding off the back of the truck?
[University of Manchester 2007]
1.42 A wheel of radius r and weight W is to be raised over an obstacle of height
h by a horizontal force F applied to the centre. Find the minimum value of F
(Fig. 1.9).

1.2.5 Centre of Mass

1.43 A thin uniform wire is bent into a semicircle of radius R. Locate the centre of
mass from the diameter of the semicircle.
1.44 Find the centre of mass of a semicircular disc of radius R and of uniform
density.
1.44 Let the x-axis lie along the diameter of the semicircle. The centre of mass must
lie on y-axis perpendicular to the flat base of the semicircle and through O,
the centre of the base, Fig. 1.25.
1.45 Locate the centre of mass of a uniform solid hemisphere of radius R from the
centre of the base of the hemisphere along the axis of symmetry.
1.46 A thin circular disc of uniform density is of radius R. A circular hole of
radius ½R is cut from the disc and touching the disc’s circumference as in
Fig. 1.10. Find the centre of mass.
1.47 The mass of the earth is 81% the mass of the moon. The distance between the
centres of the earth and the moon is 60 times the radius of earth R = 6400 km.
Find the centre of mass of the earth–moon system.
1.48 The distance between the centre of carbon and oxygen atoms in CO molecule
is 1.13 Å. Locate the centre of mass of the molecule relative to the carbon
atom.
1.49 The ammonia molecule NH3 is in the form of a pyramid with the three H
atoms at the corners of an equilateral triangle base and the N atom at the apex
of the pyramid. The H–H distance = 1.014Å and N–H distance = 1.628 Å.
Locate the centre of mass of the NH3 molecule relative to the N atom.

1.50 A boat of mass 100 kg and length 3m is at rest in still water. A boy of mass
50 kg walks from the bow to the stern. Find the distance through which the
boat moves.
1.51 At one end of the rod of length L, a body whose mass is twice that of the rod is
attached. If the rod is to move with pure translation, at what fractional length
from the loaded end should it be struck?
1.52 Find the centre of mass of a solid cone of height h.
1.53 Find the centre of mass of a wire in the form of an arc of a circle of radius R
which subtends an angle 2α symmetrically at the centre of curvature.
1.54 Five identical pigeons are flying together northward with speed v0. One of
the pigeons is shot dead by a hunter and the other four continue to fly with
the same speed. Find the centre of mass speed of the rest of the pigeons
which continue to fly with the same speed after the dead pigeon has hit the
ground.

1.55 The linear density of a rod of length L is directly proportional to the distance
from one end. Locate the centre of mass from the same end.

1.56 Particles of masses m, 2m, 3m . . . nm are collinear at distances L, 2L,

3L . . . nL, respectively, from a fixed point. Locate the centre of mass from
the fixed point.

1.57 A
semicircular disc of radius R has density ρ which varies as ρ = cr2, where
r is the distance from the centre of the base and cis a constant. The centre of
mass will lie along the y-axis for reasons of symmetry (Fig. 1.11). Locate the
centre of mass from O, the centre of the base.

1.58 Locate the centre of mass of a water molecule, given that the OH bond has
length 1.77 Å and angle HOH is 105◦.
1.59 Three uniform square laminas are placed as in Fig. 1.12. Each lamina measures
‘a’ on side and has mass m. Locate the CM of the combined structure.

1.2.6 Equilibrium
1.60 Consider a particle of mass m moving in one dimension under a force with the
potential U(x) = k(2x3 − 5x2 + 4x), where the constant k > 0. Show that
the point x = 1 corresponds to a stable equilibrium position of the particle.
[University of Manchester 2007]
1.61 Consider a particle of mass m moving in one dimension under a force with the
potential U(x) = k(x2 − 4xl), where the constant k > 0. Show that the point
x = 2l corresponds to a stable equilibrium position of the particle.
Find the frequency of a small amplitude oscillation of the particle about the
equilibrium position.
[University of Manchester 2006]
1.62 A cube rests on a rough horizontal plane. A tension parallel to the plane
is applied by a thread attached to the upper surface. Show that the cube
will slide or topple according to the coefficient of friction is less or greater
than 0.5.
1.63 A ladder leaning against a smooth wall makes an angle α with the horizontal
when in a position of limiting equilibrium. Show that the coefficient of friction
between the ladder and the ground is 12
cot α.