Assignment #3: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Physics Department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Physics Department
Physics - 8.01 Assignment #3 September 24, 1999.
It is strongly recommended that you read about a subject before it is covered in lectures.
Lecture Date Material Covered Reading

#9 Mon 9/27 Exam Review Lectures #1 – #5
This lecture will be on PIVoT Mon evening 9/27.
Wed 9/29 Exam #1 Handout of 9/22
#10 Fri 10/1 Hooke’s Law - Springs Page 140 – 142

Simple Harmonic Motion Page 379 – 387
Pendulum - Small angle Approximation
Watch PIVoT under Hooke’s Law, Pendulum,
Simple Harmonic Motion, Spring.
#11 Mon 10/4 Work - Kinetic Energy - Potential Energy Page 160 – 176
Conservative Forces Page 185 – 190
Conservation of Mechanical Energy Sect. 9.1, 9.2 and
Newton’s Universal Law of Gravity 9.5 (excluding orbits)
PIVoT: potential energy, conservative force,
conservation of mechanical energy.
#12 Wed 10/6 Non-Conservative Forces - Resistive Forces Page 142 – 146, 190
Air Drag - Terminal Velocity Take Notes!
Watch PIVoT under resistive force, terminal
velocity, air resistance.
Due Wednesday, Oct 6, before 4 PM in 4-339B. Solutions will be posted on the Web on Oct 7.
3.1 Superposition of Forces – page 119, problem 17.
3.2 Tension in String – page 120, problem 26.
3.3 Tension in String – page 121, problem 29.
3.4 Crate hanging from Crane – page 121, problem 31.
3.5 Two Chandeliers – page 153, problem 4.
3.6 Free-body Diagram – page 153, problem 13.
3.7 Minimum Tension in Rope – page 156, problem 40.
3.8 Measurements of Friction Coefficient

Use the two independent measurements made in lectures to calculate the static friction coefficient;
include all uncertainties (in the mass and angles) in your answers. One measurement was made
without the use of the pulley (the block was sliding down hill); the other was made with the pulley
(the block was sliding up hill). Compare the results of the two measurements. If the two values are
not the same within the accuracy of the measurements, give some reasons to explain the difference.
You may assume that the gravitational acceleration is 10 m/s2 .
3.9 Pushing a Book against the Wall.
You are holding a book against a vertical wall by pushing upwards with your hand. The angle
between your force and the vertical is α (< 90◦ ). The mass of the book is m and the coefficient of
static friction is µ. If you push too hard, the book will start to slide upwards, if you don’t push
hard enough, the book will slide down.
a) Draw “free-body” diagrams for these two cases when the book is just about to start sliding.
b) Calculate the magnitude of your force (as a function of α) to just prevent slipping, in both
cases.
c) Calculate the force (as a function of α) for which the friction becomes zero. Evaluate your
result for α = 0◦ and 90◦ .
d) For what values of µ (as a function of α) is it impossible to make the book slide upwards?
3.10 Brain Teaser I – What’s the Use of Wide Tires?

Race cars have very wide tires. The maximum frictional force exerted by the road on the tires only
depends on the weight of the car and on the friction coefficient between the tires and the road; thus
it is independent of the width of the tires (as demonstrated in lectures). Why then would race cars
have wide tires? (This problem is from “The Flying Circus of Physics” by Earl Walker, John Wiley
& Sons.)
3.11 Pushing a Box – page 154, problem 15.
3.12 Pulley and Incline – page 157, problem 43.
3.13 Sliding Stick Across Fingers – Lecture Demo.

Hold a yardstick horizontally on your index fingers and slide your fingers together smoothly. The
stick slides first on one finger, then on the other and it keeps alternating. This was demonstrated
in lectures. Try it for yourself, it’s great fun! Why does this happen? (This problem is from “The
Flying Circus of Physics” by Earl Walker, John Wiley & Sons.)
3.14 Spring – Oscillations – page 157, problem 47.

Continue this problem:
We hang an object of mass 3 kg on the spring of problem 47, and we make it oscillate in vertical
direction. Assume that the mass of the spring is negligibly small, and that g = 10m/s2 .
a) What is the angular frequency (in rad/sec)?

b) What is the period of the oscillations (in sec)?
c) What is the frequency (in Hz)?
3.15 Brain Teaser II – Not so Intuitive!

If you are standing at the equator at sunrise, where must you point a laser cannon to hit the sun
dead center? The entire sun has just become visible above the horizon.
Reminder.
There are 26 recitation sections. If you want to change, for whatever reason, please go to
the physics education office (4-352).

Assignment #3: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Physics Department

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Assignment #3: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Physics Department

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Assignment #3: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Physics Department

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Physics Department

Physics - 8.01 Assignment #3 September 24, 1999.

Lecture Date Material Covered Reading

Wed 9/29 Exam #1 Handout of 9/22

#10 Fri 10/1 Hooke’s Law - Springs Page 140 – 142

3.1 Superposition of Forces – page 119, problem 17.

3.2 Tension in String – page 120, problem 26.

3.3 Tension in String – page 121, problem 29.

3.4 Crate hanging from Crane – page 121, problem 31.

3.5 Two Chandeliers – page 153, problem 4.

3.6 Free-body Diagram – page 153, problem 13.

3.7 Minimum Tension in Rope – page 156, problem 40.

3.8 Measurements of Friction Coefficient

3.10 Brain Teaser I – What’s the Use of Wide Tires?

3.11 Pushing a Box – page 154, problem 15.

3.12 Pulley and Incline – page 157, problem 43.

3.13 Sliding Stick Across Fingers – Lecture Demo.

3.14 Spring – Oscillations – page 157, problem 47.

a) What is the angular frequency (in rad/sec)?

3.15 Brain Teaser II – Not so Intuitive!

You might also like