IITian’s Choice

Mechanics: IIT JAM Physics

Que.1) (2005) A solid sphere of mass m and radius a is rolling with a linear
speed v on a flat surface without slipping. The magnitude of the angular mo-
mentum of the sphere with respect to a point along the path of the sphere on
the surface is

(A) 25 mav

(B) 75 mav

(C) m a v

(D) 23 mav

Que.2) (2005) An observer is sitting on a horizontal platform which is ro-

tating with a constant angular velocity. He puts an object on the smooth fric-
tionless floor of the platform, away from the axis of rotation, with zero initial
velocity with respect to him. Let the time at this instant be t = 0. In the frame
of the platform, the object would

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(A) remain at rest for all t > 0

(B) accelerate purely in a radial direction outwards for all t > 0

(C) accelerate purely in a tangential direction for all t > 0

(D) accelerate radially in the outward direction at t = 0, however the direc-

tion of acceleration changes for t > 0

Que.3) (2005) A rod is moving with a speed of 0.4c along its length in the
positive x -direction, and a particle is moving along the negative x -direction
with a speed 0.8c as shown in the figure below. Both the speeds are measured
in an inertial frame S, and c is the velocity of light in free space. The length of
the rod as measured in the S-frame is 3.6m.

(a) Find the relative velocity of the rod (in terms of c ) in the rest frame of
the particle.

(b) Find (i) the time taken for the particle to cross the rod in the S-frame
and in the rest frame of the rod, and (ii) time taken by the rod to cross the
particle in the rest frame of the particle.

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Que.4) (2006) A particle moves in a plane with velocity ~v = vr r̂ + vθ θ̂ such
that vr = 34 vθ . The time dependence of the magnitude of the velocity |~v | = 5t.
It is given

that r = 1, θ = 0 and vr > 0 at t = 0. (In the following, you may use
e3 ≈ 20.

(a) Determine the trajectory r(θ) of the particle.

(b) At what time will θ become 4 radian?

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Que.5) (2006) A body of mass 1kg moves under the influence of a central force,
with a potential energy function V (r) = − exp(−3r/2)
5r 2 Joule, where r is in meters.
It is found to move in a circular orbit of radius r = 2m. (In the following, you
may use e3 ≈ 20 ).

(a) Find its angular momentum L and total energy E.

(b) A piece of mass m1 = 0.5kg breaks off suddenly from the body and be-
gins to fall radially inwards with velocity v = 10cms−1 . What are the values of
angular momentum L2 and total energy E2 of the remaining piece, assuming
that the potential energy function remains the same?

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Que.6) (2007) A projectile is fired from the origin O at an angle of 45◦ from
the horizontal. At the highes point P of its trajectory the radial and transverse
components of its acceleration in terms o the gravitational acceleration g are
2g √g
(A) ar = √
5
, aθ = 5

−2g −g
(B) ar = √ ,
5
aθ = √
5

(C) ar = √g , aθ = 2g
√
5 5

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 −g −2g
(D) ar = √
5
, aθ = √
5

Que.7) (2007) A satellite moves around a planet in a circular orbit at a dis-

tance R from its centre. The time period of revolution of the satellite is T. If
the same satellite is taken to an orbit of radius 4R around the same planet, the
time period would be

(A)8T

(B) 4T

(C) T/4

(D) T/8

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Que.8) (2007) A horizontal square platform of mass m and side a is free to
rotate about a vertical axis passing through its centre O. The platform is sta-
tionary and a person of the same mass ( m ) as the platform is standing on
it at point A. The person now starts walking along the edge from A to B (see
figure). The speed v of the person with respect to the platform is constant.
Find the time the person takes to reach B. Also find his distance r(t) from O
as a function of time. Further find the angle through which the platform has
rotated by the time the person reaches B.

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Que.9) (2007) A particle travels along the diameter of the earth at a relativistic
speed. It crosses the earth in a time 3 × 10−2 s in its own frame. An observer,
located on the earth, measures the same time interval to be 5 × 10−2 s. Find the
speed of the particle with respect to the earth and the diameter of the earth.

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Que.10) (2008) In an inertial frame S, a stationary rod makes an angle θ with
the x -axis. Another inertial frame S’ moves with a velocity v with respect to
S along the common x − x0 axis. As observed from S 0 , the angle made by the
rod with the x0 -axis is θ ’. Which of the following statements is correct?

(A) θ0 < θ

(B) θ0 > θ

(C) θ0 < θ if v is negative and θ0 > θ if v is positive

(D) θ0 > θ if v is negative and θ0 < θ if v is positive

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Que.11) (2008) A circular disc (in the horizontal xy -plane) is spinning about a
vertical axis through its center O with a constant angular velocity ω
~ . As viewed
from the reference frame of the disc, a particle is observed to execute uniform
circular motion, in the anticlockwise sense, centered at P . When the particle is
at the point Q, which of the following figures correctly represents the directions
of the Coriolis force F~cor and the centrifugal force F~cf ? ?

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Que.12) (2008) A particle of mass 1kg is moving in a central force field given
by F~1 (~r) = − r32 + 1r r̂

(a) Assuming that the particle is moving in a circular orbit with angular mo-
mentum 2J − s, find out the radius of the orbit.

(b) At t = 0, an additional force F~2 = −λ~v , where ~v is the instantaneous

velocity of the particle, is switched on. Show that the magnitude of its angular
momentum after a time λ1 second is 2e J − s

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Que.13) (2009) A space crew has a life support system that can last only for
1000 hours. What minimum speed would be required for safe travel of the crew
between two space stations separated by a fixed distance of 1.08 × 1012 km?

(A) √c
3

(B) √c
2

c
(C) 2

(D) √c
5

Que.14) (2009) A particle is moving in space with O as the origin. Some possible
expressions for its position, velocity and acceleration in cylindrical coordinates
(ρ, ϕ, z) are given below. Which one of these is correct?

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 dρ
(A) position vector ~r = ρρ̂ + ρϕϕ̂ + z ẑ and velocity ~v = + ρ dϕ
dt ρ̂
dz
dt ϕ̂ + dt ẑ
  2
d2 ρ
(B) velocity ~v = dρ
dt ρ̂+ρ dϕ
dt ϕ̂+ dz
dt ẑ and acceleration ~
a = dt2 ρ̂+ d
dt ρ dϕ
dt ϕ̂ + ddt2z ẑ
dρ
(C) position vector ~r = ρρ̂ + z ẑ and velocity ~v = dt ρ̂ + ρ dϕ
dt ϕ̂ +
dz
dt ẑ

dρ d dz
(D) position vector ~r = ρρ̂ + ρϕϕ̂ + z ẑ and velocity ~v = dt ρ̂ + dt (ρϕϕ̂) + dt ẑ

Que.15) (2009) A thin massless rod of length 2l has equal point masses m
attached at its ends (see figure). The rod is rotating about an axis passing
through its centre and making angle
  θ with it. The magnitude of the rate of
 ~
change of its angular momentum  ddtL  is

(A) 2ml2 ω 2 sin θ cos θ

(B) 2ml2 ω 2 sin θ

(C) 2ml2 ω 2 sin2 θ

(D) 2ml2 ω 2 cos2 θ

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Que.16) (2009) Moment of inertia of a solid cylinder of mass m, height h and
radius r about an axis (shown in the figure by dashed line) passing through its
centre of mass and perpendicular to its symmetry axis is

(A) 14 mr2 + 1
12 mh
2

(B) 21 mr2 + 18 mh2

(C) 12 mr2 + 1
12 mh
2

(D) 12 mr2 + 14 mh2

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Que.17) (2009) A block of mass M is free to slide on a frictionless horizon-
tal floor. The block has a cylindrical cavity of radius R in the middle of it. The
centre of mass (CM) of the block lies on the dashed line passing through the
centre of the cavity (see figure). Initially the CM of the block is at a horizontal
distance X1 from the origin. Now a point particle of mass m is released from
point A into the cavity. There is negligible friction between the particle and the
cavity surface. When the particle reaches point B, the CM of the block is at a
distance X2 from the origin. Find (X2 − X1 ).

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Que.18)(2009) A particle of mass m is thrown vertically up from the ground
with initial speed v0 . As it moves it experiences a drag force |Fdrag | = kv2 ,
where v is the speed of the particle and k is a constant. Up to what height does
the particle go and what is its speed when it reaches the ground again?

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Que.19) (2010) A circular platform is rotating with a uniform angular speed
ω counterclockwise about an axis passing through its centre and perpendicular
to its plane as shown in the figure. A person of mass m walks radially inward
with a uniform speed v on the platform. The magnitude and the direction of
the Coriolis force (with respect to the direction along which the person walks) is

(A) 2mωv towards his left

(B) 2mωv towards his front

(C) 2mωv towards his right

(D) 2mωv towards his back

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Que.20 (2010) A particle of mass m, moving with a velocity ~v = v0 (î + ĵ),
collides elastically with another particle of mass 2m which is at rest initially.
Here, v0 is a constant. Which of the following statements is correct?

(A)
 The  direction along which the centre of mass moves before collision is
i+j
− √2

(B) The √
speed of the particle of mass m before collision in the center of mass
frame is 2v0

(C) Atter collision

√
the speed of the particle with mass 2m in the centre of
mass frame is 32 v0

(D) The √
speed of the particle of mass 2m before collision in the center of mass
frame is 2v0

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Que.21) (2010) A particle
of mass 2/3kg is subjected to a potential energy
function V (x) = 3x2 − 2x3 J where x ≥ 0 and expressed in meters.

(a) Sketch V (x) with respect to x in the range 0 to 2m. Mark the positions
of all the maxima and minima. What is the maximum value of the potential
energy?

(b) Supposing the particle is released at x = 4/3m, find its velocity when it
reaches x = 3/2m

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Que.22) (2010) A solid cylinder C of mass 10kg rolls without slipping in an
inclined plane which offers friction. The angle of the inclined plane with the
horizontal is 30◦ as shown in the figure below. A massless inextensible string
is wrapped around the cylinder and it passes over a frictionless pulley, P. The
other end of the string holds a block B of mass 2kg as shown in the figure. Take
g = 10ms2 .

(a) Draw the free body diagram of the cylinder and the block. If the block
B moves down by 0.01m, how much distance does C move along the incline?

(b) If the block B moves with an acceleration of 0.05g upward, find the magni-
tude of the frictional force.

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Que.23) (2010) Two spaceships A and B of proper length 50 m each are moving
with relativistic speeds 0.8c and 0.6c, respectively, in the same direction with
respect to a stationary observer S Here c is the speed of hight. At t = 0, the
spaceship A is just behind the spaceship B as shown below.

(a) Find the time taken by the spaceship A to completely overtake the spaceship
B (that is the back of A is in line with the front of B ) as seen by the observer S.

(b) Find the time taken by the spaceship A to completely overtake the spaceship
B as seen by an observer in the spaceship B.

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