HT2021

First Year Physics: Prelims CP1

Classical Mechanics: Prof. Guy Wilkinson

Problem Set III : Projectiles, rocket motion and motion in E & B fields

Questions 1-10 are “standard” examples. Questions 11-12 are additional questions that may
also be attempted or left for revision. Problems with asterisks are either more advanced than
average or require significant algebra. All topics are covered in lectures 1-5 of Hilary term.

More on projectiles
1. Projectile with no air resistance: A small sphere is released from rest and, after falling
a vertical distance h freely under gravity, bounces on a smooth inclined plane (which is at an angle
θ < 90◦ to the horizontal). Given that the sphere loses no energy on impact, in what direction (relative
to the upward normal to the plane) will it move immediately after impact? Show that the distance
down the plane between this impact and the next is 8h sin θ.
[Hint: you may wish to choose axes parallel to and perpendicular to the plane.]

2. Projectiles from a rotating wheel: Drops of water are thrown tangentially off the rim of
a wheel of radius a, rotating
q in a vertical plane about its axis, which is fixed and horizontal, with
angular velocity ω > g/a (as in the diagram). Neglecting air resistance, determine the point on
the wheel rim from which drops will rise to the maximum height above the wheel axis (consider the
vertical contributions to PE and KE as a function of angle θ). Hence show that if a horizontal ceiling,
at height h > a above the axis of the wheel, is not to be spattered with water, ω must satisfy
q
2
(aω) < gh + g h2 − a2 .

h
a !
µ

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Motion of Rockets
3. Two masses m and δm (δm  m) are joined together, and moving with velocity v in some inertial
frame. At some instant the mass δm flies apart from m (e.g., because of the release of a spring) along
the direction of motion with a relative velocity w with respect to the mass m, such that the velocity
of m becomes v + δv . Show that, if the small mass is projected in the backwards direction,
mδv = wδm .
Explain whether the same expression applies for the case in which the small mass is projected in the
forwards direction.
We now turn to the case of a rocket which burns fuel, so that the mass of the rocket remaining at time
t is m(t). Show that the acceleration of the rocket is given by the equation
dv dm
m +w =0,
dt dt
paying careful attention to signs. Finally, modify the rocket equation to take account of motion against
a constant gravitational field (acceleration due to gravity = −g ).

4. A rocket of initial mass M , of which half is fuel, is launched vertically upwards at t = 0. It burns
the fuel at a mass rate of α (a positive quantity) and ejects it backwards from the rocket at a velocity
V with respect to the rocket. (a) Show that the equation governing the (vertical) speed v of the rocket
is
dv αV
= −g +
dt M − αt
where g is the acceleration due to gravity, assumed constant. (b) Show that the rocket cannot leave
the launch-pad on ignition unless αV > M g . (c) Given αV > M g , show that fuel burn-out occurs
at t = M/2α. (d) Show that the upward velocity at burn-out is v = V ln 2 − gM/(2α) (e) Find the
height of the rocket at burn-out and the maximum height reached.
[You need ln x dx = x ln x − x.]
R

[Ans for (e) max. height is (1 − 2 ln 2)(M V /2α) + (V ln 2)2 /(2g) ]

5.* Two stage rocket: A rocket of total initial mass (casing + fuel + payload) is N m, where m
is the payload mass, and it ejects mass at a constant rate with velocity u relative to the rocket. The
initial ratio of (casing mass) to (casing mass + fuel mass) is r. Ignore gravity and air-resistance and
assume that the rocket starts from rest.
(i) One stage rocket. Show that the payload achieves a final velocity of:
N
 
v1 = u ln .
rN + (1 − r)

(ii) Two stage rocket. The total initial mass of both stages (fuel+casing+payload) is now N m and
the total initial mass of the second stage (fuel+casing+payload) is nm. As for the first stage, the
second stage ejects mass at a constant rate with velocity u relative to the rocket. Likewise, the initial
ratio of (casing mass) to (casing mass + fuel mass) of the second stage is also r. Assuming that the
first stage is dropped when its fuel is exhausted show that the final velocity of the payload is:
N n
   
v2 = u ln + u ln .
rN + n(1 − r) rn + (1 − r)

(iii) If N and r are constant, show that v2 is a maximum for n2 = N and then:
n
 
v2max = 2u ln .
rn + (1 − r)

(iv) Realistic maximum values of u from chemical combustion are of the order of 2.9 kms−1 . If
r = 0.1 could Earth escape speed be reached with either a one or two stage rocket?

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Work and energy
6. Calculation of work along a path: A particle moves subject to a force field F = α(2xy, x2 , 0),
where α is a constant.
The particle moves from the origin O to the point P with coordinates (1, 1, 0). What is the work done
by F on the particle for each of the following paths from O to P: (a) a straight line from O to (1, 0, 0)
followed by a straight line to P; (b) a straight line from O to (0, 1, 0) followed by a straight line to P;
(c) a straight line direct from O to P.
Repeat for the force field G = α(x2 , 2xy, 0). Comment on whether the force fields F and G are either
conservative or non-conservative.

7.* Pendulum Oscillations with large amplitude: Consider the period of a simple pendulum
with length ` and bob of mass m moving under gravity, but not confined to small–angle oscillations.
It was shown in Problem Set I that, on dimensional grounds, the period of oscillations is given by
q
T = kf (θ0 ) `/g, where θ0 is the angular amplitude,

k a dimensionless constant and f an arbitrary function.

a) Re-work this problem by using energy conservation or otherwise √ to show that for small angle
oscillations kf (θ0 ) = 2π . Show that for large oscillations k = 2 2 and
Z θ0
dθ
f (θ0 ) = √ (†)
0 cos θ − cos θ0

b) Use the substitutions: sin 2θ = sin θ20 sin φ and α = sin θ20 to show that the period of oscillation is
given by:
Z π/2
q dφ
T = 4 l/g q
0 1 − α2 sin2 φ
c) Expand the integrand in the above expression to estimate the period of oscillation to second order
in θ0 . Estimate the percentage error if using the small angle approximation for θ0 = π/3.

Motion of particles in E & B fields

8. A charged particle in magnetic field: The motion of a particle of mass m and charge q
moving in a magnetic field B = (0, 0, B) is governed by Newton’s Second Law in the form

mr̈ = q ṙ × B , (††)

where r(t) = (x(t), y(t), z(t)) is the position of the particle at time t. At t = 0 the particle is at the
origin and has velocity (0, v0 , w0 ).
Write down the three components of equation (††), and integrate them with respect to time, paying
attention to the initial conditions. Show that

ÿ + ω 2 y = 0 where ω = qB/m ,

and hence that y = (v0 /ω) sin ωt. Find also x and z , and describe and sketch the path of the particle.
Give a simple physical description of the balance of forces acting on the particle.

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9. Motion in both E & B fields: An electron moves in a force field due to a uniform
electric field E and a uniform magnetic field B which is perpendicular to E. Let E = (0, Ey , 0)
and B = (0, 0, Bz ). Find the resulting path r(t) = (x(t), y(t), z(t)) of the electron from the initial
conditions r(0) = (0, 0, 0), ṙ(0) = (v0 , 0, 0).
Proceed as follows: the vector force on an electron, of charge −e, in an electric field E and a magnetic
field B is (−e)(E + ṙ × B); this equals mr̈. Write out the three components of the resulting equation.
Show first that z(t) = 0 for all t. Next integrate with respect to time, and use the initial conditions,
to obtain the following coupled differential equations for x(t) and y(t):

mẋ = −eyBz + mv0 , mẏ = −eEy t + exBz . (∗)

Eliminate ẋ to get
ÿ + ω 2 y = A ,
where ω and A are constants that you should determine. Solve this differential equation to obtain
y = a(1 − cos ωt), where a = Aω −2 ; substitute in the second of (∗) to obtain x = a sin ωt + bt,
where b = Ey /Bz .
This path is a cycloid: sketch it in the xy -plane, indicating the directions of E and B on your sketch.

Non-inertial reference frames

10. A passenger holding a parcel of mass m is standing in a lift which is being accelerated upward by
a constant force F . The total mass of lift plus passenger is M . (Assume M >> m.)
(a) What is the acceleration of the lift?
(b) What weight does the parcel appear to have for the passenger?
(c) If the passenger drops the parcel from height h, how long does it take to reach the floor? Try
this both in the lift frame (non-inertial) and an inertial frame (eg w.r.t. lift shaft).
(d) If the lift changes to uniform velocity, what must the value of F become? Comment on your
result.

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Additional questions

11. Curvlinear motion: A particle P is moving along an arbitrary path C with velocity v(t) and
position vector r(t) with respect to an origin O.
(a) Show that if the particle velocity satisfies the relation ṙ = c × r where c is a constant vector then
P moves in uniform circular motion.
(b) Let θ̂ and n̂ be respectively the instantaneous tangential and normal unit vectors at a point along
the path, and s is the (scalar) length along the path. Show that the derivative of one unit vector with
dθ̂ 1
respect to time or space (s) is proportional the other. Hence show that = n̂ where ρ is the radius
ds ρ
of curvature at the point.
v2
(c) Use the relation v = v θ̂ to show that the acceleration of the particle is given by a = v̇ θ̂ + n̂
ρ

12.* Projectile with resistance: For a projectile with a linear air resistance force Fs = −mkv,
show that the maximum horizontal range is given by the equation
" #
g x g kx
 
v0 + + 2 ln 1 − = 0,
k u0 k u0

where u0 = V cos θ, v0 = V sin θ are the horizontal and vertical components of the initial velocity.
The above equation cannot be solved in closed form, either it is solved numerically or it may be
approximated, assuming that the correction with k 6= 0 is small. For the latter method show that

2v0 u0 8v02 u0
xmax ≈ − k.
g 3g 2