Mass & Weight
Mass & Weight
Mass & Weight
cylinder A cylinder B
water load
piston A piston B
pivot beam
Initially, a large weight of water in cylinder A pushes piston A down. This causes the left-hand end
of the beam to move down and the right-hand end of the beam to move up. Piston B rises, lifting
the heavy load.
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
(b) The density of water is 1000 kg / m3.
(d) The heavy load lifted by piston B gains 96 kJ of gravitational potential energy.
[Total: 8]
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
2 (a) A water tank has a rectangular base of dimensions 1.5 m by 1.2 m and contains 1440 kg of
water.
Calculate
(ii) the pressure exerted by the water on the base of the tank.
(b) Fig. 5.1 shows two water tanks P and Q of different shape. Both tanks are circular when
viewed from above. The tanks each contain the same volume of water. The depth of water in
both tanks is 1.4 m.
1.4 m
P Q
Fig. 5.1
(i) The density of water is 1000 kg / m3. The pressures exerted by the water on the base of
the two tanks are equal.
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
(ii) Equal small volumes of water are removed from each tank.
State which tank, P or Q, now has the greater water pressure on its base. Explain your
answer.
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................... [2]
[Total: 7]
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
3 Fig. 2.1 shows a uniform, rectangular slab of concrete ABCD standing upright on the ground. The
slab has height 0.60 m, width 0.30 m and mass 18 kg. A force of 40 N acts horizontally to the left
at B.
A B
40 N
0.60 m
D C
0.30 m
Fig. 2.1
W = ........................................................ [1]
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
(b) (i) On Fig. 2.1, draw and label an arrow to show the weight W of the slab acting at its centre
of mass. [1]
(ii) Calculate
1. the moment of the 40 N force about point D,
moment = ........................................................
moment = ........................................................
[3]
(iii) The ground is rough so that the slab does not slide.
State and explain what happens to the slab as the horizontal force at B is gradually
increased.
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[2]
[Total: 9]
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
4 A large crane has a mass of 8500 kg. Fig. 4.1 shows the crane on a muddy building-site.
lifting-arm
hook
axle
caterpillar tracks
Fig. 4.1
(b) The crane rests on two caterpillar tracks each of which has a contact area with the
ground of 3.4 m2.
(i) Calculate the pressure that the crane exerts on the ground.
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
(ii) As the crane driver walks towards the crane, he starts to sink into the mud. He lays
a wide plank of wood on the mud and he walks along the plank.
Explain why he does not sink into the mud when he walks along the plank.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................. [2]
(c) When the crane lifts a heavy load with its hook, the load exerts a moment on the
lifting-arm about the axle.
..................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................. [1]
(ii) Despite the moment exerted on the lifting-arm, the crane remains in equilibrium.
1. ..............................................................................................................................
2. ..............................................................................................................................
[2]
[Total: 8]
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
5 Fig. 2.1 shows a mobile bird sculpture that has been created by an artist.
tail
bird sculpture
pivot
M hole in sculpture E
for pivot
12 cm 30 cm
Fig. 2.1
M is the centre of mass of the bird sculpture, including its tail (but not including the
counter-weight that will be added later). The mass of the bird and tail is 1.5 kg.
The artist adds the counter-weight at the end E of the tail so that the bird remains stationary
in the position shown.
(b) The centre of mass of the sculpture with counter-weight is at the pivot.
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
(c) The sculpture is rotated clockwise to the position shown in Fig. 2.2. It is held still, then
carefully released.
pivot
counter-weight
Fig. 2.2
(i) State whether the sculpture will stay in that position, rotate further clockwise or
rotate back anticlockwise.
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
[3]
[Total: 6]
PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com