Physics Assignments for A2

Circular Motion
1. A grinding wheel of diameter 0.12m spins horizontally about a vertical axis, as shown in Fig. P is a typical grinding particle
bounded to the edge of the wheel.
(a) If the rate of rotation is 1200 rpm, calculate
(i) The angular velocity,
(ii) The acceleration of P,
(iii) The magnitude of the force acting on P if its mass is 1.0 x 10-4kg.

(b) The maximum radial force at which P remains bonded to the wheel is 2.5 N.
(i) Calculate the angular velocity at which P will leave the wheel if its rate of rotation is increased.
(ii) If the wheel exceeds this maximum rate of rotation, what will be the speed and direction of motion
of particle P immediately after it leaves the wheel?

Ans:

2. What is meant by a centripetal force? Why does such a force do no work in a circular orbit?
a) An object of mass 0.50 kg on the end of a string is whirled round in a horizontal circle of radius 2.0 m with a
constant speed of 10 m s-¹. Find its angular velocity and the tension in the string. [Ans: 5 rad s-1, 25 N]
b) If the same object is now whirled in a vertical circle of the same radius with the same speed, what are the
maximum and minimum tensions in the string?

3. A car is travelling round a bend in a road at a constant speed of 22 m s-¹. The driver moves along a circular path of radius
25 m.
a) Explain why, although the speed of the driver is constant, his velocity is not constant.
b) Figure illustrates the position of the car and the driver at an instant during this motion.

Copy the diagram and show the directions of the velocity and of the acceleration of the driver at this instant.
(c) Calculate the magnitude of the driver's acceleration. [Ans: 19 m s-1]
(d) Suggest what provides a force to cause this acceleration.

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Gravitation
4. (a) (i) A gravitational field may be represented by lines of gravitational force. State what is meant by a line of
gravitational force.
(ii) By reference to lines of gravitational force near to the surface of the Earth, explain why the gravitational field
strength g close to the Earth’s surface is approximately constant.
(b) The Moon may be considered to be a uniform sphere of diameter 3.4 × 103 km and mass 7.4 × 1022 kg. The Moon has
no atmosphere. During a collision of the Moon with a meteorite, a rock is thrown vertically up from the surface of the
Moon with a speed of 2.8 km s–1. Assuming that the Moon is isolated in space, determine with mathematical detail
whether the rock will travel out into distant space or return to the Moon’s surface.

[Hint: Calculate the speed by equating change in KE to change in PE between surface and infinity. If velocity is
less than given it returns otherwise not]

5. (a) Define gravitational potential

(b) The Earth E and the Moon M can both be considered as isolated point masses at their centres. The mass of the Earth
is 5.98 × 1024 kg and the mass of the Moon is 7.35 × 1022 kg. The Earth and the Moon are separated by a distance of
3.84 × 108m, as shown in Fig.

P is a point, on the line joining the centres of E and M, where the resultant gravitational field strength is zero. Point P is at
a distance x from the centre of the Earth.

(i) Explain how it is possible for the gravitational field strength to be zero despite the presence of two large masses nearby.

(ii) Show that x is approximately 3.5 × 108m

(iii) Calculate the gravitational potential φ at point P.

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6. (a) The moon Charon (discovered in 1978) orbits the dwarf planet Pluto. Fig. shows the variation of the gravitational potential
ϕ with distance d above the surface of Pluto along a line joining the centres of Pluto and Charon.

The gravitational potential is taken as being zero at infinity.

(i) Suggest why all values of gravitational potential are negative.

(ii) Which physical quantity is equivalent to the gradient of the graph?

(iii) Use Fig. to determine, giving an explanation of your working,

1. the distance from the surface of Pluto at which the acceleration

of free fall is zero,
2. the acceleration of free fall on the surface of Charon.

(b) A lump of rock of mass 2.5 kg is ejected from the surface of Charon
such that it travels towards Pluto.

(i) Using data from Fig., determine the minimum speed with which
the rock hits the surface of Pluto.

(ii) Suggest why, if the rock travels from Pluto to Charon, the
minimum speed on reaching Charon is different from

that calculated in (i).

Oscillations
7. A body vibrates in SHM in a vertical direction with an amplitude of 50 mm and a periodic time of 4.0s.
(a) Calculate the displacement after (i) 2.5 s (ii) 5.0 s, assuming that the displacement is zero at time zero.
(b) Calculate the time it takes the body to move to its maximum upwards displacement from a position 30 mm below it.
Ans. [(a) (i) -3.5 cm (ii) 5.0 cm, (b) 0.74 s]

8. A 0.60 kg mass is suspended from a light helical spring which is attached to a peg, vibrating in simple harmonic motion,
whose frequency of vibration can be varied as shown in Fig. a. The variation in amplitude of vertical vibrations of the
mass, as the frequency of vibration of the peg is varied, is shown in Fig. b. Estimate the resonant frequency of the spring
mass system using Fig b. Use this value to calculate the spring constant of the spring.

9. Two simple pendulums of slightly different lengths are set off oscillating in phase. The time periods are 1.00s and 0.98s.
Calculate the number of oscillations made by the shorter pendulum during the time interval it takes for the two
pendulums to be once again moving in phase. [Ans: 50]

Fig. a Fig. b
10. A metal sphere of mass 0.25kg hangs from a spring. The top end of the spring is clamped. The sphere is raised 0.080m
above its equilibrium position and released.

A displacement versus time graph for the motion is given below.

(a) What is the period of the oscillation?
(b) Calculate the maximum kinetic energy of the sphere.

[Ans: 2.5 Hz, 0.20J]

11. A U-tube contains liquid, as shown in Fig. own

4.1.

The total length of the liquid column is L.

The column of liquid is displaced so that the change in height of the liquid level from the equilibrium position in each arm
of the U-tube is x, as shown in Fig. 4.2. The liquid in the U-tube then oscillates such that its acceleration a is given by the
expression.

where g is the acceleration of free fall.

(a) Show that the liquid column undergoes simple harmonic motion.

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 (c) The variation with time t of the displacement x is shown in graph.
Use data from the graph to determine the length L of the liquid column.
(d) The oscillations shown in graph are damped.
(i) Suggest one cause of this damping.
(ii) Calculate the ratio

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Note:

1. Answer of most of the questions are given.

2. All questions must be solved in your copy and submit.
3. Deadline of submission of this assignment is (15 Nov 2024, Friday)