ENGINEERING DYNAMICS

MEC 2008

TUTORIAL SHEET 3

Dr. Duncan Camilleri

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
University of Malta
2011/2012

Tutorial 3 Plane Kinetics of Rigid Bodies

3.1 Force, mass, acceleration
1. Solid homogeneous cylinders 400mm high and 250mm in diameter are supported by a
flat conveyor belt which moves horizontally. If the speed of the belt increases
according to v 1.2 0.9t 2 m/s, where t is the time in seconds measured from the
instant the velocity begins to increase, calculate the value of t for which the cylinders
begin to tip over. Cleats on the belt prevent the cylinders from slipping.

2. Determine the magnitude P and direction of the force required to impart a rearward
acceleration a = 1.5m/s2 to the loaded wheelbarrow with no rotation from the position
shown. The combined mass of the wheelbarrow and its load is 190kg with center of
mass at G. Compare the normal force at B under acceleration with that for static
equilibrium in the position shown. Neglect the friction and mass of the wheel

3. The loaded trailer has a mass of 900kg with centre of mass at G and is attached at A
to a rear bumper hitch. If the car and trailer reach a velocity of 60km/h on a level road
in a distance of 30m from rest with constant acceleration, compute the vertical
component of the force supported by the hitch at A. Neglect the small friction force
exerted on the relatively light wheels.

4. The uniform 100kg log is supported by the two cables and used as a battering ram. If
the log is released from rest in the position shown, calculate the initial tension induced
in each cable immediately after release and the corresponding angular acceleration
of the cables.

5. The robotic device consists of the stationary pedestal OA, arm AB pivoted at A and
arm BD pivoted at B. The rotation axes are normal to the plane of the figure. Estimate
(a) the moment MA applied to arm AB required to rotate it about joint A at 4rad/sec2
counterclockwise from the position shown with joint B locked and (b) the moment
MB applied to arm BC required to rotate it about joint B at the same rate with joint A
locked. The mass of arm AB is 2kg and that of BC is 4kg, with the stationary portion
of joint A excluded entirely and the mass of joint B divided equally between the two
arms. Assume that the centres of mass G1 and G2 are in the geometric centres of the
arms and model the arms as slender rods.

6. The uniform slender bar AB has a mass of 8kg and swings in a vertical plane about
the pivot at A. If 2 rad/s when 30 o , compute the force supported by the pin at
A at that instant.

7. The door will close automatically using torsional springs mounted on the hinges. Each
spring has a stiffness k 50 Nm/rad so that the torque on each hinge is 50Nm, where
is measured in radians. If the door is released from rest when it is open at =90,
determine its angular velocity at the instant =0. For the calculation treat the door as a
thin plate having a mass of 70kg.

8. The 24kg uniform slender bar AB is mounted on end rollers of negligible mass and
rotates about the fixed point O as it follows the circular path in the vertical plane. The
bar is released from a position which gives it an angular velocity 2 rad/s as it
passes the position = 45. Calculate the force FA and FB exerted by the guide on the
rollers for this instant.

9. The mass center G of the 10kg wheel is off center by 10mm. If G is in the position
shown as the wheel rolls without slipping through the bottom of the circular path of
2m radius with an angular velocity 10 rad/s, compute the vertical force Py exerted
by the path on the wheel.

10. The uniform 50kg pole ABC is balanced in the vertical position when a 500N
horizontal force is suddenly applied at B. The coefficient of friction between the pole
and the ground is = 0.3. If the pole is known to slip in these conditions, determine
the initial acceleration of point A.

11. The rocket has a weight of 100kN, mass centre at G and radius of gyration about the
mass centre of kG = 7m. when it is fired each of its two engines expels fuel at a raterelative velocity such that the system can be modeled as one of constant mass with an
external force (thrust) T = 250kN at each nozzle exit. At a given instant, engine A
suddenly fails to operate. Determine the angular acceleration of the rocket and the
acceleration of its nose B.

12. A uniform bar of mass m is moving with constant velocity v on light rollers at each
end. Determine the force exerted by the path (in terms of m, v and r) on the roller A at
the instant it passes point C.

3.2 Work and Energy

1. A steady 22N force is applied normal to the handle of the hand-operated grinder. The
gear inside the housing with its shaft and attached handle have a combined mass of
1.8kg and a radius of gyration about their axis of 72mm. the grinding wheel with its
attached shaft and pinion (inside housing) have a combined mass of 0.55kg and a
radius of gyration of 54mm. If the gear ratio between gear and pinion is 4:1, calculate
the speed N of the grinding wheel after 6 complete revolutions of the handle starting
from rest.

2. The uniform and slender 7.5kg bar starts from the position = 0 with angular velocity
. Determine the value of so that the bar just reaches the position = 90. The
spring has a stiffness of 45N/M and is unstretched at = 0.

3. Motion of the slender bar of mass m is constrained by its two pins A and B which
move in the horizontal and vertical slots, respectively. If the bar is released from rest
with essentially zero, determine the velocity of end A of the bar (in terms of b and
) as it reaches an angle . Friction in the guides is negligible.

4. The centre of the 100kg wheel with centroidal radius of gyration of 100mm has a
velocity of 0.6m/s down the incline in the position shown. Calculate (a) the mass
centres velocity and (b) the normal reaction N under the wheel as it rolls part position
A. Assume that no slipping occurs.

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5. The figure shows the cross section AB of a 100kg door which is a 1.2m by 1.8m panel
of uniform thickness. The door is supported by a framework of negligible mass
hinged about a horizontal shaft at O. In the position shown, the spring, which has a
stiffness k = 450N/m, is unstretched. If a constant torque T = 880Nm is applied to the
frame through its shaft at O starting from the rest position shown, determine the
angular velocity of the door when it reaches the horizontal position.

6. Specify the unstretched length lO of the spring of stiffness k = 1400N/m which will
result in a velocity of 0.25m/s for the contact at A if the toggle is given a slight nudge
from its null position = 0. The toggle has a mass of 1.5kg and a radius of gyration
about O of 55mm. Motion occurs in the horizontal plane.

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7. Each of the two links has a mass of 2kg and a centroidal radius of gyration of 60mm.
The slider at B has a mass of 3kg and moves freely in the vertical guide. The spring
has a stiffness of 6kN/m. If a constant torque M = 20Nm is applied to link OA
through its shaft at O starting from the rest position at = 45, determine the angular
velocity of OA when = 0.

8. The figure shows the cross section of 100kg garage door which is a uniform
rectangular panel 2.4 by 2.4m. The door carries two spring assemblies, one on each
side of the door, like the one shown. Each spring has a stiffness of 700N/m and is
unstretched when the door is in the open position shown. If the door is released from
rest in this position, calculate the velocity of the edge at A as it strikes the garage
floor.

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3.3 Impulse and momentum

1. A uniform circular disk of 150mm radius has a mass of 30kg and is mounted on the
rotating bar OA in three different ways. In each case the bar rotates about its vertical
shaft A with a clockwise angular velocity O = 4 rad/s. In case (a) the disk is welded
to the bar. In case (b) the disk, which is pinned freely at A, moves with curvilinear
translation and therefore has no rigid-body rotation. In case (c) the relative angle
between the disk and the bar is increasing at the rate of 8 rad/s in an anti-clockwise
direction. Calculate the angular momentum of the disk about point O for each case.

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2. The 17.5tonne lunar landing module with center of mass at G has a radius of gyration
of 1.8m about G. The module is designed to contact the lunar surface with a vertical
free-fall velocity of 8km/h. If one of the four legs hits the lunar surface on a small
incline and suffers no rebound, compute the angular velocity of the module
immediately after impact as it pivots about the contact point. The 9m dimension is the
distance across the diagonal of the square formed by the four feet as corners.

3. The 24 kg slender bar is released from rest in the horizontal position shown. If point
A of the bar becomes attached to the pivot at B upon impact after dropping through
the 0.9m distance, calculate the angular velocity of the bar immediately after
impact.

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4. A 30g bullet has a horizontal velocity of 500m/s as it strikes the 10kg slender bar OA,
which is suspended from point O and is initially at rest as shown. Calculate the
angular velocity which the bar with its embedded bullet has acquired immediately
after impact. If the bullet takes 0.010s to embed itself in the bar, calculate the time
average of the horizontal force exerted by the pin on the bar at O during the
interaction between the bullet and the bar.

5. A uniform pole of length L is dropped at an angle with the vertical and both ends
have a velocity v as end A hits the ground. If end A pivots about its contact point
during the remainder of the motion determine the velocity vB with which end B hits
the ground.

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6. The solid circular cylinder of radius r is at rest on the flat belt when a force P is
applied to the belt. If P is sufficient to cause slipping between the belt and the cylinder
at all times, determine the time t required for the cylinder to translate by an amount s.
Also determine the angular velocity of the cylinder in this same position. Derive
equations using as the coefficient of friction.

7. A uniform circular disk which rolls without slipping with a velocity v encounters an
abrupt change in the direction of its motion as it rolls on the incline . Determine the
new velocity v of the disk as it starts up the incline.

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8. The Charpy impact test is used in materials testing to determine the energy absorption
characteristics of a material during impact. The test is performed using the pendulum
shown, which has a mass m, mass center at G and a radius of gyration kG about G.
Determine the distance rp from the pin at A to the point P where the V impact with the
specimen S should occur so that the horizontal force at the pin is essentially zero
during impact. For the calculation, assume the specimen absorbs all the pendulums
kinetic energy gained during the time it falls and thereby stops the pendulum from
swinging when = 0.

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Answers
3.1 Force, mass, acceleration
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

t = 3.41s
P = 439N, =49.6, B = 1530N, Bst = 1553N
Ay = 1389 N downwards
TA = 212N, TB = 637 N, = 2.45 rad/s2
a) MA = 109.8Nm
b) MB = 5.51Nm
6. A = 56.3N
7. = 2.71 rad/s
8. FA = 108.3N, FB = 141.6N
9. Py = 100.3
10. aA = 5.89m/s2 to the right
11. = 0.25 rad/s, aB = 14.93m/s2, = 99.7
2
12. A m g2 3v r

3.2 Work and Energy

1. N = 3220 rev/min
2. = 2.45 rad/s
6 gb(1 cos )
3. va cos
1 3 sin 2
4. a) v2 = 1.782m/s
b) N = 1687N
5. = 4.42rad/s
6. lO = 90.0mm
7. = 9.52 rad/s
8. v = 3.05 m/s

3.3 Impulse and momentum

1. a) HO = 12.15kgm2/s
b) HO = 10.80 kgm2/s
c) HO = 9.45 kgm2/s
2. = 0.308 rad/s
3. = 3.50 rad/s
4. = 2.81 rad/s, F = 375N
5. v B 3

9v 2
4

sin 2 3gL cos

2s
g
6.
2

2 gs
r
7. v' 3v 1 2 cos
t

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k G2
8. rp r
r

References:

J.L. Meriam and L.G. Kraige, 2007, Engineering Mechanics Dynamics, Sixth Edition
Wiley
R.C.Hibbeler, 2004, Engineering Mechanics Dynamics, Third Edition, Pearson
Prentice Hall

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