SolutiontoProblems:Dynamics

P97:18,40,41,46,47,50,53,55
18.Apersonstandsonabathroomscaleinamotionlesselevator.When
the elevator begins to move, the scale briefly reads only 0.75 of the
person'sregularweight.Calculatetheaccelerationoftheelevator,and
findthedirectionoftheacceleration.
Solution:Fromtheproblem,thenormalforceactedonthepersonis
N = 0.75G = 0.75mg ,wheregisthefreefallingacceleration.

Sotheaccelerationofelevator,whichissametothepersonis
a=

Ft G N
=
= 0.25 g = 2.5 m/s 2 ,
m
m

and the direction of the acceleration is downward, since the

gravitationalforceisgreaterthanthenormalforce.

40. The block shown in Fig. 442 has mass m =7.0 kg and lies on a
smoothfrictionlessplanetiltedatanangle = 22.0 tothehorizontal.(a)
Determinetheaccelerationoftheblockasitslidesdowntheplane.(b)If
theblockstartsfromrest12.0muptheplanefromitsbase,whatwillbe
theblock'sspeedwhenitreachesthebottomoftheincline?
Solution: (a) The block slides down the plane, and the acceleration of
theblockisthereforealongthesamedirection.Andthenetforceinthis

direction is Ft = mg sin , thus the acceleration of the block reads, from

2
thesecondlaw, a = Ft m = g sin = 3.67 m/s .

(b) It is obvious that the block undergoes a constant acceleration

motion,andwehave S =

v 2 v02
v = 2aS = 9.38 m/s .
2a

41.Ablockisgivenaninitialspeedof4.0m/supthe 22 planeshownin
Fig.442.(a)Howfaruptheplanewillitgo?(b)Howmuchtimeelapses
beforeitreturnstoitsstartingpoint?Ignorefriction.
Solution: According to problem 40, the block undergoes a constant
accelerationmotion,andtheaccelerationreads a = g sin .
(a) The block undergoes a constant acceleration motion, and the
distanceis: S =

v2
v2
=
= 2.2 m .
2a 2 g sin

(b)Thetimerequiredforreturnis: t = v0 a t = 2t = 2.2 s . .

46.Threeblocksonafrictionlesshorizontalsurfaceareincontactwith
eachotherasshowninFig.443.Aforceisappliedtoblock1(massm1).
(a) Draw a freebody diagram for each block. Determine (b) the
accelerationofthesystem(intermsofm1,m2,andm3),(c)thenetforce
oneachblock,and(d)theforceofcontactthateachblockexertsonits
neighbor. (e) If m1 = m2 = m3 =12.0kg and F = 96.0 N, give numerical
answersto(b),(c),and(d).Doyouranswersmakesenseintuitively?

Solution:(a)omitted.(b)Considerthree blocksas awhole,wecanget

fromNewtonssecondlaw, a =

F
.(c)Accordingtothesecond
m1 + m2 + m3

law,thenetforceofithblockis Fit = mi a =

mi F
, i = 1, 2,3. (d)Forthe
m1 + m2 + m3

block1,thecontactforcetheblock2exertedontheblock1isopposite
to F, and F F12c = F1t F12c = F F1t =

( m2 + m3 ) F ; For the block 2, we

m1 + m2 + m3

have F21c F23c = F2t F23c = F21c F2t = F23c =

m3 F
m1 + m2 + m3 .

F
a
=
= 2.67 m/s 2 ; F1t = m1a = 32 N , F2t = F3t = m2 a = 32 N ;
(e)
m1 + m2 + m3

F12 c = F23c =

( m2 + m3 ) F
m1 + m2 + m3

= 64.0 N .

47.Figure444showsablock(massm1)onasmoothhorizontalsurface,
connectedbyathincordthatpassesoverapulleytoasecondblock(m2),
which hangs vertically. (a) Draw a freebody diagram for each block,
showingtheforceofgravityoneach,theforce(tension)exertedbythe
cord,andanynormalforce.(b)Determineformulasfortheacceleration
of the system and for the tension in the cord. Ignore friction and the
massesofthepulleyandcord.
Solution:(a)Omitted.
(b)ApplyingNewtonssecondlawtoblock1andblock2respectively,
T = m1a, m2 g T = m2 a.

Solvingaboveequation,onecanget
a=

m2
mm
g, T = 1 2 g .
m1 + m2
m1 + m2

50.ThetwomassesshowninFig.445areeachinitially1.8mabovethe
ground, and the massless frictionless pulley is fixed 4.8 m above the
ground. What maximum height does the lighter object reach after the
systemisreleased?[Hint:Firstdeterminetheaccelerationofthelighter
massandtenitsvelocityatthemomenttheheavieronehitstheground.
Thisisits"launch"speed.Assumeitdoesn'thitthepulley.
Solution: It is easily to figure out that the lighter mass undergoes
constantaccelerationmotions.Assumingitsaccelerationisa1beforethe
heavier mass lands; and its acceleration is a2 after the heavier mass
lands,wecangetfromtheNewtonssecondlawofmotion,
a1 =

( m2 m1 ) g , a
m1 + m2

= g.

Assumingthespeedofthelightermassatthemomenttheheaviermass
landsis v0 ,wehave
S1 = v02 2 a1 , S 2,max = v02 2 a2 S 2,max = a1 S1 a2
S max = 2 S1 + S 2,max = S1 ( a1 + 2 a2 ) / a2 ; S1 = 1.80
S max = 3.93 m .

53.Asmallblockofmassmrestsontheslopingsideofatriangularblock
ofmassMwhichitselfrestsonahorizontaltableasshowninFig.448.
Assumingallsurfacesarefrictionless,determinetheforceFthatmustbe

appliedtoMsothatmremainsinafixedpositionrelativetoM(thatis,
mdoesn'tmoveontheincline)
Solution: m remains in a fixed position relative to M, so they can be
consideredasawhole.From Newtons second law,onecanobtainthe
commonaccelerationreads
a x = Fx

(M + m),

or Fx = ( M + m ) a x ; a y = 0.

ApplyingNewtonssecondlawtom,oneobtains
Fx = max = N sin , Fy = ma y = N cos mg = 0.

Therefore,onecanfigureoutthat
ax = g tan , F = ( M + m ) ax = ( M + m ) g tan .

55. The double Atwood machine shown in Fig. 450 has frictionless,
masslesspulleysandcords.Determine(a)theacceleration ofmassm1,
m2,andm3,and(b)thetensionsFT1andFT3inthecords.
Solution: First, we take ai is the acceleration of the mass mi , i = 1, 2,3 with
respect to the Earth. Second we assume ar is the acceleration of m1 with
respect to the free pulley, and thus a1 = ar a3 , a2 = ar a3 . Again, since
the cords cannot be elongated, the relation FT 3 = 2 FT 1 holds. Now, we
applytheNewtonssecondlawtothreemasses,separately:
FT 1 m1 g = m1a1 , FT 1 m2 g = m2 a2 , FT 3 m3 g = m3 a3 .

Therearesixvariables: ai , FT 1 , FT 3 , ar andsixequations,soonecansolve
thissetofequationstoobtain

FT 1 =

4m1m2 m3 g
8m1m2 m3 g
, FT 3 =
;
m2 m3 + m1m3 + 4m1m2
m2 m3 + m1m3 + 4m1m2

a1 =

3m m m1m3 4m1m2
3m m m2 m3 4m1m2
FT 1
F
g , a2 = T 1 g = 1 3
g,
g = 2 3
m1
m2 m3 + m1m3 + 4m1m2
m2
m2 m3 + m1m3 + 4m1m2

a3 =

FT 3
4m1m2 m2 m3 m1m3
g.
g =
m3
m2 m3 + m1m3 + 4m1m2

P123:21,48,56,62
21.Twoblocksmadeofdifferentmaterialsconnectedtogetherbyathin
cord,slidedownaplanerampinclinedatanangle tothehorizontalas
shown in Fig. 528. The masses of the blocks are m1 and m2 , and the
coefficients of friction are 1 and 2 . If m1 = m2 = 5.0 kg , and 1 = 0.20 and
2 = 0.30 , determine (a) the acceleration of the blocks and (b) the

tensioninthecord,foranangle = 30 .
Solution:AssumingthetensioninthecordisT,andapplyingNewtons
secondlawtotwoblocksseparately,onecanget:
Forblock1, m1 g sin T 1m1 g cos = m1a1 ,
andforblock2, m2 g sin + T 2 m2 g cos = m2 a2 .
Sincethetensioninthecordisnonzero,onegets a1 = a2 .Andthusone
canfigureout a = g sin ( 1 + 2 ) g cos / 2 = 2.8 m/s2 ;T = ( 2m2 1m1 ) g cos / 2 = 2.1 N .
Alternativesolution:Onecantaketwoblocksasawhole,andget

( m1 + m2 ) g sin 1m1 g cos 2 m2 g cos = ( m1 + m2 ) a, m1 = m2

a = g sin ( 1 + 2 ) g cos / 2 = 2.8 m/s 2 .
And the tension can be obtained by applying Newton's second law to either block.

48. Two masses, m1 and m2 , connected to each other and to a central

postbycordsasshowninFig.535,rotateaboutthepostatfrequencyf
(revolutions per second) on a frictionless horizontal surface at
distance r1 and r2 from the post. Derive an algebraic expression for the
tensionineachsegmentofthecord.
Solution:Thespeedsofthemassescanbeexpressedas
v1 = 2 r1 f , v2 = 2 r2 f .

Andthus,thecentripetalforces(alsothenetforce)actingontwo
massesare Fi = mi vi2 / ri = 4 2 mi ri f 2 , i = 1, 2. FromNewtonssecondlaw,
formasses m1 and m2 1,wecanget

T1 T2 = F1 , T2 = F2 T1 = F1 + F2 = 4 2 f 2 ( m1r1 + m2 r2 ) , T2 = 4 2 m2 r2 f 2 .

49. A thin circular horizontal hoop of mass m and radius R rotates at

frequency f about a vertical axis through its centre. Determine the
tensionwithinthehoop.
Solution: It is a uniform circular motion from the problem. And the
speed of the motion can be obtained as v = 2 Rf . So the centralpetal
force acting on the mass dm in the loop is dFc = dmv 2 R = 4dm 2 Rf 2 , and
this net force comes from the tension in the hoop as
dFc = 2 FT sin d = 2 FT d FT =

1
dFc / d = 2dm 2 Rf 2 / d = 2m 2 Rf 2 .
2

56.Anobjectofmassmisconstrainedtomoveinacircleofradiusr.Its
tangential acceleration as a function of time is given by atan = b + ct 2 ,
wherebandcareconstants.If v = v0 at t = 0 ,determinethetangentialand
radial components of the force, Ftan and FR , acting on the object at any
timet>0.
Solution:Thetangentialforcecanbeobtaineddirectlyfromthe2ndlaw,
Ftan = matan = m ( b + ct 2 ) ( N ) .

Fromtherelationsbetweenthetangentialaccelerationandspeed,we
get atan =

t
dv
1
v v0 = atan dt = bt + ct 3 ,thereforeonecanobtaintheradial
0
dt
3

acceleration ar =

v2
1
= v0 + bt + ct 3 / r ,andtheradialforceis
r
3
FR = mar = m ( v0 + bt + ct 3 / 3 ) / r ( N ) .

62. Determine a formula for the position and acceleration of a falling

object as a function of time if the object starts from rest at t = 0 and
undergoesaresistiveforce F = bv .
Solution:AccordingtoNewtons2ndlawofmotionandkinematics,
Ft = mg bv = ma, a = dv dt .

So,wegetadifferentialequationaboutthespeedofthefallingobjectas
mdv dt = mg bv v ( t ) =

mg
1 ebt / m ) .
(

Fromthesolution,onecanget

a = dv dt =

t
bg bt / m
mg t
mg m

, y = vdt =
1 ebt / m ) dt =
e
t (1 ebt / m ) .
(

0
b
b 0
b b