Jimma University(JU); Physics department
General Physics - Assignment I.
Offered to: Regular YI Freshman Students (Academic calender 2020/21)
Instructor: all lecturers offering the course
Instruction: Attempt to do all the problems. The more clear and precise points you
make the more marks you get from the maximum point available.
I. Short Answer
1. Define the following concepts of physics related to measurements in physics:
(a) Physical quantity,
(b) Measuring,
(c) Dimensional analysis,
(d) Accuracy of a measuring instrument,
(e) Standard unit of measure.
2. If the average velocity of a uniformly accelerated object is zero in some time
interval, (a) what can you say about the displacement of the object for that inter-
val? (b) what is the acceleration of the object during this interval? (c) what is the
path traversed by the object?
3. Is it possible to add a vector quantity to a scalar quantity? Explain.
4. A projectile is launched at some angle to the horizontal with some initial speed
vi , and air resistance is negligible. (a) Is the projectile a freely falling body? (b)
What is its acceleration in the vertical direction? To each of your answer give
short reasons.
II. Work-out
1. As in Figure1,
a) find the magnitude and direction of the resultant of the displacements ~A, ~B, C
~ and ~D.
b) find the magnitude and direction of the vector ~S = ~B − ~A − ~D.
~ and ~S (as of (a) ).
a) find the scalar product of the vectors C
Note: all the numerical results should include uncertainties.
2. The position of a particle as a function of time is given by:
S(t) = 4.0t î + (3.0t − t 2 − 40.0)ĵ,
where î & ĵ are unit vectors along the + x-axis and the + y-axis respectively.
a) Find the unit vector along S(t).
b) Derive both the instantaneous velocity and acceleration of the particle as a
function of time. (Hint: you may use limit analysis.).
1
Figure 1: ASIWO1
c) Roughly, sketch the x-t, y-t, s-t, vx -t, vy -t, ax -t, ay -t graphs of the motion of
the particle.
d) Calculate the displacements and average velocities of the particle during the
time intervals (i) 1-3 seconds & (ii) the third second.
3. A projectile is fired up an incline (incline angle φ ) with an initial speed vi at an
angle θi with respect to the horizontal (θi > φ ) as shown in ??.
(a) Show that the projectile travels a distance d up the incline, where
2 v2i cos θi sin(θi − φ )
d= .
g cos2 φ
(b) For what value of θi is d a maximum, and what is that maximum value?
Figure 2: ASIWO3