UNIVERSITI TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN
Centre : Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS)
Course : Foundation in Science
Year / Trimester : Year 1 / Trimester 1
Course Code / Title : FHSC1014 / Mechanics
Tutorial 5: Work and Energy
Work
1. A rope making an angle of 35.0°to the horizontal drags a 10.0 kg toolbox a horizontal
distance of 20.0 m. The tension in the rope is 60.0 N and the constant kinetic
frictional force is 30.0 N.
Find
(a) the work done by the rope,
(b) the work done by frictional force,
(c) the resultant work, and
(d) the coefficient of kinetic friction between the toolbox and the floor.
[Answer: (a) 983 J; (b) –600 J; (c) 383 J; (d) 0.472]
2. An inclined plank which is used to transfer a box from the ground up onto a lorry is
shown in the diagram below.
If the plank is shortened, what is the change of the work done against the frictional
force? Explain your answer mathematically and clearly show your steps of
calculation.
[Answer: Decreases]
3. A sledge loaded with bricks has a total mass of 18.0 kg and is pulled at constant speed
by a rope inclined at 20.0° above the horizontal. The sledge moves a distance of
20.0 m on a rough horizontal surface. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the
sledge and surface is 0.500.
(a) What is the tension in the rope?
(b) How much work is done by the rope on the sledge?
(c) What is the mechanical energy lost due to friction?
[Answer: (a) 79.4N; (b) 1.49×103 J; (c) –1.49×103 J]
Conservation of energy
4. A wooden block with a mass of m = 200 g was placed on an inclined plane and the
angle of the incline was slowly increased until the block begins to slide.
(a) If the coefficient of static friction is 0.300, what is the angle at which it begins
to slide?
(b) The wooden block is then allowed to slide down the incline. If the length of
the incline was 1.00 m and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.200, find the
work done by the kinetic frictional force as it slides down the inclined plane.
(c) Using energy considerations, find the final velocity at the bottom of the incline
if it slides down from rest.
[Answer: (a) 16.7°; (b) –0.375 J; (c) 1.37 m/s]
5. Tarzan swings on a 30.0 m long vine initially inclined at an angle of 37.0° with the
vertical. What is his speed at the bottom of the swing
(a) if he starts from rest?
(b) If he pushes off with a speed of 4.00 m/s?
[Answer: (a) 10.9 m/s; (b) 11.6 m/s]
6. As shown in the figure, a small block of mass m that
is held in contact with the floor and is connected to
another bigger block of mass 3m by a light rope
passing through a smooth pulley.
If the block of mass 3m is released, by using the
principle of conservation of mechanical energy, find
the speed of the block of mass 3m (in terms of g and
h) just before it touches the floor.
[Answer: v= √ gh ]
7. Figure below shows a 60.0 kg trampoline artist jumps vertically
upwards from the top of a 3.00 m height platform with a speed
of 6.00 ms–1.
(a) Determine his velocity as he lands on the trampoline.
(b) If the trampoline behaves like a spring with force
constant of 6.80 10 4 N/m, how far will he depress it?
[Answer: (a) 9.74 m/s; (b) 0.298 m]
8. A 0.500 kg block is dropped onto a relaxed vertical spring that has a spring constant
of 300 N/m. The block becomes attached to the spring and compresses the spring 15.0
cm before come to a momentarily stop.
(a) State the law of conservation of mechanical energy.
(b) The work done by the gravitational force during the time of compressing the
spring by the block.
(c) The work done by the spring force during the time of compressing the spring
by the block.
(d) The speed of the block just before it hits the spring.
(e) Give one example (1) of conservative force other than the gravity force and
spring force.
(f) Give two (2) examples of non-conservative force.
[Answer: (b) 0.735 J; (c) –3.375 J; (d) 3.24 m/s]
Power
9. On a frictionless horizontal rail, the electric motor of a model train accelerates the
train from rest to a speed of 0.620 m/s in 21.0 ms. Given that the total mass of the
train is 875 g, find the average power delivered to the train during its acceleration.
[Answer: 8.00 W]
