CEGEP Vanier College, Faculty of Science and General Studies

Department of Physics
203-NYA-05: Mechanics
Sample FINAL EXAM

Notes:
• This sample final should be used as an indication of the level of difficulty and length for a typical final
exam. The final that you write will not be identical to this one so memorizing this final will not help
you. There is not enough time to thoroughly test every topic in the course, so choices are made each
semester.
• The final exam is normally broken up into 8 to 10 questions. The weight of each question won’t
necessarily be equal. About 70-80% of the final exam will be common to all sections.
• The box below is an example of a typical final exam introduction:

Instructions:
• The following exam contains 11 questions. All questions are to be completed under the
question (and/or on the back of the page).
• You have 3 hours to complete this exam.
• For all numerical answers, you must provide clear and accurate equations that lead to
your values. Clearly state all physics laws used in your solution.
• The test has a total of 90 points. The distribution of points for each question is labeled.
This test is worth 30% or 40% of your final grade.
• You are permitted to use your hand written 3x5 inch, double sided (or two single-sided),
formula sheet, a non-programmable scientific calculator, and ruler.
• Be careful with units and vectors. You will be penalized for each unit/vector mistake

1
Question 1 (6 pts)
Given the velocity-time graph:

a) Find the time interval(s) during which the object is speeding up. [1]
b) Find the time interval(s) during which the object is moving backward. [1]
c) Find the average speed from 𝑡 = 2𝑠 to 𝑡 = 6𝑠. [1]
d) Find the average acceleration from 𝑡 = 4𝑠 to 𝑡 = 14𝑠. [1]
e) Find the instantaneous acceleration at time 𝑡 = 4𝑠. [1]
f) Find the displacement from 𝑡 = 0𝑠 to 𝑡 = 6𝑠. [1]

Question 2 (4 pts)
In the year 2075, a Martian society receives its atmospheric data from a satellite that orbits Mars with a speed
of 1.79 𝑘𝑚/𝑠 on a circular path at an altitude of 10 000 𝑘𝑚. The radius of Mars is 3 396 𝑘𝑚.
a) Make a sketch of Mars and the satellite, and indicate all forces acting on the satellite. [1]
b) Estimate the mass of planet Mars using the orbital information of the satellite. [3]
(𝐺 = 6.67 × 10−11 𝑁𝑚2 𝑘𝑔−2 )

Question 3 (6 pts)
You press a 500𝑔 box against a wall such that it does not slide down the wall. The
coefficient of static friction between the box and the wall as well as that between
your hand and the box is 0.35.
a) Draw a free body diagram of the box. Properly state the type of each force
(“force of what, on what, from what”) and provide your coordinate system. [2]
b) Find the magnitude of the minimum force you need to press the box with such
that it does not slide down the wall. [3]
c) If you double the magnitude of the force you are pressing with, by what factor does the magnitude of the
static friction force change? [1]

2
Question 4 (4 pts)
A block is pushed against a spring at point A. When the spring is released, the block slides without friction from
A to B where the spring returns to its natural length. Then, it slides over a rugged horizontal plane (BC) followed

by a frictionless incline. It comes to a stop at point D. Considering positions A, B, C and D, at what position does
the system have the
a) maximum spring potential energy? [1]
b) maximum kinetic energy? [1]
c) maximum gravitational potential energy? [1]
d) Rank the total mechanical energy of the block at each position, from highest to least.[1]

Question 5 (10 pts)

A knight and his horse (total mass of 𝑚 = 1000𝑘𝑔) set out from the castle.
Usually, the drawbridge is lowered to a horizontal position so that the end of
the bridge rests on the stone ledge. Unfortunately, the drawbridge is not
lowered far enough and stopped at 𝜃 = 25° above the horizontal. The knight
and his horse stop when their combined center of mass is 𝑑 = 1.0𝑚 from the
end of the bridge. The uniform bridge is 𝑙 = 8.0𝑚 long and has mass 𝑀 =
2000. 𝑘𝑔. The lift cable is attached to the bridge at 𝑎 = 5.0𝑚 from the hinge
at the castle.
a) Draw an extended free body diagram of the bridge. Provide your
coordinate system(s) and your pivot point. [2]
b) Find the magnitude of the tension in the rope. [4]
c) Find the net force provided by the hinge. [4]

3
Question 6 (10 pts)
A block (𝑚 = 4𝑘𝑔) slides on an inclined surface (𝜃 = 30° ) and is connected on one side to a spring (𝑘 =
50𝑁/𝑚). The coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the incline is 0.2. The block is initially set in

motion with a speed of 3𝑚/𝑠 (down the incline) with the spring relaxed.
a) Identify the conservative force(s) impacting the motion of the block. [1]
b) Find the maximum extension of the spring. [7]
c) Find the work done on the block by the gravitational force from when the spring is relaxed to when it extends
by 10𝑐𝑚. [2]

Question 7 (10 pts)

A man pushes a frictionless merry-go-round by applying a constant
50𝑁 force ‘F’ perpendicular to the 150 𝑐𝑚 radial arm ‘r’ as shown in
the figure. He starts pushing at 𝑡 = 0, when the merry-go-round is at
rest, and notes that the angular velocity reaches 3.8𝑟𝑎𝑑/𝑠 at 𝑡 = 7.5𝑠.
A giant ladybug sits on the outer edge of the merry-go-round as shown.
a) Find the angular acceleration of the merry-go-round. [2]
b) Find the rotational inertia (or moment of inertia) of the merry-go-
round about its axis of spin. [2]
c) Find the magnitude of acceleration of the ladybug at 𝑡 = 3.0𝑠. [3]
d) The man stops pushing the merry-go-round at 𝑡 = 7.5𝑠, when its
angular velocity is 3.8𝑟𝑎𝑑/𝑠. Then, a 25𝑘𝑔 child steps onto the
edge of the merry-go-round. Find the new angular velocity of the
merry-go-round. [3]

4
Question 8 (10 pts)
A golf ball (𝑚 = 45 𝑔) is at rest on the grass which is just beside a 30 degree downwards slope. A golfer hits the
ball with a golf club (the contact between the two lasts 0.4 milliseconds) and after contact, the ball is projected

𝑦
with an initial velocity of (28𝒊̂ + 𝑣𝑖 𝒋̂)𝑚/𝑠. The ball lands at a distance 𝑑 = 200𝑚 down the slope.
a) Find the ball’s horizontal and vertical displacement (after contact until it lands). [2]
𝑦
b) Find 𝑣𝑖 . [4]
c) Find the direction of the ball’s velocity as it lands. [2]
d) Find the average force acting on the golf ball during its contact with the golf club. [2]

Question 9 (10 pts)

A flying object, consisting of 3 parts, is travelling with a velocity of 50 𝑖̂ 𝑚/𝑠. An “explosion” occurs in order to
propel the main part of the object. The main part (80 𝑘𝑔) then travels with a velocity of 100 𝑖̂ 𝑚/𝑠. One 10𝑘𝑔
part then travels at angle 30° degrees above the negative x axis, whereas the second 10𝑘𝑔 part travels at angle
40° degrees below the negative x axis.

a) Find the speed of each of the 10𝑘𝑔 parts after the explosion. [7]
b) Find the system’s change in kinetic energy as a result of the explosion. [2]
c) Referring to your answer in part (b), justify the system’s change in kinetic energy. [1]

5
Question 10 (10 pts)
Two small balls A and B are attached by massless ropes to a center post
as shown. Each ball is travelling at constant speed in a horizontal circle
around the post. Rope 1 (joining A to the center post) makes an angle of
30° degrees with the vertical and rope 2 (joining A and B) makes an angle
of 36.9° degrees with the vertical. Rope 1 is 1.50𝑚 long and has a tension
of 3.58𝑁. Rope 2 has a tension of 0.75𝑁. At this instant, balls A and B
have a velocity pointing into the sheet. All following questions apply to
the instant shown. Your answers to (d, e) must either include a stated
direction or be expressed in terms of unit vector notation.
a) Draw free body diagrams for both balls at the instant shown and
provide your coordinate system(s). [2]
b) Find the mass of ball A. [2]
c) Find the speed of ball A. [2]
d) Find the centripetal force acting on ball A. [2]
e) Find the net force acting on ball B. [1]
f) If at the instant shown, the string connecting A and B breaks, describe the motion of ball B. [1]

Question 11 (10 pts)

Block A has a mass of 5𝑘𝑔 and block B has mass of 8𝑘𝑔. Block A and
the incline has a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.3 and a coefficient
of static friction of 0.4. Block A is sliding down the incline even
though someone is pulling horizontally with force with magnitude
|𝑃⃗| = 50𝑁 as shown.
a) Draw free body diagrams for both blocks and provide your
coordinate system(s). [2]
b) Find the magnitude and direction of block B’s acceleration AND
the magnitude of the rope’s tension. [6]
c) Explain block B’s motion, that is, in which direction is it travelling
and is it speeding up or slowing down? [2]