Physics 1A: Tutorial 3
2D Kinematics
1. A motorist drives south at 20.0 m/s for 3.00 min, then turns west and travels at 25.0 m/s for 2.00 min, and finally
travels northwest at 30.0 m/s for 1.00 min. For this 6.00-min trip, find (a) the total vector displacement, (b) the
average speed, and (c) the average velocity. Let the positive x axis point east.
2. A golf ball is hit off a tee at the edge of a cliff. Its x and y coordinates as functions of time are given by the
following expressions:
Write a vector expression for the ball’s position as a function of time, using the unit vectors 𝒊̂and vectors 𝑗̂. By
taking derivatives, obtain expressions for (b) the velocity vector v as a function of time and (c) the acceleration
vector a as a function of time. Next use unit-vector notation to write expressions for (d) the position, (e) the
velocity, and (f) the acceleration of the golf ball, all at t =3.00 s.
3. At t =0, a particle moving in the xy plane with constant acceleration has a velocity of 𝒗𝒊 = 3.00𝑖̂ − 2.00𝑗̂ ) m/s
and is at the origin. At t= 3.00 s, the particle’s velocity is 𝒗 = (9.00𝑖̂ + 7.00 𝑗̂ ) m/s. Find (a) the acceleration of
the particle and (b) its coordinates at any time t.
4. A particle initially located at the origin has an acceleration of 𝒂 = 3.00𝑗̂ m/s2 and an initial velocity of 𝒗𝒊 = 500𝑖̂
m/s. Find (a) the vector position and velocity at any time t and (b) the coordinates and speed of the particle at
t=2.00 s.
Projectile Motion
5. A physics book slides off a horizontal tabletop with a speed of 1.10 m/s. It strikes the floor in 0.350 s. ignore air
resistance. Find (a) the height of the tabletop above the floor; (b) the horizontal distance from the edge of the table
to the point where the book strikes the floor; (c) the horizontal and vertical components of the book's velocity, and
the magnitude and direction of its velocity, just before the book reaches the floor. (d) Draw x-t, y-t, v.-t, and vy-t
graphs for the motion.
6. A military helicopter on a training mission is flying horizontally at a speed of 60.0 m/s and accidentally drops a
bomb (fortunately not armed) at an elevation of 300 m. You can ignore air resistance. (a) How much time is
required for the bomb to reach the earth? (b) How far does it travel horizontally while falling? (c) Find the
horizontal and vertical components of its velocity just before it strikes the earth. (d) Draw x-t, y-t, v.-t, and vy-t
graphs for the bomb's motion. (e) If the velocity of the helicopter remains constant, where is the helicopter when
the bomb hits the ground?
7. A ball is tossed from an upper-story window of a building. The ball is given an initial velocity of 8.00 m/s at an
angle of 20.0° below the horizontal. It strikes the ground 3.00 s later. (a) How far horizontally from the base of the
building does the ball strike the ground? (b) Find the height from which the ball was thrown. (c) How long does it
take the ball to reach a point 10.0 m below the level of launching?
8. Leaping the River I. A car comes to a bridge during a storm and finds the bridge washed out. The driver must get
to the other side, so he decides to try leaping it with his car. The side of the road the car is on is 21.3 m above the
river, while the opposite side is a mere 1.8 m above the river. The river itself is a raging torrent 61.0 m wide. (a)
How fast should the car be traveling at the time it leaves the road in order just to clear the river and land safely on
the opposite side? (b) What is the speed of the car just before it lands on the other side?
9. A place-kicker must kick a football from a point 36.0 m from the goal, and half the crowd hopes the ball will clear
the crossbar, which is 3.05 m high. When kicked, the ball leaves the ground with a speed of 20.0 m/s at an angle
of 53.0° to the horizontal. (a) By how much does the ball clear or fall short of clearing the crossbar? (b) Does the
ball approach the crossbar while still rising or while falling?
Forces and Interactions
10. A force F applied to an object of mass m1 produces an acceleration of 3.00 m/s2. The same force applied to a
second object of mass m2 produces an acceleration of 1.00 m/s2. (a) What is the value of the ratio m1/m2? (b) If m1
and m2 are combined, find their acceleration under the action of the force F.
11. A 3.00-kg object undergoes an acceleration given by 𝒂 = (2.00𝒊̂ + 5.00𝑗̂) m/s2. Find the resultant force acting
on it and the magnitude of the resultant force.
12. Two forces F1 and F2 act on a 5.00-kg object. If F1 = 20.0 N and F2 = 15.0 N, find the accelerations in (a) and (b)
of
13. Three forces acting on an object are given by 𝑭𝟏 = (−2.00𝑖̂ + 2.00𝒋̂ ) N, 𝑭𝟐 = (5.00𝑖̂ − 3.00𝒋̂ ) N, and 𝑭𝟑 =
(−45.00𝑖̂) N. The object experiences an acceleration of magnitude 3.75 m/s2. (a) What is the direction of the
acceleration? (b) What is the mass of the object? (c) If the object is initially at rest, what is its speed after 10.0 s?
(d) What are the velocity components of the object after 10.0 s?
A bag of cement of weight 325 N hangs from three wires as suggested in Figure below. Two of the wires make
angles 𝜃1 = 60.0° and 𝜃2 = 25.0° with the horizontal. If the system is in equilibrium, find the tensions T1, T2,
and T3 in the wires.
14. The systems shown in Figure below are in equilibrium. If the spring scales are calibrated in newtons, what do they
read? (Neglect the masses of the pulleys and strings, and assume the incline in part (c) is frictionless.)
15. A 1.00-kg object is observed to have an acceleration of 10.0 m/s2 in a direction 30.0° north of east (Fig below).
The force F2 acting on the object has a magnitude of 5.00 N and is directed north. Determine the magnitude and
direction of the force F1 acting on the object.
