Tolga Bahadir

Ashmeet Singh
Phys 155-B
April 11 2025

1. Honor Code
I have read, and thereby acknowledge the honor code policy of the class, and will, to the best
of my ability, strive to uphold it. I have also collaborated with Stephanie Berger and Roberto
Davis Baquero.

2. Approach to Problem Solving

I have read and understood the note on problem solving.

3. Fundamentals
a)
The kinetic energy of a particle is a scalar magnitude. This is derived from the speed
of particle which is also considered magnitude wise only. In the cases given all of the speed
magnitudes of the given particles are:
v=5 m/s
Because in the form of:

√ a2 +b 2 m/ s
To find the magnitude for speed we get (as the coefficients are getting squared the negative or
positive sign does not matter and the coefficients in the first 3 particles are respectively 3 and
4 and the 4th particle gives the same value when input into the formula and the 5 th particle is
just the magnitude):
v=5 m/s
And inputting this value into the kinetic energy formula of:
1 2
KE= m v
2
And as the particles’ mass is the same, we will be getting the same KE value meaning that:
i = ii = iii = iv = v
b)

Referring back to the Kinetic energy formula of:

1 2
KE= m v
2
For this kinetic energy to be constant the velocity in this sliding block would need to be
constant too that would mean that:
Plot 2b corresponds with i
For the kinetic energy to be increasing the block needs to be accelerating while sliding to the
right increasing it’s velocity, this would mean that:
Plot 1b corresponds with iii
For the kinetic energy to decrease until zero and then increase again, the block needs to be
accelerating in the negative direction (considering the sliding direction to be positive), this
would mean that:
Plot 3b corresponds with ii

c)
The net work done on an object is equivalent to it’s change in energy, in this case if an object
starts from rest when it has no energy (disregarding other sorts of energy that the question
does not give any information about) until a point where it has a final speed of 5 m/s, we can
find the net work through a comparison of kinetic energy:
1 2
KE= m v
2
1 2
KE= 2∗5
2
2
KE=5
KE=25 J
As there 25 joules of change in energy, we can claim that the net work done is 25 Joules.

d)
The spring force is characterized through:
F spring =−kx

This is negative in respect to the force being applied to the spring so that taking the Force of
the spring as the positive direction we can rewrite this as:
F spring =kx

And as the potential energy of the spring stored is a non-negative and work is defined through
force applied through distance, and the force of the spring decreases linearly with the
compression distance meaning that:
1 2
W spring = k x
2
If the compression distances are the same, whichever spring has the higher spring constant is
going to do work meaning that Spring A does more work than Spring B as it is stiffer.

4. Vector Dot Products and angles

a) The magnitude of a vector can be written as:
^ y ^j
a⃗ =a x i+a

|⃗a|= √a x 2 +a y2
Inputting these values

|⃗a|= √32 +(−4 )2 =5

|b⃗|= √(−5)2+(6)2=7.81

b) Evaluating the expression

a⃗ . ⃗b =( ax i^ + a y ^j ) .(b x i^ +b y ^j )
a⃗ . ⃗b =( ax i^ b x i^ ) + ( a x i^ b y ^j ) + ( a y ^jb x i^ ) +(a y ^j b y ^j )

Considering dot products of unit vectors, as the dot product of two vector connects their
magnitude through the relative orientation in between them, and as the alignment between (
i^ . ^j) is perpendicular meaning that there is no alignment in between them would imply a zero
orientation meaning that we could eliminate any dot multiplication of such nature,
approaching geometrically using the prior definition given:

a⃗ . ⃗b=ab cos ϴ
And as the angular orientation between (i^ . ^j) would be 90° and as:
 cos 90°=0
The dot products between (i^ . ^j) can be simply eliminated and as unit vectors pointing in the
same direction would have perfect alignment (or geometrically using cos again), we would
have 1 which when put into the multiplication given above:

a⃗ . ⃗b=( a x bx ) +(a y b y )
c) Putting everything together to find the angle:

a⃗ . ⃗b=( a x bx ) + ( a y b y ) =ab cos ϴ

( 5 ) ( 7.81 ) cos ϴ=( 3 )(−5 ) +(−4 )(6)

39.05 cos ϴ=−39
−39
cos ϴ=
39.05
ϴ=177 °≈¿

5. Ice Sail go Brrrr

a)
At a constant speed the force arising from the kinetic friction and normal force should
be completely counteracting the force from the wind propulsion meaning that:
F wind=( 200 )( 9.81 )( 0.1 ) =196.2 N

b)
If we are gliding at a constant speed, we are not exerting a net force over the direction of the
movement meaning that the net work being done is zero.

c)
When the wind suddenly stops, we are going to glide until we stop. Work-Kinetic Energy
Theorem concludes that the difference in Kinetic Energy should be equivalent to the work
being done, we can look at the Kinetic energy just before the wind stops:
1 2
KE= ( 200 ) 9 =8100 J
2
And at the moment we stop as we are going to have no energy, the work being done is -8100
Joules. We also know that Work can be defined as Force applied over a distance and as we
know the force being applied through the distance:
−8100 J=−196.2 x
41.2844 meters=x
d)
As we slow down and stop, the kinetic energy is being lost by the negative force done through
friction which is converted into heat.

6. Alright, I am moving the Trunk

a) Writing the forces in vector form:
F 1 x =F 1 cos 180 °

F 1 y =F1 sin 180°

F 2 x =F 2 cos 60 °

F 2 y =F2 sin 60 °

F 3 x =F 3 cos −90 °

F 3 y =F3 sin−90 °

Inputting values:
F 1 x =5 cos 180 °=−5 N

F 1 y =5 sin180 °=0 N

F 2 x =9 cos 60 ° =4.5 N

F 2 y =9 sin 60 °=7.794 N

F 3 x =3 cos−90° =0 N

F 3 y =3 sin−90 °=−3 N

b) To see whether it moves right or left, we need to check the horizontal net force, taking
values from above and considering right as the positive direction:
F 1 x + F 2 x =−5+4.5=−0.5 N
Meaning that it would move to the left
c) Writing down the trunk’s displacement as a vector:
Displacement=D
D x =3 cos 180 °=−3 m

D y =3sin 180 °=0 m

Taking each of the scalar dot product of each force:

⃗
D .⃗
F 1=( F 1 x Dx ) + ( F 1 y D y ) =(−5 ) (−3 ) +0=15 J

⃗
D .⃗
F 2=( F 2 x Dx ) + ( F 2 y D y ) =( 4.5 )(−3 )+ 0=−13.5 J
 ⃗
D .⃗
F 3=( F 3 x Dx ) + ( F 3 y D y )=( 0 )(−3 )+ 0=0 J

d) To get the total combined weight of the trunk and the dog on top it, looking at the
Force applied by the dog as the force due to gravity:
3 N=9.81mdog
mdog =0.3 kg≈¿
mtotal=50.3 kg≈¿
Using Kinetic Energy Work Theorem:
1 2
KE= m v
2
And the Net work Through our findings above
15 J −13.5 J=1.5 J
Combining these concepts:
1 2
1.5 J = 50.3 v
2
2
v =0.06≈¿
m
v=−0.2442 ≈¿
s

7. Not a Bright Idea

a)

b)
The force needed to get applied to the trunk on the ramp so that it goes up at a constant speed
should be equivalent to the component of the weight (gravitational force) of the trunk
alongside the ramp. Knowing this we can state that:
F applied=mtrunk g sinϴ
As the length L of the ramp increases, the angle ϴ is decreased and as sinus as a function
decreases closer it is to zero (and just being zero when sinus of no degrees is zero), then the
force needed to apply on the trunk naturally decreases with the length L of the ramp.

c)
The work done by the normal force on the trunk is zero, this is because normal force acts
against the surface the trunk is on in a perpendicular fashion. As the movement of the trunk is
done alongside the ramp, but not perpendicular to it, the normal force does not contribute to
the work being done.

d)
Alongside the direction of the movement, as we are wheeling up the trunk at a constant
speed:
F applied=mtrunk g sinϴ

The sinus in this case can be reinstated as (to form a relation to the length of the ramp):
h
F applied=mtrunk g
L
Putting these forces into the definition of work as the force applied over distance:
F applied ( L ) cos 0=mtrunk gh Work done by wheelingup the trunk

h h
m trunk g ( L ) cos 180=−mtrunk g ( L )=−m trunk gh=Work done by gravity
L L
As rest of the forces (component of gravity perpendicular to the ramp and the normal force)
are perpendicular to the length of the ramp, the net work done by them will be zero. As the
applied force and the work done by gravity alongside the direction of travel are exact
opposites, the net work done in regards to the Kinetic Energy will be zero.
As the length component of the ramp increases, the angle ϴ is going to get smaller,
decreasing the force needed wheel up the trunk, however the as we can see from above
regardless of the Length of the ramp and the force applied the Work done by wheeling up the
trunk is going to be:
mtrunk gh

So regardless, of the length of the ramp the same work will be getting done. Which means my
friend’s claim is not valid.

e)
It matches with the part b in the sense that the work being done is going to be the same
because as the force needed to wheel up the trunk decreases, while the length L of the ramp is
increasing, putting this in the form of Force over distance L, and as the Force is going to be
dependent on L (refer back to previous answer) as a denominator, the essential work being
done is going to be independent from the length of the ramp. This would mean that the work
is reliant on the mass and the height we are wheeling the object to, and not reliant on the
Force applied over distance as the distance is increasing and the Force is decreasing, we are
going to end up with the same value. `