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x = (1/2) a t 2 + u t
where a is the acceleration (=8 m/s2) and t is period of time between initial and
final positions and u is the initial velocity.
Since the time is given in seconds, we need to convert 20 km/h into m/s as
follows:
20 * 1km 1000 m
1 hour
u = 20 km/h = 1 hour 1 km 3600 seconds
= 5.6 m/s
We now have
x = (1/2) (8) 102 + 5.6*10 = 456 m
b) v = at + u = 8*10 + 5.6 = 85.6 m/s
72 * 1km 1000 m
1 hour
1 hour 1 km 3600 seconds
= 20 m/s
or
2) x = (1/2) a t 2 + u t
4 (t2 - 10 t + 25) = 0
4(t - 5)2 = 0
t = 5 seconds.
v-u
=
t
20 m/s - 5 m/s
10 seconds
= 1.5 m/s2
b) There are two ways to find the distance covered by the bicyle in t = 10
seconds.
1) x = (1/2)(v + u) t = 0.5 (20 + 5) 10 = 125 m
2) x = (1/2) a t2 + u t = 0.5 * 1.5 * 100 + 5 * 10 = 125 m
Problem 7: a) How long does it take an airplane to take off if it needs to reach
a speed on the ground of 350 km/h over a distance of 600 meters (assume
the plane starts from rest)?
b) What is the acceleration of the airplane over the 600 meters?
Solution to Problem 7:
a) In this problem the initial velocity u = 0 (assumed because it is not given) ,
the final velocity v = 350 km/h and the distance x = 600 meters = 0.6 km
The relationship between the give quantities is:
x = (1/2)(v + u) t
0.6 = 0.5 (350 + 0) t
Solve for t
t = (0.6 / 175) hours = 12.3 seconds
b) The acceleration a of the airplane is given by
a = (v - u) / t = 350 km/h / 12.3 s
Convert 350 km/h into m/s
350 km/h = 350,000 m / 3,600 s = 97.2 m/s
a = 97.2 m/s / 12.3 s = 8 m/s2 (to the nearest unit)
Problem 8: Starting from a distance of 20 meters to the left of the origin and at
a velocity of 10 m/s, an object accelerates to the right of the origin for 5
seconds at 4 m/s2. What is the position of the object at the end of the 5
seconds of acceleration?
Solution to Problem 8:
a) In this problem, we may consider that the direction of the object is the
positive direction and the initial position x0 = -20 meters (to the left of the
origin), the initial velocity u = 10 m/s, the acceleration a = 4 m/s2 and the time
is t = 5 seconds. The position is given by
x = (1/2) a t2 + u t + x0
= 0.5 * 4 * (5)2 + 10 * 5 - 20 = 80 meters to the right of the origin.
Problem 10: To approximate the height of a water well, Martha and John drop
a heavy rock into the well. 8 seconds after the rock is dropped, they hear a
splash caused by the impact of the rock on the water. What is the height of
the well. (Speed of sound in air is 340 m/s).
Solution to Problem 10:
a) In this problem we have:
1) a rock was dropped down the well and is uniformly accelerated downward
due to gravity. If h is the height of the well and t is the time taken by the rock
to reach the bottom of the well, then we have
h = (1/2)(9.8) t 2
2) After the splash, the sound travels up the well at a constant speed of 340
m/s. Again the same height h of the well is given by
h = 340 *(8 - t) : 8 - t is the time taken for the sount to travel from bottom to top
where the sound is heard.
The above equations give:
(1/2)(9.8) t2 = 340 *(8 - t)
Problem 12: A car accelerates from rest at 1.0 m/s2 for 20.0 seconds along a
straight road . It then moves at a constant speed for half an hour. It then
decelerates uniformly to a stop in 30.0 s. Find the total distance covered by
the car.
Solution to Problem 12:
a) The car goes through 3 stages:
stage 1: acceleration a = 1, initial velocity = 0, t = 20 s. Hence the distance x is
given by
x = (1/2) a t2 = (1/2) (1) 202 = 200 meters
stage 2: constant speed v is the speed at the end of stage 1.
v = a t = 1 * 20 = 20 m/s
x = v t = 20 m/s * (1/2 hour) = 20 m/s * 1800 s = 36,000 meters
stage 3: deceleration to a stop, hence u = 20 m/s and v = 0 (stop)
x = (1/2)(u + v) t = (1/2)(20 + 0) 30 = 300 meters
total distance = 200 + 36,000 + 300 = 36,500 meters.