Physics 3221 Mechanics I

Fall Term 2017 - Exam 1

Name: UFID:

This is a 50 minute closed book exam consisting of twenty multiple choice questions. Each
question is worth 1 point, so the maximum number of points on this test is 20. The exam is
closed book, and no calculators or other electronic devices will be allowed. There is no penalty
for wrong answers, so it is in your best interest to provide answers to all questions. If more
than one answer appears plausible, choose the best one.

Useful formulas and equations

r · s = rs cos θ = rx sx + ry sy + rz sz
r × s = (ry sz − rz sy , rz sx − rx sz , rx sy − ry sx ) |r × s| = rs sin θ
Cartesian (x, y, z) : Fx = mẍ Fy = mÿ Fz = mz̈
2
2D Polar (r, φ) : Fr = m(r̈ − rφ̇ ) Fφ = m(rφ̈ + 2ṙφ̇)
Cylindrical Polar (ρ, φ, z) : Fρ = m(ρ̈ − ρφ̇2 ) Fφ = m(ρφ̈ + 2ρ̇φ̇) Fz = mz̈
f = −f (v)v̂ f (v) = flin + fquad
flin = bv = βDv β = 1.6 × 10−4 N · s/m2
fquad = cv 2 = γD2 v 2 γ = 0.25 N · s2 /m4
F = q(E + v × B)
mv̇ = −ṁvex + F ext
N
1 � m1 r1 + m2 r2 + . . . + mN rN
R= mα rα =
M α=1 m1 + m2 + . . . + mN

1
 Figure 1: An illustration for Problem 1.

1. Consider the motion of a point mass in the plane. The motion can be described in
Cartesian (x, y) or polar (r, φ) coordinates. Which of the three unit vectors x̂, r̂ and ϕ̂ might
vary with time?
(a) x̂ only
(b) ϕ̂ only
2210 SP12 SJP Lecture #2
(c) r̂ only
(d) x̂ and ϕ̂ only
ated this slide so you can introduce rhat and phi-hat “rhetorically”. (Answer is
(e) x̂ and r̂ only
(f) ϕ̂ and r̂ only
3,[[86]] (g) all three: x̂, r̂ and ϕ̂
1: 5, 2, 0, 5,(h)
[[89]]
none of the three.

explained this2. Apretty well before

point particle is moving the
in aclicker
plane. Inquestion (with a little
Cartesian coordinates, “prop”vof
its velocity a by
is given
inate axisv(t)
system),
= (1−t) so
x̂+tthey were
ŷ, where well
t is the primed.
time. Find theRhat
time t and
when phihat areand
the velocity NEW ideas
the acceleration
of the particle are mutually orthogonal.
udents, math doesn’t typically use them, and the idea that the unit vector
nds implicitly(a)
ont =what
0
point in space your considering is very confusing and
(b) t = 0.5
enging for students. (It IS strange, “rhat” is really meaningless by itself, until
now where the (c) tpoint
= 1 is that you’re dealing with)
(d) t = ∞
ments from last year: No problems, but it took them a little longer than I
(e) this is a trick question, the acceleration of this particle is never orthogonal to the velocity.
cted to get to it, so I do think it was worthwhile. They are still trying to figure out
hat “rhat” and “phihat” mean....

wer is E)

nal idea: from M. Dubson and M. Betterton

2
 2. An object is thrown horizontally from the open
1. A ball is thrown out of the passenger window of window of a building. If the initial speed of the
a car moving to the right (ignore air resistance). If object is 20 m/s and it hits the ground 2.0 s later,
the ball is thrown out perpendicular to the velocity from what height was it thrown? (Neglect air
of the car, which of the following best depicts the resistance and assume the ground is level.)
path the ball takes, as viewed from above?
(A) 4.9 m
(A) (B) 9.8 m
(C) 10.0 m
(D) 19.6 m
(E) 39.2 m

3. A resistor in a circuit dissipates energy at a

rate of 1 W. If the voltage across the resistor
(B) is doubled, what will be the new rate of energy
dissipation?
(A) 0.25 W
(B) 0.5 W
(C) 1W
(D) 2W
(E) 4W
(C)

(D)

(E)

Figure 2: An illustration for Problem 3.

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3. A ball is horizontally thrown
12 out of the passenger window -4-
of a car moving to the right
(ignore air resistance). If the ball is thrown out perpendicular to the velocity of the car, which
of the pictures above best depicts the trajectory of the ball, as viewed by a policeman standing
on the side of the road?
(a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D (e) E
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4. At football practice, the punter for the Gators kicks the football with a velocity v0 at an
angle θ0 above the horizontal. He then immediately starts running after the ball in an attempt
to fair catch it (i.e., catch the ball in the air before it hits the ground). In order to succeed and
arrive exactly when the ball is about to hit the ground, he needs to be running with a constant
velocity of
(a) v0
(b) v0 sin θ0
(c) v0 cos θ0
(d) v0 tan θ0

3
 Figure 3: An illustration for Problem 5.

5. As shown in the figure above, at some point in time an object has velocity V�1 , and then
shortly afterwards, it has velocity V�2 . What is the direction of its acceleration?
(a) the A direction
(b) the B direction
(c) the C direction
(d) the D direction
(e) none of the above

Skipped for time. (Draw it! Up. See next slide)

6. Suppose you solve the equation of motion for a point mass moving in one dimension and
find the solution x(t) = c(t − t0 ), where c is some constant. From this you can conclude that
(a) The particle is responding to a constant force
(b) The particle is responding to a time-varying force
(c) The particle is free (there is no net force)
(d) This is a trick question, it is impossible to draw any conclusions about the applied force.

7. A rock is thrown vertically upward with initial speed v0 . Assume a linear friction force
proportional to −v, where v is the velocity of the rock. Which of the following statements is
correct?
(a) The acceleration of the rock is always equal to g
(b) The acceleration of the rock equals g only at the top of the flight
(c) The acceleration of the rock is always less than g
(d) The speed of the rock upon return to its starting point is v0
(e) The rock can attain terminal speed greater than v0 before it returns to its starting point.

4
 8. A sphere of mass m is released from rest in a stationary viscous medium. In addition
to the gravitational force of magnitude mg, the sphere experiences a linear retarding force of
magnitude bv, where v is the speed of the sphere and b is a constant. Assume that the buoyant
force is negligible. Which of the following statements about the sphere is correct?
(a) Its kinetic energy decreases due to the retarding force.
(b) At first, its speed increases to a maximum due to the force of gravity, but then decreases
back to zero due to friction.
(c) At first, its speed increases to a maximum due to the force of gravity, but then decreases
back to a final terminal speed.
(d) Its speed increases monotonically, approaching a final terminal speed.
(e) Its speed increases monotonically all the way to infinity.

9. The atmosphere of the planet Melmac is strange (as is the planet itself): the atmospheric
resistance there is proportional to the cube of the velocity, fcube = dv 3 . If the Melmacians were
to adopt our SI units, they would be measuring the coefficient d in
(a) s/m2
(b) s3 /m3
(c) kg · s/m2
(d) kg · m/s2
(e) none of the above

10. Consider two spheres which are identical in size but made from two different materials.
Under similar atmospheric conditions, the denser one will have a higher terminal velocity.
(a) True
(b) False

11. It is OK to neglect the air resistance if at all times during the projectile’s flight, its
velocity is the terminal speed.
(a) much smaller than
(b) much larger than
(c) equal to

5
 12. Compute 2x̂ × (2ŷ × 2ẑ)
(a) 8
(b) 8x̂
(c) 8ŷ
(d) 8ẑ
(e) 0

13. The position r of a moving particle is given as a function of time t to be

r(t) = x̂ b cos(t) − ŷ c sin(t)

where b and c are constants. The trajectory of the particle is

(a) a straight line
(b) a circle
(c) an ellipse
(d) a spiral
(e) something else

14. For most projectiles (golf balls, cannonballs, baseballs, cats in free fall), the dominant
drag force is the one.
(a) linear
(b) quadratic

15. A point mass m is moving with velocity v0 and strikes a second point mass M originally
at rest. It is observed that after the collision the point mass m bounces back and is now moving
with velocity −v0 . Find the speed of the point mass M after the collision.
M m
(a) 0 (b) v0 (c) M +m
v0 (d) M +m
v0
m M 2m 2m
(e) M
v0 (f) m
v0 (g) M
v0 (h) M +m
v0

6
 84. A Figure
rod of length L and massfor
4: An illustration is placed16.
MProblem along
the x-axis with one end at the origin, as shown
he end of a massless rod in the figure above. The rod has linear mass
16. of
ing below the plane A rod of length L and mass M is placed along the x-axis with one end at the origin, as
2M = 2M
figure above.shown
The in the figure above. The rod
density O has2linear mass xdensity
x, where is the λdistance
L2
x, where x is the distance
em is given byfrom the origin. Which of the followingL gives the x coordinate of the rod’s center of mass?
1 from the origin. Which of the following gives
2
(a) 12 L (b) 14 L (c) 13 L (d) 12 L (e) 23 L
I the x-coordinate of the rod’s center of mass?
2
 mgL cos T,
sin T
1
efined as shown in 17. (A)of anLextended object is always located inside the object.
theThe center of mass 12
amilton’s equations
(a) True 1
d coordinate or (b) False (B) L
4
tant in time is 1
(C) L
3
18. A particle with positive1 electric charge q > 0 and velocity �v is moving in a region with
(D) L
constant electric and magnetic2 fields. Suppose that the two fields are parallel, and oriented
along the x axis: B = B x̂ and2 E = E x̂. If the particle’s initial velocity �v0 is in the opposite
(E) L
direction to x̂, namely �v0 = −v30 x̂, the subsequent motion of the particle is
(a) a straight line motion along x
(b) a circular orbit in the xy plane
(c) a circular orbit in the yz plane
(d) a circular orbit in the xz plane
(e) a helical motion

7
 The equation of motion of a rocket in free space can be written as
dv dm
m +u = 0, (1)
dt dt
where m is the rocket’s mass, v is its speed, t is time, and u is some constant.

19. In equation (1) above, the constant u represents the speed of the
(a) rocket at t = 0.
(b) rocket after it burns all of its fuel
(c) rocket in its instantaneous rest frame
(d) rocket’s exhaust relative to an observer on Earth
(e) rocket’s exhaust relative to the rocket

20. The equation (1) above can be solved to give v as a function of m. If the rocket has
m = m0 and v = 0 when it starts, what is the solution for v(m)?
(a) u mm0
(b) u exp(m/m0 )
(c) u ln(m/m0 )
(d) u mm0
(e) u exp(m0 /m)
(f) u ln(m0 /m)