PHYS 101 – General Physics I Final Exam

Duration: 120 minutes Tuesday, 27 December 2022; 09:30

1 . An inclined plane with angle of inclination 𝜃 has two sections of length L; the top half has friction while the
bottom half is frictionless as shown in the figure. A disc of radius 𝑅 and mass 𝑀 (𝐼𝐶𝑀 = 𝑀𝑅 2 ⁄2 ) is released from the
top. The friction in the upper part is strong enough so that the disc rolls without slipping in that part. Gravitational
acceleration is g.
𝑀, 𝑅
(a) (9 Pts.) What is its center of mass speed when the disc reaches
the bottom of the inclined plane?
(b) (8 Pts.) What is the angular velocity of the disc when it reaches 𝐿 𝐿
the bottom of the inclined plane?
𝜃
(c) (8 Pts.) How long does it take for the disc to reach the bottom?
Solution: ሬԦ
𝒇 ሬԦ
𝒏
(a) From the free body diagram for the disc at the top half, we have
1 𝑎1𝑐 1 2 𝜃
𝑀g sin 𝜃 − 𝑓 = 𝑀𝑎1𝑐 , 𝑅𝑓 = 𝑀𝑅 2 𝛼 , 𝛼= → 𝑓 = 𝑀𝑎1𝑐 → 𝑎1𝑐 = g sin 𝜃. ሬԦ
𝑚𝐠
2 𝑅 2 3
Speed of the center of the disk 𝑣1 after the covering the distance 𝐿 is found by using
4
𝑣12 − 𝑣02 = 2𝑎1𝑐 𝐿 → 𝑣12 = gL sin 𝜃 .
3
No friction at the bottom half of the inclined plane means in that part we have 𝑎2𝑐 = g sin 𝜃. Speed of the center of the
disc 𝑣2 at the bottom of the inclined plane is found as

4 10
𝑣22 − 𝑣12 = 2𝑎2𝑐 𝐿 → 𝑣22 = g𝐿 sin 𝜃 + 2g𝐿 sin 𝜃 → 𝑣2 = √ 𝑔𝐿 sin 𝜃 .
3 3

(b) Since there is friction only at the first half of the inclined plane, angular speed of the disk will not change in the
second half.

𝑣1 1 4
𝜔2 = 𝜔1 = → 𝜔2 = √ gL sin 𝜃 .
𝑅 𝑅 3

(c) For the top half

1 3𝐿 𝐿
𝐿 = 𝑎1𝑐 𝑡12 → 𝑡1 = √ = 3√ .
2 g sin 𝜃 3g sin 𝜃

For the bottom half

1 10𝐿 4𝐿 𝐿
𝐿 = 𝑣1 𝑡2 + 𝑎2𝑐 𝑡22 → 𝑡2 = √ −√ = (√10 − 2)√ .
2 3g sin 𝜃 3g sin 𝜃 3g sin 𝜃

Total time taken is

𝐿
𝑡𝑇 = 𝑡1 + 𝑡2 = (√10 + 1)√ .
3g sin 𝜃
2. A rigid square is made by joining 4 homogenous rods of length L and mass M as shown in the figure. For a single
rod the moment of inertia about its center of mass is 𝐼𝐶𝑀 = 𝑀𝐿2⁄12.
𝑀, 𝐿
(a) (8 Pts.) What is the moment of inertia of the square around an axis
perpendicular to the plane of the page, and passing through its center of
mass? (Call this quantity 𝐼0 and continue the problem even if you 𝑀, 𝐿 𝑀, 𝐿
cannot solve this part.)

𝑀𝐿2 𝑀𝐿2 4 𝑀 𝑣0
𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐼0 = 4 ( + ) = 𝑀𝐿2 .
12 4 3
𝑀, 𝐿

The square is resting on a horizontal frictionless plane, a point of object of mass M (same as one of the rods forming
the square) hits its corner with a velocity 𝑣0 parallel to the bottom side of the square as shown in the figure. The
collision is completely inelastic, the mass sticks to the corner of the square and objects move together after the
collision
(b) (4 Pts.) Which quantities are conserved in the collision (Correct choice +1, Wrong choice -1 for each)
Conserved Not Conserved
Mechanical Energy X
Linear Momentum X
Angular Momentum with respect to the collision point X
Angular Momentum with respect to the center of mass of the system X

(c) (5 Pts.) What is the speed of the center of mass of the system after the collision?
(d) (8 Pts.) What is the angular velocity of the system around its center of mass after the collision?

Solution:
(c) Linear momentum is conserved in the collision means the motion will be in the horizontal direction.
𝑣0
𝑀𝑣0 = 5𝑀𝑣𝐶𝑀 → 𝑣𝐶𝑀 = .
5

(d) The system will be revolving around its center of mass which, taking the collision point as the origin, will be at
(2𝐿⁄5 , 2𝐿⁄5). Distance between this point and the center of the square is 𝑑 = √2𝐿⁄10. Moment of inertia of the
system around the new center of mass is
2 2 2 26
𝐼𝐶𝑀 = 𝐼0 + 4𝑀(√2𝐿⁄10) + 𝑀(2√2𝐿⁄5) = 𝐼0 + 𝑀𝐿2 → 𝐼𝐶𝑀 = 𝑀𝐿2 .
5 15

Conservation of angular momentum with respect to this point gives

2𝐿 26 3𝑣0
𝑀𝑣0 ( ) = ( 𝑀𝐿2 ) 𝜔 → 𝜔= .
5 15 13𝐿
3. On September 26, 2022, NASA’s DART mission deflected the motion of an asteroid system by an impacting
spacecraft. Answer the following questions for a simplified version of the event:
(a) (5 Pts.) The asteroid system hit by the spacecraft is formed by two almost spherical rocks (called Didymos and
Dimorphos), rotating around their common center of mass. Assume that both rocks are spherical, have equal mass 𝑀,
and they have a stable circular orbit around their common center of mass so that the distance between their centers is
2𝑅. What is the period of their motion?
Solution: (a)

𝐺𝑀2 𝑣2 𝐺𝑀 2𝜋𝑅 𝑅3
= 𝑀 → 𝑣=√ , 𝑇= → 𝑇 = 4𝜋√ .
4𝑅 2 𝑅 4𝑅 𝑣 𝐺𝑀

The impacting spacecraft hits one of the rocks in a direction perpendicular to the line
𝑃0
connecting the two rocks as shown in the figure. The mass of the spacecraft is a million
times smaller than that of the rocks, so its gravitational interaction or added mass can be
neglected. But it is moving with an extremely high velocity so its momentum just before 𝑀
the impact 𝑃0 cannot be neglected. The collision of the spacecraft is completely inelastic. 𝑅
(Express all your results in terms of 𝑀, 𝑅, 𝑃0 and Newton’s constant 𝐺.)
(b) (4 Pts.) Find the magnitude of the velocity of one of the rocks with respect to the
other after the collision.
𝑀
(c) (4 Pts.) Find the speed of the common center of mass after the collision.
(d) (4 Pts.) What is the angular momentum with respect to the common center of mass of
the two rock system after the collision? (You can treat the asteroids as point particles.)
(e) (8 Pts.) What is the minimum 𝑃0 so that the two astreoids can get infinitely far away from each other?
Solution: (b) Linear momentum of the system of spacecraft and the rock it collides with is conserved in the collision
because the external force (gravitational attraction of the second rock) is in a perpendicular direction. This gives

𝑃0 𝐺𝑀 𝑃0
𝑃0 + 𝑀𝑣 = 𝑀𝑣 ′ → 𝑣′ = 𝑣 + → 𝑣rel = 𝑣 + 𝑣 ′ → 𝑣rel = 2√ + .
𝑀 4𝑅 𝑀

(c) Linear momentum of the whole system (two rocks and the spacecraft) is also conserved because there are no
external forces. This gives
𝑃0
𝑃0 = 2𝑀 𝑉𝐶𝑀 → 𝑉𝐶𝑀 = .
2𝑀
Note that one gets the same result by writing 𝑉𝐶𝑀 = (𝑀𝑣 ′ − 𝑀𝑣)⁄2𝑀.
(d) Since the added mass is neglected, position of the center of mass does not change during the collision. Also,
angular momentum is conserved during the collision. Therefore,

𝐿𝑓 = 𝐿𝑖 = 𝑅𝑃0 + 𝐼𝜔 = 𝑅𝑃0 + 2𝑀𝑅𝑣 → 𝐿𝑓 = 𝑅𝑃0 + √𝐺𝑀3 𝑅 .

(e) The two asteroids can get infinitely far away from each other if the total mechanical energy with respect to their
center of mass is at least zero. Speed of each asteroid with respect to the center of mass immediately after the collision
is 𝑣 + 𝑃0 ⁄2𝑀. Therefore,

1 𝑃0 2 𝐺𝑀2 𝐺𝑀3
𝐸 = 2 [ 𝑀 (𝑣 + ) ]− ≥0 → 𝑃0 ≥ (√2 − 1)√ .
2 2𝑀 2𝑅 𝑅
4. Two uniform, solid cylinders of radius R and total mass M are connected along their common axis by a short, rod of
negligible mass and rest on a horizontal table top, as shown in the figure. A frictionless ring at the center of the rod is
attached to a spring with force constant k while the other end of the spring is fixed. The cylinders are pulled to the left,
stretching the spring, and then released from rest. Assume that the friction between the surface and the cylinders is
large enough to ensure that they roll without slipping on the surface. Gravitational acceleration g, and 𝐼𝐶𝑀 = 𝑀𝑅 2⁄2
for the cylinders.
(a) (15 Pts.) Find the frequency of oscillations of the system.
(b) (10 Pts.) What is the minimum coefficient of static friction 𝜇𝑠 min
between the surface and the cylinders that can ensure that no slipping
happens for an oscillation with total mechanical energy E?

𝑛
Solution: Method 1: Rolling means 𝑎𝑐 = −𝑅𝛼. Newton’s second law is written as
𝑘𝑥
𝑎𝑐 1 3
𝑓𝑠 − 𝑘𝑥 = 𝑀𝑎𝑐 , 𝑅𝑓𝑠 = 𝐼𝛼 = → 𝑓𝑠 = − 𝑀𝑎𝑐 → 𝑀𝑎𝑐 = −𝑘𝑥 . 𝑓𝑠
𝑅 2 2

𝑑2 𝑥 𝑑2 𝑥 2𝑘 2𝑘 𝑀g
𝑎𝑐 = → = −( )𝑥 → 𝜔=√ .
𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡 2 3𝑀 3𝑀

Method 2: Writing the total energy of the cylinders and using the rolling condition 𝑣 = 𝑅 𝜔, we have
1 1 1 1 𝐼 1 3 1
𝐸 = 𝑀𝑣 2 + 𝐼𝜔2 + 𝑘𝑥 2 = (𝑀 + 2 ) 𝑣 2 + 𝑘𝑥 2 → 𝐸 = 𝑀𝑣 2 + 𝑘𝑥 2 .
2 2 2 2 𝑅 2 4 2
Since the total energy is constant during the motion,

𝑑𝐸 3 𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑥 3 𝑑2 𝑥 𝑑2 𝑥 2𝑘
= 𝑀𝑣 + 𝑘𝑥 =0 → ( 𝑀 2 + 𝑘𝑥) 𝑣 = 0 → = − ( )𝑥 .
𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 2 3𝑀

(b) Writing Newton’s second law in the vertical direction, we have

During the oscillatory motion 𝐸 = 𝑘𝐴2 ⁄2, and is constant. Also, the maximum acceleration is

2√2𝑘𝐸 2√2𝑘𝐸 √2𝑘𝐸