Solutions Tutorial Worksheet 1

DEN108 Dynamics

Basic equations for rectilinear motion

s is displacement, v is velocity, a is acceleration.
ds
• v = ṡ = (1)
dt
dv
a = v̇ = (2)
dt

From (1,2):

d2 s
a = s̈ = (3)
dt2
Also from (1,2):

v ds
= ⇔ vdv = ads (4)
a dv
• If a is constant, v(t0 ) = v0 , s(t0 ) = s0 :

1
v(t) = v0 + a(t − t0 ), s(t) = s0 + v0 (t − t0 ) + a(t − t0 )2 (5)
2
and from (4):
Zv Zs
1 2 1 2
vdv = ads ⇔ v − v0 = a(s − s0 ) ⇔ v 2 = v02 + 2a(s − s0 ) (6)
2 2
v0 s0

• If a is given as a function of v, a = f (v), v(t0 ) = v0 , s(t0 ) = s0 :

dv dt 1 dv
= a = f (v) ⇒ = ⇒ dt = (7)
dt dv f (v) f (v)

So:
Zt Zv
dν
t − t0 = dτ = (8)
f (ν)
t0 v0

Further:
ds dv dv f (v) v
= v, = a = f (v) ⇒ = ⇒ ds = dv (9)
dt dt ds v f (v)

1
 So:
Zs Zv
ν
s − s0 = dσ = dν (10)
f (ν)
s0 v0

• If a is given as a function of s, a = f (s), v(t0 ) = v0 , s(t0 ) = s0 :

ds dv dv f (s)
= v, = a = f (s) ⇒ = ⇒ vdv = f (s)ds (11)
dt dt ds v
So:
Zv Zs Zs
2
v − v02 =2 νdν = 2 2
f (σ)dσ ⇒ v = v02 +2 f (σ)dσ (12)
v0 s0 s0

Solving for v, this gives v as a function of s, v = g(s). Then:

ds dt 1 ds
v= = g(s) ⇒ = ⇒ dt = (13)
dt ds g(s) g(s)

So:

Zt Zs
dσ
t − t0 = dτ = (14)
g(σ)
t0 s0

2
Solutions
1. Let s(t) be the altitude at time t.
Given: s0 = 0, v0 = 200m/s, a = −g = −9.81m/s2 (constant acceleration).
Asked: (i) maximum altitude h, i.e, altitude at which velocity is zero, (ii) time tf at which
projectile returns to the ground, i.e., s(tf ) = 0 and tf > 0.
Solution: We have t0 = 0, so from (5): v(t) = 200 − 9.81t, s(t) = 200t − 12 9.81t2 .
200
(i) v(t) = 0 ⇔ 200 − 9.81t = 0 ⇔ t = 9.81 = 20.4s. So h = s(20.4) = 200 · 20.4 − 21 9.81 ·
(20.4)2 = 2040m.
(ii) s(tf ) = 0 ⇔ tf (200 − 21 9.81tf ) = 0 ⇔ tf = 400
9.81 = 40.8s.

2. Let s(t) be altitude at time t. Given: s0 = 0, v0 = 25m/s, a = −g = −9.81m/s2 (constant

acceleration).
Asked: (i) Distance h by which the ball clears the top of the cliff, i.e., s(t) − 15 when
v(t) = 0, (ii) time t after release for ball to land at B, i.e., t when s(t) = 15m for second
time, (iii) impact velocity vB .
Solution 1 We have t0 = 0, so from (5): s(t) = 25t − 4.905t2 , v(t) = 25 − 9.81t.
25
(i) v(t) = 0 ⇔ t = 9.81 = 2.55s. So h = s(2.55) − 15 = 16.86m.
(ii) s(t) = 15 ⇔ 25t − 4.905t2 = 15 ⇒ t = 4.40s.
(iii) vB = v(4.40) = −18.19m/s.
Solution 2 (i) Apply (6) with v = 0, s = h + 15: 02 = 252 − 19.62(h + 15) ⇔ h =
1
19.62 (625 − 15 · 19.62) = 16.86m.
2
(iii) Apply (6) with v = vB , s = 15m: vB = 625 − 19.62 · 15 ⇒ vB = −18.19s.
25−(−18.19)
(ii) vB = 25 − 9.81t ⇔ t = 9.81 = 4.40s.

3. Let s1 (t) be distance travelled by first ball at time t, s2 (t) distance travelled by second ball
at time t, t2 time at which second ball is dropped. Assume that first ball is dropped at t = 0.
Given: a = g (constant acceleration) for both balls, s1 (0) = s2 (t2 ) = 0, v1 (0) = v2 (t2 ) = 0,
t2 = 0.5s.
Asked: Separation h of balls when s1 (t) = 3, i.e., s1 (tf ) − s2 (tf ), where s1 (tf ) = 3.
q
Solution: From (5): s1 (t) = 12 9.81t2 , so s1 (tf ) = 3 ⇔ 21 9.81t2 = 3 ⇔ tf = 9.81 6
= 0.78s.
Further from (5): s2 (t) = 21 9.81(t−0.5)2 . Thus, h = s1 (tf )−s2 (tf ) = 3− 12 9.81(0.78−0.5)2 =
2.6m.

4. Assume that the car passes the patrol man at t = 0. Let sc (t) be the distance travelled by
the car and sp (t) be the distance travelled by the patrol man at time t, where sc (t), sp (t)
are in metres and t is in seconds.
Given: The car travels with a constant speed of 120km/h= 100
3 m/s.
The patrol man starts to move at t = 2s, and travels in two separate phases: (i) Accelerates
with constant acceleration a = 6m/s2 until speed of 150km/h= 50012 m/s is reached, (ii) then
travels at constant speed of 500
12 m/s.
Asked: Distance travelled by patrol man until he overtakes the car.
Solution: Since car travels at constant speed, its acceleration equals 0. So from (5): sc (t) =
100
3 t.
Patrol man in Phase (i): constant acceleration 6m/s2 , starts at t = 2s, sp (2) = 0, so from
(5): sp (t) = 21 a(t − 2)2 = 3(t − 2)2 , vp (t) = 6(t − 2). This phase lasts until 500
12 = vp (t) =

3
 161 161 161


6(t − 2)
⇔ t = 18 = 8.94s. Distance travelled at t = 18 s: sp 18 = 144.68m. Since
161
sc 18 = 298.14m, the patrol man has not overtaken the car yet.
Phase (ii) starts at t = 8.94s, with sp (8.94) = 144.68, and constant speed 500 12 m/s for
t > 8.94s. So from (5): sp (t) = 144.68+ 500
12 (t−8.94) for t > 8.94s. The patrol man overtakes
the car when sc (t) = sp (t) ⇔ 100
3 t = 144.68 + 500
12 (t − 8.94) ⇔ 100
12 t = 227.82 ⇔ t = 27.34s.
The distance travelled by the patrol man (and the car) then is sc (27.34) = 911m.

5. Let s(t) be the distance travelled by the airplane at time t.

(a) Given: s(0) = 0m, v(0) = 0m/s. a = a0 = 2m/s2 (constant acceleration).

Asked: Length of runway required to reach the take-off speed of 2500km/h=
69.44m/s, i.e., want to find s when v = 69.44m/s.
First solution: From (5): v(t) = at = 2t, s(t) = 12 at2 = t2 . So v(t) = 69.44m/s is
reached when t = 34.72s. This gives that the length of runway required is s(34.72) =
1206m.
Second solution (as a preparation for part (b)): The acceleration is a (constant)
function of v: a = f (v) = 2. Now want to go from v(0) = 0 to v = 69.44 with s(0) = 0.
R 69.44 ν 69.44
ν2 
From (10): s = s − s(0) = 0 2 dν = 4  = 1206m.
0
(b) Given: s(0) = 0m, v(0) = 0m. a = f (v) = a0 − kv 2 , a0 = 2m/s2 , k = 0.00004m−1 (a
is a function of v).
Asked: See above.
R 69.44 v R 69.44 v
Solution: From (10): s = s − s(0) = 0 f (v) dv = 0 a0 −kv 2 dv =
1 2 69.44 1
 2
− ln(a0 − kv )
2k 0
= (ln 2 − ln(2 − 0.00004 · 69.44 )) = 1268m.
0.00008

K
6. Given: x(0) = 0, v(0) = 0, a = f (x) = (L−x)2 (a is a function of position).
Asked: Velocity with which the ball strikes the pole face, i.e., velocity when x = xf = L− D 2.
xf  
x 1
Solution: From (12): v 2 = v 2 − v(0)2 = 2 0 f (L−x)
K K 
− L1 =
R
2 dx = 2 L−x  = 2K L−x
0 f
2
− L1 .


2K D

7. Given: y(0) = 0, v(0) = 30m/s, when moving upward: a = au = fu (v) = −g − kv 2 , when

moving downward: a = ad = fd (v) = −g + kv 2 (so in both cases acceleration is a function
of velocity), k = 0.006m−1 , g = 9.81m/s2 .
Asked: maximum height h (i.e., y when v = 0), speed vf upon impact with the ground
(i.e., speed when y = 0).
R0 R0 v
Solution: First consider upward motion. From (10): h = h−0 = v0 fuv(v) dv = − v0 g+kv 2 dv =
 2

1

2  v 0 1 g+kv
2k ln(g + kv ) 0 = 2k ln = 36.5m.
0
g

Now downward motion. We start with y = h, v = 0, and are interested in the veloc-
ity when y = 0. (Note: vf represents a speed, i.e. magnitude of velocity. Since upon
impact the velocity will be negative, it will be equal to −vf !) From (10): 0 − h =
g−kvf2
 
2 0
R −vf v R −vf v
R0 v 1
 1
0 fd (v) dv = 0 −g+kv 2 dv = −vf g−kv 2 dv = − 2k ln(g − kv ) −vf = 2k ln g .
2 q
g−kv
This gives: e−2kh = g f ⇔ vf2 = kg (1 − e−2kh ) ⇔ vf = kg (1 − e−2kh ) = 24.1m/s.