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Chapter 1 - Problems 17,20

The document contains solutions to physics problems involving gravitational potential energy, work, torque, angular acceleration, momentum, and forces. Problem 17 calculates the gravitational potential energy of a 20,000 kg block 75m above the ground as 14,700,000 J. Problem 20 finds that applying a 2000N force over 0.2m of movement does 400J of work on a wedge. The remaining problems involve calculations related to torque, angular acceleration, momentum, and forces related to rotating objects and collisions.

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Bai Cheng
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113 views

Chapter 1 - Problems 17,20

The document contains solutions to physics problems involving gravitational potential energy, work, torque, angular acceleration, momentum, and forces. Problem 17 calculates the gravitational potential energy of a 20,000 kg block 75m above the ground as 14,700,000 J. Problem 20 finds that applying a 2000N force over 0.2m of movement does 400J of work on a wedge. The remaining problems involve calculations related to torque, angular acceleration, momentum, and forces related to rotating objects and collisions.

Uploaded by

Bai Cheng
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 1 – Problems 17,20

Problem 17 – What is the gravitational potential energy of one of the blocks in


problem 15 (20,000 kg) if it is now 75m above the ground?
U = Gravitational Potential Energy
U = m*g*h
m = 20,000 kg
g = 9.8 m/s2
h = 75m

U = 14,700,000 J = 14,700,000 kg m^2/s^2

Problem 20 – You're using a wedge to split a log. It takes a force of 2000N to


push the wedge into the wood. If the wedge moves 0.2m into the log, how much
work have you done on the wedge?
W = F*d
F = 2000 N
d = 0.2 m

W = 400 J = 400 kg m^2/s^2

Chapter 2 – Problems 2,4,6,12


Problem 2 – A carousel undergoes constant angular acceleration from rest to full
rotational speed in 5 seconds. A brake causes it to decelerate steadily from full
rotational speed to rest in 10 seconds. Compare the torque that stops the carousel
to the torque that stops it.
Angular acceleration = Torque / (Rotational Mass)
The rotational mass is the same in both cases
The angular acceleration is twice as great as the angular deceleration (it takes half the time to accelerate
as it does to decelerate).
Therefore the accelerating Torque is twice as great in magnitude and points in the opposite direction of
the decelerating Torque

Problem 4 – An electric saw uses a circular spinning blade to slice through wood.
The motor needs 2 seconds of constant acceleration to bring the blade to full
angular velocity. If you change the blade so that the rotating portion now has
three times the original rotational mass, how long will the motor need to bring the
blade to its full angular velocity?
Angular acceleration = Torque / (Rotational Mass)
If you triple the rotational mass, then you are effectively reducing the angular acceleration by a factor of
1/3
In other words, the new angular acceleration is 1/3 of the original acceleration
Therefore, if it original took 2 seconds originally, it now takes 3 times as long to reach full speed, or 6
seconds
Problem 6 – When you push down on the handle of a nutcracker, its jaw pivots
upward and cracks a nut. If the point at which you push down is five times as far
from the pivot as the point at which the jaw pushes on the nut, how much force
will the jaw exert if you exert a force of 20N on the handle (all forces are at right
angles).
Let the distance between the pivot and the jaw be a distance x.
The point at which you exert 20N is therefore a distance 5x from the pivot, so you are causing a torque of
100*x.
The torque at the jaw is therefore 100*x
Torque = Force * distance
Distance = x
Force = Torque / x = 100 * x / x = 100N
Force on the nut = 100N

Problem 4 – Your car crashes into a parked car at 3 m/s. Your car comes to a stop
in just 0.1s. What force did the parked car exert on it? (From t he previous
problems, the car is 800 kg)
Your car's initial momentum is 2400 kg m/s
Force is change in momentum divided by change in time (F = p / t)
Your final momentum is zero (the car comes to rest)
F = 2400 / 0.1 = 24000 N to stop your car

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