Vectorial Mechanics

3. Dynamics of a single particle — Exercises

v.2023-11-12

Notes

ˆ Unless otherwise stated data is given in the MKSC system of units.

ˆ Unless otherwise stated numerical data with no decimal point should be assumed
to have 3 significant digits.

ˆ The standard acceleration of gravity on Earth is defined as g = 9.80665 m/s2 .

3. Dynamics — Exercises 1
Second law of motion

3.1. (*)
Consider a person of 70 kg inside an elevator. What is the force, in newtons, that the
floor exerts on the person’s feet if the elevator...
(a) Goes up at constant speed
(b) Goes down at constant speed
(c) Goes up with a constant acceleration of 2 m/s2
(d) Goes down with a constant acceleration of 2 m/s2
(e) Falls freely after the cable that hoists it snaps.
Answer:
(a) 687 (b) 687 (c) 827 (d) 547 (e) 0

3.2. (*)
Consider a particle of mass 2 (all units in the MKS system) initially located at the
origin of coordinates and moving with speed 2 parallel to the positive direction of the y
axis. A force of Cartesian components (8, −4) is applied to the particle. Calculate, as a
function of time,
(a) Acceleration
(b) Velocity
(c) Position
(d) Equation of the trajectory in the form y = y(x).
Answer:
(a) (4, −2) (b) (4t, 2 − 2t) (c) (2t2 , 2t − t2 ) (d) y = 2(x/2)1/2 − x/2

3.3. (**) HMWK

A point-like object of mass m tethered with a massless inextensible string of length ℓ
is suspended from a frictionless pivot. The object moves with constant speed along a
circular trajectory as shown in the figure. Find the minimum angular velocity ω for
which such motion is possible.

3. Dynamics — Exercises 2
 Source: XJ
Answer:
p
g/ℓ

3.4. (**) DEMO

A simple pendulum, i.e., a point particle tethered to a massless inextensible string
hanging from a frictionless pivot, swings on a vertical plane as shown in the figure. The
length of the string is ℓ.
(a) Using Newton’s second law, find the equation of motion for the angle θ between the
string and the vertical.
(b) Particularize the equation for the case of small oscillations, θ ≪ 1.
Source: XJ

Answer:
(a) θ̈ + (g/ℓ) sin θ = 0, (b) θ̈ + (g/ℓ) θ = 0

3.5. (**) HMWK

A particle P of mass 5 kg spins around the EE ′ axis on the frictionless lateral surface
of a fixed cone as shown in the figure. The cone semiaperture is α = 45◦ . The particle,
attached to point E by a massless inextensible string of length 50 cm parallel to the

3. Dynamics — Exercises 3
surface, rotates at 20 rpm. Calculate
(a) The (normal) force exerted by the surface on the particle
(b) The tension of the string
(c) The angular velocity at which the particle separates from the surface.

Source: XJ
Answer:
(a) 29.2 N, (b) 40.2 N, (c) 5.27 rad/s

3.6. (**) HMWK

According to Bohr’s atomic model, the hydrogen atom consists of an electron orbiting a
proton. But not all orbital distances are possible. Assuming circular orbits, the smallest
possible distance, called Bohr radius, is 5.29 × 10−9 cm. Calculate
(a) The period of revolution.
(b) The electron speed.
Answer:
(a) 0.152 fs (b) 2.19 × 103 km/s

3.7. (***)
Isaac Newton calculated the gravitational acceleration g on the Earth surface using
its radius and Moon’s orbit data. The agreement between the value thus obtained
and the actual value measured experimentally was an evidence in favor of his theory
of gravitation. Repeat Newton’s argument using the same data: the Moon period is
28 days, the Moon orbital radius is 3.8 × 108 m (approximated here as a circle around
a stationary Earth for simplicity) and the Earth radius is 6.4 × 106 m.
Answer:
9.0 m/s2

3. Dynamics — Exercises 4
Momentum and impulse

3.8. (*)
⇀ ⇀
A mass of 2 kg is moving with velocity v = 5ı̂ + 2ȷ̂. A force F = 4ȷ̂ is applied to the
mass for 3 s. Calculate the linear momentum after that time. (All in MKS units.)
Answer:
10ı̂ + 16ȷ̂

3.9. (**) DEMO

A force that varies with time t as F = 1000e−t (MKS units) acts during 1 s on a 1 kg
object initially moving at 100 m/s along the +x axis. The force is applied along the −x
direction. Calculate
(a) The impulse provided by the force.
(b) The final momentum of the object.
Answer:
(a) −632 kg m/s, (b) −532 kg m/s

Common non-contact forces

3.10. (**) HMWK

A particle moving between two plane electrodes is deflected by a vertical uniform elec-
trostatic field of magnitude E = 2000 N/C (MKSC units) pointing downwards, as shown
in the figure. The particle initial speed is horizontal and equal to 106 m/s. Calculate the
vertical deviation after a horizontal displacement of 1 cm if the particle is (a) a proton;
or (b) an alectron.

3. Dynamics — Exercises 5
 Source: XJ
⇀
(Note: The force exerted by an electric field E on a particle with electric charge q is
⇀ ⇀
F = q E.)
Answer:
(a) 9.58 µm downwards (b) 1.76 cm upwards

3.11. (***)
In 2009 the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a high energy facility whose purpose is
to study properties of subatomic particles, was inaugurated at CERN near Geneva.
Historically, at previous facilities, elementary particles were detected in Wilson cloud
chambers where they leave a trail of condensation droplets (see figure). In order to
determine a particle’s ⇀charge q and its mass m the chamber is placed in a constant
uniform magnetic field B, which we shall assume is perpendicular to the particle
⇀
velocity
⇀
⇀ ⇀
v. The magnetic force on the particle is given by Lorentz’s formula, F = q (v × B).
Show that the charged particle follows a circular orbit with radius mv/(B |q|).
Source: XJ

A snapshot of subatomic particle trajectories inside

a cloud chamber immersed in a magnetic field.

3. Dynamics — Exercises 6
Common contact forces

3.12. (*)
A particle of mass m initially at rest is immersed in a fluid, where it begins to fall under
its own weight. When the speed is moderate (no turbulence, Reynolds number Re < 1),
⇀
⇀ ⇀
the fluid drag force can be expressed as f = −bv, where b is a constant and v is the
particle velocity. The combination of the drag and of the particle weight makes the
velocity asymptotically (when time tends to infinity) approach a limiting value called
terminal velocity. Express this terminal velocity in terms of m and b.
Answer:
⇀
mg/b

3.13. (**) HMWK

⇀ ⇀
A force varying with time t as F0 sin Ωt, with F0 and Ω constants, acts on a particle of
mass m initially at rest at the origin of coordinates.
(a) Find the position of the particle as a function of time.
(b) For what initial velocity would the particle motion be analogous to that caused by
a spring?
(c) What would be the constant of that spring?
Answer:
(a)
⇀
F0
(Ωt − sin Ωt)
mΩ2
(b)
⇀
F0
−
mΩ
(c)
m Ω2

3.14. (**) HMWK

Two point-like objects of masses mA and mB are placed on a horizontal board. Their
static friction coefficients with the board surface are µA and µB , respectively. The board
is then inclined as shown in the figure. We shall assume that the dynamic and static

3. Dynamics — Exercises 7
friction coefficients are equal.
(a) Find the condition required for A to begin to move before B.
(b) What is the condition for both A and B to start sliding together?
(c) Provided the condition of the previous point is fulfilled, for which angle θ do A and
B move at constant speed?
(d) Find the acceleration if the value of θ is larger than the one obtained in (c).

Source: XJ
Answer:
(a) µA < µB
(b) µA = µB
(c) tan θ = µA = µB
(d) a = g(sin θ − µ cos θ), where µ = µA = µB

Torque & angular momentum

3.15. (*)
A particle with a mass of 2 kg follows a trajectory given by
x = t3
y = t − 2t2
t4
z=
4
where t is the time. All units are in the MKS system. Calculate, at t = 2,
(a) Velocity
(b) Acceleration
(c) Linear momentum
(d) Angular momentum wrt the point with coordinates (7, −7, 3)
(e) Force acting on the particle.
Answer:
(a) 12ı̂ − 7ȷ̂ + 8k̂ m/s

3. Dynamics — Exercises 8
(b) 12ı̂ − 4ȷ̂ + 12k̂ m/s2
(c) 24ı̂ − 14ȷ̂ + 16k̂ kg m/s
(d) 30ı̂ + 8ȷ̂ − 38k̂ kg m2 /s
(e) 24ı̂ − 8ȷ̂ + 24k̂ N

3.16. (**) DEMO

Planets describe elliptical trajectories with the Sun located in one of their foci. Assuming
that a reference frame attached to the Sun is inertial, prove Kepler’s second law: A line
segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of
time.

3.17. (**) HMWK

A point-like object with a mass of 250 g slides on a horizontal table tethered with a
inextensible massless string. The string passes through a small hole made at the center
of the table and it is hold in place as shown in the figure. The particle performs a
circular motion of radius 50 cm with a constant speed of 5 m/s. The string is then
pulled down so that the radius of the trajectory reduces to 20 cm. Determine the new
speed of the object. Source: X Jaén et al., UPC (2023)

Answer:
12.5 m/s

3.18. (**) HMWK

A simple pendulum swings in a vertical plane. The length of the cord is ℓ. Find the
equation of motion for the angle θ formed between the string and the vertical using the
relation between angular momentum and torque.

3. Dynamics — Exercises 9
 Source: XJ
Answer:
θ̈ + (g/l) sin θ = 0

3. Dynamics — Exercises 10