PHYSICS I

LESSON 2: DYNAMICS OF A PARTICLE

1. One boy wants to check how a weight scale weighs inside an elevator. Consider negligible the
weight of the scale. When the elevator is stopped the weight scale reads 35 kg. Calculate what the
scale reads in the next cases:
a) The elevator accelerates upwards with acceleration aasc= 3 m/s2
b) The elevator goes up with constant velocity
c) The elevator decelerates upwards with acceleration aasc= 3 m/s2
Solution: a) 45.7 kg b) 35 kg c) 23.4 kg

2. One block of mass m=20 kg is at rest on an incline. The incline angle relative to the horizontal is
25o. Determine the magnitude and direction of the minimum force F1 required to:
a) The block begins to go up on the incline
b) Prevent the motion of the block downwards
c) y d) Make again the calculation if it exists friction between the block and the incline, being
=0.2 the coefficient of friction
Solution: a) 82.8 N b) 82.8 N c) 118.3 N d) 47.3 N

3. Two block of masses m1=6 kg y m2=4 kg are placed in contact with each other on an incline with
15o to the horizontal. The static coefficients of friction between the blocks and the incline are
1est=0.2 y 2est=0.3, and the kinetic coefficients of friction 1din=0.15 y 2din=0.25. Determine:
a) Whether the blocks 1, el 2 or both will slip on the
incline. In case of motion calculate their
accelerations.
b) Frictional forces
Solution: a) Both blocks will slip with a = 0.74 m/s2 b) Froz1 = 8.5 N; Froz2 = 9.5 N

4. Two blocks are attached by a rope according to the system

of the figure. If m1=10 kg, m2=7 kg, 1=0.1 and the angle
to the horizontal is 30o, determine:
a) Acceleration of each block
b) Tensions of ropes
Solution: a) a1=0.52 m/s2; a2=0.26 m/s2 b) T1= 50.3 N; T2=
100.6 N
5. One particle of mass m is attached by a cord of length L, where one
of its ends is fixed. The particle performs a circular motion with
constant velocity v0 on a vertical plane (see figure). Determine:
a) Tension of the cord at points A, B, C and D
b) Minimum value of v0 so that the mass can perform complete
loops
𝑣2 𝑣02
Solution: a) Pt. A) 𝑇 = 𝑚 𝐿0 ; Pt. B) 𝑇 = 𝑚 (𝑔 + );
𝐿
𝑣2 𝑣2
Pt. C) 𝑇 = 𝑚 𝐿0 ; Pt. D) 𝑇 = 𝑚 ( 𝐿0 − 𝑔); b) 𝑣0 = √𝑔𝐿

6. One sphere of mass m=1 kg and negligible size is in

equilibrium on an incline of 30o (see figure). If the spring
constant is k=20 N/m and its natural length is lo= 25 cm,
determine the frictional force exerted on the sphere.

Solution: 7.1 N

7. One particle of mass m= 2 kg is attached to the ceiling by a spring of force constant k1= 200 N/m
and to the floor by another spring of force constant k1= 100 N/m. The particle is at rest. The
𝑙
distance ceiling-floor is 𝑙=2.5 m and the natural length of each spring is the same 𝑙0 = 2.

Determine the length of each spring.

Solution: 𝑙1= 1.315 m; 𝑙2 = 1.185 m

8. One particle of mass m= 40 g is inside a hollow inverted cone at a height h= 50 cm (see figure). The
particle moves in a circular trajectory of radius R= 20 cm parallel to the ground, with the magnitude
of velocity constant.
i. If the cone does not move and there is no friction between the particle
and the cone, determine
a) Angular velocity  of the particle
ii. If the particle rotates with the cone and there is friction with =0.3,
determine:
b) Minimum and maximum angular velocity  that particle and
cone must have so that the particle does not slide down or
up the cone.
Solution: a) 11.07 rad/s b) 7.85 rad/s y 23.3 rad/s
9. Two block A y B, are connected by string of negligible mass to block C (see figure). A and B have
same weight of 30 N and the kinetic coefficient of friction between each block and the surface is
0.4. The block C goes down with constant velocity.
a) Draw the diagram of forces of each block.
b) Calculate the tension of the string connecting A
and B.
c) How much does the block C weigh?
Solution: b) T of the string connecting A and B = 12 N; T
of the string connecting B and C= 39.6 N

c) 39.6 N.

⃗⃗ m.
10. The position vector of a body of mass 6 kg is given by 𝑟⃗(𝑡) = (3𝑡 2 − 6 𝑡)𝑖⃗ − 4𝑡 3 𝑗⃗ + 2𝑘
Find:
a) The Force acting on the particle.
b) The torque acting on the particle with respect to the origin.
c) The linear momentum and angular momentum of the particle with respect to the origin.

 dp  dL
d) Show that F= ; MO =
dt dt

Solution: a) 𝐹⃗ (𝑡) = 36 𝑖⃗ − 144𝑡 𝑗⃗ ⃗⃗

⃗⃗⃗𝑜 (𝑡) = 288 𝑡 𝑖⃗ + 72 𝑗⃗ − (288 𝑡 3 + 864 𝑡) 𝑘
b) 𝑀 c)
2
𝑝⃗(𝑡) = (36 𝑡 − 36)𝑖⃗ − 72𝑡 𝑗⃗; 𝐿⃗⃗𝑜 (𝑡) = 144 𝑡 𝑖⃗ + (72 𝑡 − 72) 𝑗⃗ − (72 𝑡 − 288 𝑡 ) 𝑘
2 4 3 ⃗⃗