AP10001 Introduction to Physics
Assignment 4 (Ch7) (SOLUTION)
Ch7, Q04
In a performance test, each of two cars takes 9 s to accelerate from rest to 27 m/s. Car A has a mass of
1400 kg, and car B has a mass of 1900 kg. Find the net average force that acts on (a) car A and (b) car
B during the test.
4. REASONING The impulse-momentum theorem, as expressed in Equation 7.4, states that the impulse acting
on each car is equal to the final momentum of the car minus its initial momentum:
m vf m v0
F t m vf m v0 or F
t
Impulse Final Initial
momentum momentum
where F is the net average force that acts on the car, and t is the time interval during which the force
acts.
SOLUTION We assume that the velocity of each car points in the +x direction. The net average force
acting on each car is:
m v f m v 0 1400 kg 27 m/s 1400 kg 0 m/s
Car A F 4200 N
t 9.0 s
m v f m v 0 1900 kg 27 m/s 1900 kg 0 m/s
Car B F 5700 N
t 9.0 s
AP10001
Assignment 4 (Ch7) Dr. S.H. Choy P1
Ch7, Q12
A golf ball strikes a hard, smooth floor at an angle of 30.0 ° and, as the
drawing shows, rebounds at the same angle. The mass of the ball is
0.047 kg, and its speed is 45 m/s just before and after striking the floor.
What is the magnitude of the impulse applied to the golf ball by the
floor? (Hint: Note that only the vertical component of the ball's
momentum changes during impact with the floor, and ignore the weight
of the ball.)
12. REASONING The impulse applied to the golf ball by the floor can be found from Equation 7.4, the impulse-
momentum theorem: F t mvf mv0 . Two forces act on the golf ball, the average force F exerted
by the floor, and the weight of the golf ball. Since F is much greater than the weight of the golf ball, the
net average force F is equal to F .
Only the vertical component of the ball's momentum changes during impact with the floor. In order to use
Equation 7.4 directly, we must first find the vertical components of the initial and final velocities. We
begin, then, by finding these velocity components.
SOLUTION The figures below show the initial and final velocities of the golf ball.
If we take up as the positive direction, then the vertical components of the initial and final velocities are,
respectively, v0y v0 cos 30.0 and vf y vf cos 30.0 . Then, from Equation 7.4 the impulse is
F t m(v fy v0 y ) m (v f cos 30.0) (v0 cos 30.0)
AP10001
Assignment 4 (Ch7) Dr. S.H. Choy P2
Since v 0 v f 45 m / s , the impulse applied to the golf ball by the floor is
Ft 2mv0 cos 30.0 2(0.047 kg)(45 m/s)(cos 30.0) 3.7 N s
Ch7, Q30
One object is at rest, and another is moving. The two collide in a one-dimensional, completely inelastic
collision. In other words, they stick together after the collision and move off with a common velocity.
Momentum is conserved. The speed of the object that is moving initially is 25 m/s. The masses of the
two objects are 3.0 and 8.0 kg. Determine the final speed of the two-object system after the collision
for the case (a) when the large-mass object is the one moving initially and the case (b) when the small-
mass object is the one moving initially.
30. REASONING Since momentum is conserved, the total momentum of the two-object system after
the collision must be the same as it was before the collision. Momentum is mass times velocity.
Since one of the objects is at rest initially, the total initial momentum comes only from the moving
object.
Let m1 and v01 be, respectively, the mass and initial velocity of the moving object before the
collision. In addition, m and vf are the total mass and final velocity of the two objects (which stick
together) after the collision. The conservation of linear momentum can be written as
mvf m1v01
Total momentum Total momentum
after the collision before the collision
Solving this equation for vf, the final velocity of the two-object system gives
m1v01
vf
m
SOLUTION
Large-mass object (8.0 kg) moving initially: Assume that, before the collision, the object is
moving in the + direction so that v01 = +25 m/s. Then,
m1v01 8.0 kg +25 m/s
vf 18 m/s
m 3.0 kg 8.0 kg
The final speed is 18 m/s .
Small-mass object (3.0 kg) moving initially:
AP10001
Assignment 4 (Ch7) Dr. S.H. Choy P3
m1v01 3.0 kg +25 m/s
vf 6.8 m/s
m 3.0 kg 8.0 kg
The final speed is 6.8 m/s .
Ch7, Q38
A ball is attached to one end of a wire, the other end being fastened to the ceiling. The wire is held
horizontal, and the ball is released from rest (see the drawing). It swings downward and strikes a block
initially at rest on a horizontal frictionless surface. Air resistance is negligible, and the collision is
elastic. The masses of the ball and block are, respectively, 1.6 kg and 2.4 kg, and the length of the wire
is 1.20 m. Find the velocity (magnitude and direction) of the ball (a) just before the collision,
and (b) just after the collision.
38. REASONING
a. Since air resistance is negligible as the ball swings downward, the work done by
nonconservative forces is zero, Wnc = 0 J. The force due to the tension in the wire is perpendicular
to the motion and, therefore, does no work. Thus, the total mechanical energy, which is the sum of
the kinetic and potential energies, is conserved (see Section 6.5). The conservation of mechanical
energy will be used to find the speed of the ball just before it collides with the block.
b. When the ball collides with the stationary block, the collision is elastic. This means that, during
the collision, the total kinetic energy of the system is conserved. The horizontal or x-component of
the total momentum is conserved, because the horizontal surface is frictionless, and so the net
average external force acting on the ball-block system in the horizontal direction is zero. The total
kinetic energy is conserved, since the collision is known to be elastic.
SOLUTION
a. As the ball falls, the total mechanical energy is conserved. Thus, the total mechanical energy at
the top of the swing is equal to that at the bottom:
m1 gL 1
2 m1v 2
Total mechanical Total mechanical
energy at top of energy at bottom
swing, all of swing, all
potential energy kinetic energy
In this expression L is the length of the wire, m1 is the mass of the ball, g is the magnitude of the
acceleration due to gravity, and v is the speed of the ball just before the collision. We have chosen
the zero-level for the potential energy to be at ground level, so the initial potential energy of the
ball is m1gL. Solving for the speed v of the ball gives
AP10001
Assignment 4 (Ch7) Dr. S.H. Choy P4
v 2 gL 2 9.80 m/s2 1.20 m 4.85 m/s
At the bottom of the swing the ball is moving horizontally and to the right, which we take to be the
+x direction (see the drawing in the text). Thus the velocity of the ball just before impact is
vx 4.85 m/s .
b. The conservation of linear momentum and the conservation of the total kinetic energy can be
used to describe the behavior of the system during the elastic collision. This situation is identical
to that in Example 7 in Section 7.3, so Equation 7.8a applies:
m m2
vf 1 vx
m
1 m2
where vf is the final velocity of the ball after the collision, m1 and m2 are, respectively, the masses
of the ball and block, and vx is the velocity of the ball just before the collision. Since
vx = +4.85 m/s, we find that
1.60 kg 2.40 kg
vf 4.85 m/s 0.97 m/s
1.60 kg 2.40 kg
The minus sign indicates that the ball rebounds to the left after the collision.
AP10001
Assignment 4 (Ch7) Dr. S.H. Choy P5
