HW 2 Mastering Physics
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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HW_Week2
 
 
Due: 11:59pm on Friday, September 12, 2014
 
 
 
 
You will receive no credit for items you complete after the assignment is due. Grading Policy
 
 
 
Speed of a Bullet
 
 
A bullet is shot through two cardboard disks attached a distance apart to a shaft turning with a rotational period , as
 
shown.
 
 
 
Part A
 
 
 
 
Derive a formula for the bullet speed in terms of , , and a measured angle between the position of the hole in
 
the first disk and that of the hole in the second. If required, use , not its numeric equivalent. Both of the holes lie at
 
the same radial distance from the shaft. measures the angular displacement between the two holes; for instance,
 
means that the holes are in a line and means that when one hole is up, the other is down. Assume that
 
the bullet must travel through the set of disks within a single revolution.
 
 
 
Hint 1. Consider hole positions
 
 
 
 
The relative position of the holes can be used to find the bullet's speed. Remember, the shaft will have
 
rotated while the bullet travels between the disks.
 
 
 
Hint 2. How long does it take for the disks to rotate by an angle ?
 
 
 
 
The disks rotate by 2 in time . How long will it take them to rotate by ?
 
 
 
Give your answer in terms of , , and constants such as .
 
 
 
 
Hint 1. Checking your formula
 
 
 
 
If your formula is correct, when you plug 2 in for , your answer will be .
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
 
 
2   J
 
R
 
J
 
 
 
J -  J - R
 
 
 
 
J
 
 
 
R  J
 
 J R
 
R J 
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
Exercise 2.14
 
 
A race car starts from rest and travels east along a straight and level track. For the first 5.0 of the car's motion, the
 
eastward component of the car's velocity is given by .
 
 
 
Part A
 
 
 
 
What is the acceleration of the car when = 14.8 ?
 
 
 
Express your answer with the appropriate units.
 
 
 
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
Motion of Two Rockets
 
 
Learning Goal:
 
 
 
 
To learn to use images of an object in motion to determine velocity and acceleration.
 
 
 
Two toy rockets are traveling in the same direction (taken to be the x axis). A diagram is shown of a timeexposure
 
 
 
 
image
 
where a stroboscope has illuminated the rockets at the uniform time intervals indicated.
 
 
 
J =
 
 
 
 
J
 
 
 
R
 
2 = R
 
 
 
 
J
 
 
 
T
 
 
 
W40 -  NT U
 
W4 NT
 
 4 = 7.58
 
NT
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Part A
 
 
 
 
At what time(s) do the rockets have the same velocity?
 
 
 
Hint 1. How to determine the velocity
 
 
 
 
The diagram shows position, not velocity. You can't find instantaneous velocity from this diagram, but you
 
can determine the average velocity between two times and :
 
.
 
Note that no position values are given in the diagram; you will need to estimate these based on the distance
 
between successive positions of the rockets.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
Part B
 
 
 
 
At what time(s) do the rockets have the same x position?
 
 
 
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
0 0
 
2BWH<00>-
 
40Ã40
 
0Ã0
 
 
 
 
at time only
 
at time only
 
at times and
 
at some instant in time between and
 
at no time shown in the figure
 
 
 
0 - 
 
0 - 
 
0 -  0 - 
 
0 -  0 - 
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Correct
 
 
 
Part C
 
 
 
 
At what time(s) do the two rockets have the same acceleration?
 
 
 
Hint 1. How to determine the acceleration
 
 
 
 
The velocity is related to the spacing between images in a stroboscopic diagram. Since acceleration is the
 
rate at which velocity changes, the acceleration is related to the how much this spacing changes from one
 
interval to the next.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
Part D
 
 
 
 
The motion of the rocket labeled A is an example of motion with uniform (i.e., constant) __________.
 
ANSWER:
 
at time only
 
at time only
 
at times and
 
at some instant in time between and
 
at no time shown in the figure
 
 
 
0 - 
 
0 - 
 
0 -  0 - 
 
0 -  0 - 
 
 
 
 
at time only
 
at time only
 
at times and
 
at some instant in time between and
 
at no time shown in the figure
 
 
 
0 - 
 
0 - 
 
0 -  0 - 
 
0 -  0 - 
 
 
 
 
and nonzero acceleration
 
velocity
 
displacement
 
time
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Correct
 
 
 
Part E
 
 
 
 
The motion of the rocket labeled B is an example of motion with uniform (i.e., constant) __________.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
Part F
 
 
 
 
At what time(s) is rocket A ahead of rocket B?
 
 
 
Hint 1. Use the diagram
 
 
 
 
You can answer this question by looking at the diagram and identifying the time(s) when rocket A is to the
 
right of rocket B.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
Velocity from Graphs of Position versus Time
 
 
An object moves along the x axis during four separate trials. Graphs of position versus time for each trial are shown in
 
 
 
 
the figure.
 
and nonzero acceleration
 
velocity
 
displacement
 
time
 
before only
 
after only
 
before and after
 
between and
 
at no time(s) shown in the figure
 
 
 
0 - 
 
0 - 
 
0 -  0 - 
 
0 -  0 - 
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Part A
 
 
 
 
During which trial or trials is the object's velocity not constant?
 
 
 
Check all that apply.
 
 
 
 
Hint 1. Finding velocity from a position versus time graph
 
On a graph of coordinate x as a function of time , the instantaneous velocity at any point is equal to the
 
 
 
 
slope of the curve at that point.
 
 
 
Hint 2. Equation for slope
 
 
 
 
The slope of a line is its rise divided by the run:
 
.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
The graph of the motion during Trial B has a changing slope and therefore is not constant. The other trials all
 
have graphs with constant slope and thus correspond to motion with constant velocity.
 
 
Part B
 
 
 
 
During which trial or trials is the magnitude of the average velocity the largest?
 
 
 
0
 
 
 
TMPQF- Y
 
 
 
 
U
 
 
 
Trial A
 
Trial B
 
Trial C
 
Trial D
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Check all that apply.
 
 
 
 
Hint 1. Definition of average velocity
 
 
 
 
Recall that
 
.
 
Then note that the question asks only about the magnitude of the velocity.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
While Trial B and Trial D do not have the same average velocity, the only difference is the direction! The
 
magnitudes are the same. Neither one is "larger" than the other, and it is only because of how we chose our
 
axes that Trial B has a positive average velocity while Trial D has a negative average velocity. In Trial C the
 
object does not move, so it has an average velocity of zero. During Trial A the object has a positive average
 
velocity but its magnitude is less than that in Trial B and Trial D.
 
 
± Average Velocity from a Position vs. Time Graph
 
 
Learning Goal:
 
 
 
 
To learn to read a graph of position versus time and to calculate average velocity.
 
In this problem you will determine the average velocity of a
 
moving object from the graph of its position as a function
 
of time . A traveling object might move at different speeds
 
and in different directions during an interval of time, but if we
 
 
 
ask at what constant velocity the object would have to travel to
 
 
 
 
achieve the same displacement over the given time interval,
 
 
 
that is what we call the object's average velocity. We will use
 
 
 
 
the notation to indicate average velocity over the
 
time interval from to . For instance, is the
 
average velocity over the time interval from to .
 
 
 
Part A
 
 
 
 
BWFSBHF WFMPDJUZ- -  QPTJUJPO
 
 
 
 
 UJNF
 
Y
 
U
 
 
 
Trial A
 
Trial B
 
Trial C
 
Trial D
 
 
 
40
 
 
 
 
0
 
 
 
2BWF <0 0 >
 
0 0 2BWF <>
 
0 -  0 - 
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Consulting the graph shown in the figure, find the object's average velocity over the time interval from 0 to 1 second.
 
 
 
Answer to the nearest integer.
 
 
 
 
Hint 1. Definition of average velocity
 
 
 
 
Average velocity is defined as the constant velocity at which an object would have to travel to achieve a given
 
displacement (difference between final and initial positions, which can be negative) over a given time interval,
 
from the initial time to the final time . The average velocity is therefore equal to the displacement divided
 
by the given time interval. In symbolic form, average velocity is given by
 
.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
Part B
 
 
 
 
Find the average velocity over the time interval from 1 to 3 seconds.
 
 
 
Express your answer in meters per second to the nearest integer.
 
 
 
 
Hint 1. Find the change in position
 
The final and initial positions can be read off the y axis of the graph. What is the displacement during the time
 
 
 
 
interval from 1 to 3 seconds?
 
 
 
Express your answer numerically, in meters
 
 
 
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Hint 2. Definition of average velocity
 
 
 
 
Average velocity is defined as the constant velocity at which an object would have to travel to achieve a given
 
displacement (difference between final and initial positions, which can be negative) over a given time interval,
 
from the initial time to the final time . The average velocity is therefore equal to the displacement divided
 
by the given time interval. In symbolic form, average velocity is given by
 
.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
0J 0G
 
2BWF<0J 0G >-
 
40G Ã40J
 
0G Ã0J
 
2BWF <> = 0 NT
 
4G Ã4J = 40 N
 
0J 0G
 
2BWF<0J 0G >-
 
40G Ã40J
 
0G Ã0J
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Correct
 
 
 
 
A note about instantaneous velocity. The instantaneous velocity at a certain moment in time is represented by
 
the slope of the graph at that moment. For straightline
 
graphs, the (instantaneous) velocity remains constant
 
over the interval, so the instantaneous velocity at any time during an interval is the same as the average
 
velocity over that interval. For instance, in this case, the instantaneous velocity at any time from 1 to 3 seconds
 
is the same as the average velocity of .
 
 
Part C
 
 
 
 
Now find .
 
 
 
Give your answer to three significant figures.
 
 
 
 
Hint 1. A note on the displacement
 
 
 
 
Since the object's position remains constant from time 0 to time 1, the object's displacement from 0 to 3 is the
 
same as in Part B. However, the time interval has changed.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
Note that is not equal to the simple arithmetic average of and , i.e.,
 
, because they are averages for time intervals of different lengths.
 
 
Part D
 
 
 
 
Find the average velocity over the time interval from 3 to 6 seconds.
 
 
 
Express your answer to three significant figures.
 
 
 
 
Hint 1. Determine the displacement
 
 
 
 
What is the displacement?
 
 
 
Answer to the nearest integer.
 
 
 
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
2BWF <> = 20 NT
 
 
 
 NT
 
 
2BWF <>
 
2BWF <> = 13.3 NT
 
2BWF <> 2BWF <> 2BWF <>
 
2BWF<>2BWF<>
 
 
 
 
 
4 Ã4  = 40
 
 
 
 
N
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Hint 2. Determine the time interval
 
 
 
 
What is the time interval?
 
 
 
Answer to two significant figures.
 
 
 
 
ANSWER:
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
Part E
 
 
 
 
Finally, find the average velocity over the whole time interval shown in the graph.
 
 
 
Express your answer to three significant figures.
 
 
 
 
Hint 1. Determine the displacement
 
 
 
 
What is the displacement?
 
 
 
Answer to the nearest integer.
 
 
 
 
ANSWER:
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
Note that though the average velocity is zero for this time interval, the instantaneous velocity (i.e., the slope of
 
 
 
the graph) has several different values (positive, negative, zero) during this time interval.
 
Note as well that since average velocity over a time interval is defined as the change in position (displacement)
 
in the given interval divided by the time, the object can travel a great distance (here 80 meters) and still have
 
zero average velocity, since it ended up exactly where it started. Therefore, zero average velocity does not
 
necessarily mean that the object was standing still the entire time!
 
 
Given Positions, Find Velocity and Acceleration
 
 
0G Ã0J = 3.0 T
 
2BWF <> = 13.3
 
 
 
 
NT
 
 
 
4 Ã4  = 0 N
 
2BWF <> = 0 NT
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Learning Goal:
 
 
 
 
To understand how to graph position, velocity, and acceleration of an object starting with a table of positions vs. time.
 
 
 
The table shows the x coordinate of a moving object. The position is tabulated at 1s
 
intervals. The x coordinate is
 
 
 
 
indicated below each time. You should make the simplification that the acceleration of the object is bounded and
 
contains no spikes.
 
time (s) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
 
 
 
x (m) 0 1 4 9 16 24 32 40 46 48
 
 
 
 
 
Part A
 
 
 
 
Which graph best represents the function , describing
 
the object's position vs. time?
 
 
 
Hint 1. Meaning of a bounded and nonspiky acceleration
 
 
 
 
A bounded and nonspiky acceleration results in a smooth graph of vs. .
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
Part B
 
 
 
 
Which of the following graphs best represents the function , describing the object's velocity as a function of
 
 
 
40
 
 
 
 
4 0
 
 
 
1
 
2
 
3
 
4
 
 
 
20
 
 
 
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time?
 
 
 
Hint 1. Find the velocity toward the end of the motion
 
 
 
 
Velocity is the time derivative of displacement. Given this, the velocity toward the end of the motion is
 
__________.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Hint 2. What are the implications of zero velocity?
 
 
 
 
Two of the possible velocity vs. time graphs indicate zero velocity between and . What would
 
the corresponding position vs. time graph look like in this region?
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Hint 3. Specify the characteristics of the velocity function
 
 
 
 
The problem states that "the acceleration of the object is bounded and contains no spikes." This means that
 
the velocity ___________.
 
ANSWER:
 
positive and increasing
 
positive and decreasing
 
negative and increasing
 
negative and decreasing
 
 
 
0 -  0 -  T
 
 
 
 
a horizontal line
 
straight but sloping up to the right
 
straight but sloping down to the right
 
curved upward
 
curved downward
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
In principle, you could also just compute and plot the average velocity. The expression for the average velocity
 
is
 
.
 
The notation emphasizes that this is not an instantaneous velocity, but rather an average over an
 
interval. After you compute this, you must put a single point on the graph of velocity vs. time. The most accurate
 
place to plot the average velocity is at the middle of the time interval over which the average was computed.
 
Also, you could work back and find the position from the velocity graph. The position of an object is the integral
 
of its velocity. That is, the area under the graph of velocity vs. time from up to time must equal the
 
position of the object at time . Check that the correct velocity vs. time graph gives you the correct position
 
according to this method.
 
 
Part C
 
 
 
 
Which of the following graphs best represents the function
 
, describing the acceleration of this object?
 
has spikes
 
has no discontinuities
 
has no abrupt changes of slope
 
is constant
 
1
 
2
 
3
 
4
 
 
 
2BWH<00>-
 
40Ã40
 
0Ã0
 
2BWH <0 0 >
 
0 -  0
 
 
 
0
 
 
 0
 
 
 
11/10/2014 HW_Week2
 
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Hint 1. Find the acceleration toward the end of the motion
 
 
 
 
Acceleration is the time derivative of velocity. Toward the end of the motion the acceleration is __________.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Hint 2. Calculate the acceleration in the region of constant velocity
 
 
 
 
What is the acceleration over the interval during which the object travels at constant speed?
 
 
 
Answer numerically in meters per second squared.
 
 
 
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Hint 3. Find the initial acceleration
 
 
 
 
Acceleration is the time derivative of velocity. Initially the acceleration is _________.
 
ANSWER:
 
ANSWER:
 
zero
 
positive
 
negative
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  = 0 NT
 
 
 
 
zero
 
positive
 
negative
 
1
 
2
 
3
 
4
 
 
 
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Correct
 
 
 
 
In one dimension, a linear increase or decrease in the velocity of an object over a given time interval implies
 
constant acceleration over that particular time interval. You can find the magnitude of the acceleration using the
 
formula for average acceleration over a time interval:
 
.
 
When the acceleration is constant over an extended interval, you can choose any value of and within the
 
interval to compute the average.
 
 
Velocity and Acceleration of a Power Ball
 
 
Learning Goal:
 
 
 
 
To understand the distinction between velocity and acceleration with the use of motion diagrams.
 
 
 
In common usage, velocity and acceleration both can imply having considerable speed. In physics, they are sharply
 
 
 
 
defined concepts that are not at all synonymous. Distinguishing clearly between them is a prerequisite to understanding
 
 
 
motion. Moreover, an easy way to study motion is to draw a motion diagram, in which the position of the object in motion
 
 
 
 
is sketched at several equally spaced instants of time, and these sketches (or snapshots) are combined into one single
 
picture.
 
In this problem, we make use of these concepts to study the motion of a power ball. This discussion assumes that we
 
have already agreed on a coordinate system from which to measure the position (also called the position vector) of
 
objects as a function of time. Let and be velocity and acceleration, respectively.
 
Consider the motion of a power ball that is dropped on the floor and bounces back. In the following questions, you will
 
describe its motion at various points in its fall in terms of its velocity and acceleration.
 
 
 
Part A
 
 
 
 
You drop a power ball on the floor. The motion diagram of the ball is sketched in the figure . Indicate whether the
 
magnitude of the velocity of the ball is increasing,
 
decreasing, or not changing.
 
 
 
Hint 1. Velocity and displacement vectors
 
 BWH<00>-
 
20Ã20
 
0Ã0
 
0 0
 
. . 0
 
2 . 0 . 0
 
 
 
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By definition, the velocity is the ratio of the distance traveled to the interval of time taken. If you interpret the
 
vector displacement as the distance traveled by the ball, the length of is directly proportional to the
 
length of . Since the length of displacement vectors is increasing, so is the length of velocity vectors.
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
While the ball is in free fall, the magnitude of its velocity is increasing, so the ball is accelerating.
 
 
Part B
 
 
 
 
Since the length of is directly proportional to the length of , the vector connecting each dot to the next could
 
represent velocity vectors as well as displacement vectors, as shown in the figure here . Indicate whether the
 
velocity and acceleration of the ball are, respectively,
 
positive (upward), negative, or zero.
 
 
 
Use P, N, and Z for positive (upward), negative, and
 
 
 
 
zero, respectively. Separate the letters for velocity
 
and acceleration with a comma.
 
 
 
 
Hint 1. Acceleration vector
 
 
 
 
The acceleration is defined as the ratio of the change in velocity to the interval of time, and its direction is
 
given by the quantity , which represents the change in velocity that occurs in the
 
interval of time .
 
ANSWER:
 
 
 
Correct
 
 
 
 
.. 2.
 
..
 
 
 
 
increasing
 
decreasing
 
not changing
 
 
 
2. ..
 
2.- 2 . 0 Ã2 . 0
 
0 - 0 Ã0
 
 
 
 
N,N
 
 
 
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