PROJECTILE MOTION

1) A bullet has a speed of 350 m/sec as it leaves a rifle. If it is fired horizontally from
a cliff 6.4 m above a lake, how far does the bullet travel before striking the water?
Solution: We have a 2-dimensional problem with
constant acceleration (acceleration due to gravity).
This is a projectile motion problem. The figure is as
shown and the coordinate system selected is drawn.
The origin is placed at the bullet's location at time
t=0. Hence the initial conditions for the problem are:
x(t=0) = xo = 0 ;
= yo = 0

y(t=0)

x
6.4 m

a
y

vx(t=0) = vox = 350 m/s; vy(t=0) = voy = 0

Since the only force acting is gravity (downward = + y direction), we have: a x = 0;
ay = + g = + 9.8 m/sec2. The general solutions for the constant acceleration
problem in two dimensions are:
x(t) = (1/2) ax t2 + vox t + xo
vx(t) = ax t + vox

y(t) = (1/2) ay t2 + voy t + yo

vy(t) = ay t + voy

Inserting the values of acceleration and the initial conditions gives us the specific
equations (applicable to this one particular problem).
x(t) = (350) t
y(t) = (1/2)(9.8) t2
vx = 350 m/s
vy(t) = 9.8 t
Let t' be the time when the bullet hits the lake. We then know that: y(t') = + 6.4 m.
Thus:
y(t') = + 6.4 = + 4.9 t'2 t' = 1.143 sec.
The horizontal (x) position of the bullet at this time is then:
= 400 m.

x(t') = (350)(1.143)

2) A player kicks a football at an angle of 37 o with the horizontal and with an initial
speed of 48 ft/sec. A second player standing at a distance of 100 ft from the first in
the direction of the kick starts running to meet the ball at the instant it is kicked.
How fast must he run in order to catch the ball before it hits the ground?
Solution: We have a projectile motion problem (as far as
the football is concerned). Hence we have drawn a
figure, chosen a CS, and write down the initial
conditions (initial position & velocity) of the football (at
t=0).
x0 = 0; y0 = 0; v0x = v0 cos 37; v0y = v0
sin 37
The acceleration is: ax = 0;

y
a
v

37

ay = - 32 ft/sec2.

The general equations of motion for constant acceleration in 2-dimensions are:

xo

x(t) = (1/2) ax t2 + vox t +

vx(t) = ax t + vox

05-2

y(t) = (1/2) ay t2 + vox t

+ yo
vy(t) = ay t + voy

We insert the known values for acceleration & initial conditions and obtain the
specific equations for the football:
x(t) = (48) y(t) = - (1/2)(32) t2 + (48) vy(t) = - 32 t + (48)
(4/5) t
(3/5) t
(3/5)
We can now answer any question regarding the motion of the football. In particular,
we are interested in when it hits the ground (call this t'). We have:
y(t') = 0 = - 16 t'2 + (48)(3/5) t' t' = 0, or t' = 1.8 sec.
Hence the ball will land at x(t') = x(1.8s) = (48)(4/5)(1.8) = 69 ft from the origin.
We can now consider the 2nd player. His initial position (t=0) is 100 ft from the
origin, and he must reach a point 69 ft from the origin in 1.8 sec if he is to catch the
ball. Thus from the definition of average velocity,
vave = (x2 - x1)/(t2 - t1) = (69 - 100)/(1.8) = - 17 ft/sec.
The negative sign indicates that he must run toward the origin (negative x
direction).

VELOCITY
A car travels 2 miles in 4 minutes. Convert this velocity to miles per hour. How
many miles does the car travel in 6 hours?
Solution:
One hour equals sixty minutes.
To solve this problem, set up a ratio in fraction form
(2 miles)/(4 minutes) = (x miles)/(60 minutes)
Now our solution involves algebraic manipulations
Multiply both sides of the equation by 60 minutes
60 minutes * (2 miles)/(4 minutes) = 60 minutes * (x miles)/(60 minutes)
60 minutes * (2 miles)/(4 minutes) = x miles
(60 minutes)/(4 minutes) = 15
(15 * 2 miles)/(1) = 30 miles
The answer is 30 miles per hour
Alternative Solution:
(2 miles)/(4 minutes) = (x miles)/(60 minutes)
Since 4 minutes * 15 = 60 minutes, multiply numerator and denominator of left
side of equation by 15. (This is equivalent to multiplying by one and therefore the
right side of the equation is not affected.)
(2 miles * 15)/(4 minutes * 15) = (30 miles)/(60 minutes) = (30 miles)/(hour)
In six hours travels ...
miles per hour * hours = miles traveled
30 miles per hour * 6 hours = 180 miles
The car travels 180 miles in six hours.

ACCELERATION
Acceleration is the increase in velocity and is measured as follows:
acceleration = (change of velocity)/(time) = (distance/time)/(time)
acceleration = (distance/time)/(time)
Problem:
A car is accelerating from a standstill at 6 miles per hour per hour. How fast is the
car going in two hours? What is the average velocity? How far does the car travel
in two hours?
Solution:
acceleration * time = velocity
6 miles per hour per hour * 2 hours = 12 miles per hour
So at the end of 2 hours the velocity is 12 miles per hour. However, this velocity
has been increasing linearly since the car started moving. If we use the velocity 12
miles per hour to find the distance traveled, the distance found would be the
distance traveled by a car traveling at 12 miles per hour for two hours. But the car
was not traveling at a constant velocity. The car was accelerating. Hence we must
use the average velocity to calculate the distance traveled.
average velocity = (acceleration * time)/2
acceleration = 6 miles per hour per hour
time = 2 hours
average velocity = 6 miles per hour per hour * 2 hours/2 = 6 miles per hour
distance = (average velocity * time)
distance = 6 miles per hour * 2 hours = 12 miles
In cases where the initial velocity is greater than zero, we would use the equation
distance = initial velocity * time + (acceleration * time)/2
Problem:
A car traveling at 60 miles per hour decelerates at 10 miles per hour per hour.
How long before the car comes to a complete stop?
Solution:
Acceleration is the change in velocity per unit of time.
The velocity of the car decreases by ten miles per hour each hour

First hour 50 miles per hour.

Second hour: 40 miles per hour.
Third hour: 30 miles per hour.
Fourth hour: 20 miles per hour.
Fifth hour: 10 miles per hour.
Sixth hour: 0 miles per hour.
proof: acceleration = (velocity - original velocity)/time = -60/6 = -10 miles per
hour per hour
An alternative solution for the time to stop is to use the formula
velocity = original velocity + acceleration * time
to find the time the car took to stop
as long as we remember that
velocity = 0 miles per hour
and
original velocity = 60 miles per hour
and acceleration = -10 miles per hour per hour.
velocity = original velocity + acceleration * time
0 = 60 mph + (-10)*time
-60 mph = (-10)*time
t = (-60)/(-10) = 6 hours.
The average velocity is
(60 miles per hour - 0 miles per hour)/2 = 30 miles per hour
distance traveled = average velocity * time
30 miles per hour * 6 hours = 180 miles
The car traveled 180 miles

FRICTION
Example 1 - A box of mass 3.60 kg travels at constant velocity down an inclined
plane which is at an angle of 42.0 with respect to the horizontal. A string tied to
the box exerts a vertical force of 7.38 N. What is the kinetic coefficient of friction?
Again, start by drawing a picture. In this case, because the box is traveling down
the ramp, we know the frictional force is kinetic. It opposes the motion, so the
frictional force must be directed up the slope. One thing to keep in mind in this
problem is that the velocity is constant - this means the acceleration is zero.

The free-body diagram is also shown, with the forces split into components
parallel and perpendicular to the inclined plane. Because there is no acceleration,
any coordinate system is fine - a system parallel and perpendicular to the ramp is
pretty convenient, though, because two of the forces are along those directions.
Applying Newton's second law to the forces in the y-direction :

Again, we can use this equation to solve for the normal force:

Applying Newton's second law in the x-direction gives:

The box is moving at a constant velocity, so that means the acceleration is zero.
Solving for the kinetic force of friction gives:

The coefficient of kinetic friction can be found from the normal force and the
frictional force:

This is actually a relatively large value for the coefficient, so it's not easy to move
this box along this ramp.
Consider another example involving an inclined plane, only this time there will be
two boxes involved. This is quite a challenging example, so don't be too
intimidated if it looks tricky. Start by seeing if you agree with the free-body

diagrams; if you understand those, you've made an important step in learning

some physics.
Box 1, a wooden box, has a mass of 8.60 kg and a coefficient of kinetic friction
with the inclined plane of 0.35. Box 2, a cardboard box, sits on top of box 1. It has
a mass of 1.30 kg. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the two boxes is 0.45.
The two boxes are linked by a rope which passes over a pulley at the top of the
incline, as shown in the diagram. The inclined plane is at an angle of 38.0 with
respect to the horizontal. What is the acceleration of each box?
The diagram for the situation looks like this:

The next step is to draw a free-body diagram of each box in turn. To draw these, it
helps to think about which way the boxes will accelerate. The two boxes are tied
together, and the heavier box will win...in other words, it will accelerate down the
slope and the lighter one, on top, will be accelerated up towards the pulley. The
pulley, by the way, simply changes the direction of the tension force. We're
assuming that the pulley is massless and frictionless, so both boxes feel the same
tension force. It's important to know the direction of the acceleration (or, if you
don't know, to guess) and apply what you figured out (or your guess) consistently
to both boxes.

The free-body diagram of box 1 is relatively complicated, with a total of 6 forces

appearing. The free-body diagram for box 2 is a little easier to deal with, having 4
forces, so that's a good place to start.
For box 2 - start by summing the forces in the y-direction, where there is no
acceleration:

This can be solved to give the normal force:

Now find the net force in the x direction, where there is an acceleration up the
slope:

There are two unknowns in this equation, the tension T and a x, the acceleration.
We can at least solve for T in terms of ax, like this:

Now move on to box 1. Going back to the free-body diagram and summing forces
in the y-direction gives:

This equation can be solved to give the normal force associated with the
interaction between the inclined plane and box 1:

Things are a little more complicated in the x-direction, but adding up the forces
gives:

substituting in the expression we worked out for T, and what f B and fA are gives:

Moving the acceleration terms to the left side gives:

Solving for the acceleration gives:

DAVE BANDELARIA
BSIT-1