CPS

Physics
Coursework 3 (10 questions)
LINEAR MOMENTUM, IMPULSE. KE, PE, MECHANICAL ENERGY AND
WORK.
1. A moving ball of mass M1 and speed u1 collides head-on with a stationary ball of
different mass m2.
a) After the collision, the first ball is stationary and 10% of the kinetic energy is lost.
Show that the mass of the second ball is 10/9 M1.
b) In another collision between the same two balls from the same starting conditions, no
kinetic energy is lost. Determine the final speeds of balls.
(6 marks)
2. A ball of mass 0.16 kg moving with a speed 35 m s-1 is struck by a bat and travels
away from the bat in the opposite direction to that of its approach.
a) What is the momentum of the ball before being struck?
The graph below shows the force which acts on the ball during its period of contact,
between t1 and t2, with the bat.

Calculate:
b) the average force applied to the ball during its contact with the bat
c) the impulse applied to the ball
d) the speed of the ball after it has been struck by the bat

(8 marks)

3. A stationary Uranium nucleus of mass 238 units decays into a Thorium nucleus of
mass 234 units and alpha particle of mass 4 units with speed 1.4 107 m s-1. Calculate
the recoil speed of the Thorium nucleus.
(2 marks)

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Physics
4. A bullet of mass 15 g is fired horizontally from a gun with a velocity of 250 m s-1. It
hits, and becomes embedded in, a block of wood of mass 3000 g, which is freely
suspended by long strings, as shown in the figure below. Air resistance is to be neglected.

a) Calculate the speed of the wooden block and bullet after impact.
b) Calculate the KE of the wooden block and bullet immediately after the impact.
c) What is the maximum height to which the block and bullet rise after impact?
(6 marks)

5) A hiker of mass 80 kg completes a 2.5-hour uphill trek involving a change of height of

900 m.
a) Calculate the average rate at which the hikers body must produce energy required for
the change in height. Assume that the body has an overall efficiency of 20%.
b) Walking also causes the hiker to use energy at an average rate of 230 W. Estimate the
total energy requirement for the whole expedition.
(4 marks)
6. A lorry of mass 2.4 103 kg climbs a hills of incline 1 in 10, as shown below, at a
constant speed of 8.0 m s-1.

If the power of the lorrys engine is 2.4 105 W, calculate:

a) the driving force exerted by the engine
b) the frictional resistance to the lorrys motion

(4 marks)

7. A block of mass m = 50 g begins to slide from rest on an inclined plane, which makes
an angle of 30 with the horizontal. After travelling a horizontal distance s= 50 cm it
stops. Find the work done by the force of friction if the coefficient of friction is k =
0.15.
(8 marks)
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CPS
Physics
8. A pendulum consisting of a ball of mass m is released from the position shown in the
figure below and strikes a block of mass M. The block slides the distance D before
stopping under the action of a steady friction force (k =0.2). Find the D, in terms of the
length L and the two masses, if the ball rebounds to an angle of 20.
(6 marks)

9. What force is exerted on a stationary flat plate held perpendicular to a jet of water as
shown in figure below. The horizontal speed of the water is 80 cm/s, and 30 mL of the
water hits the plate each second. Assume the water moves parallel to the plate after
striking it. One milliliter (mL) of water has a mass of 1.00 g.
(6 marks)

10. Two balls of masses m1 = 2 kg and m2 = 1.5 kg are moving towards each other along
one line. The speeds of the balls just before the collision are: v1 = 1 m/s and v2 = 2 m/s.
The balls then stick together. For how long will these bodies move after they collide if
the coefficient of friction is k = 0.05?
(8 marks)
(Total mark 58 marks)
Modified GK, October 2010/ SRH Sept 2011

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