MEL1010 Engineering Mechanics

Tutorial 5 Kinematics of Particles

Tutorial Class: Thursday, 26th September 2025

Answer following questions. Mention valid assumptions wherever applicable

Questions about rectilinear motion, curvilinear motion using normal-tangential coordinates and polar
coordinates, relative motion, space curvilinear motion, constrained motion

1 To test the effects of “weightlessness" for short

periods of time, a test facility is designed which
accelerates a test package vertically up from 𝐴 to 𝐵
by means of a gas-activated piston and allows it to
ascend and descend from 𝐵 to 𝐶 to 𝐵 under free-fall
conditions. The test chamber consists of a deep well
and is evacuated to eliminate any appreciable air
resistance. If a constant acceleration of 40𝑔 from 𝐴
to 𝐵 is provided by the piston and if the total test
time for the 'weightless" condition from 𝐵 to 𝐶 to 𝐵
is 10 𝑠, calculate the required working height h of
the chamber. Upon returning to 𝐵, the test package
is recovered in a basket filled with polystyrene
pellets inserted in the line of fall.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. ℎ = 125.7 𝑚

2 Small steel balls fall from rest through the opening

at 𝐴 at the steady rate of two per second. Find the
vertical separation ℎ of two consecutive balls when
the lower one has dropped 3 meters. Neglect air
resistance.

𝐴𝑛𝑠. ℎ = 2.61 𝑚

3 On its takeoff roll, the airplane starts from rest and

accelerates according to 𝑎 = 𝑎0 − 𝑘𝑣 2 , where 𝑎0 is
the constant acceleration resulting from the engine
thrust and −𝑘𝑣 2 is the acceleration due to
aerodynamic drag. If 𝑎0 = 2 𝑚/𝑠 2 , 𝑘=
 0.00004 𝑚−1, and 𝑣 is in meters per second,
determine the design length of runway required for
the airplane to reach the take-off speed of 250 𝑘𝑚/
ℎ if the drag term is (𝑎) excluded and (𝑏) included.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. (𝑎) 𝑠 = 1206 𝑚, (𝑏) 𝑠 = 1268 𝑚,
4 The 𝑥- and 𝑦- motion of guides 𝐴 and 𝐵 with right-
angle slots control the curvilinear motion of the
connecting pin P, which slides in both slots. For a
short interval, the motions are governed by 𝑥 =
1 1
20 + 4 𝑡 2 and 𝑦 = 15 − 6 𝑡 3 , where 𝑥 and 𝑦 are in
millimeters and t is in seconds. Calculate the
magnitude of the velocity 𝒗 and acceleration 𝒂 of
the pin for 𝑡 = 2 𝑠. Sketch the direction of the path
and indicate its curvature for this instant.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. 𝑣 = 2.24 𝑚𝑚/𝑠, 𝑎 = 2.06 𝑚𝑚/𝑠 2
Note: Use Rectangular Coordinates

5 A rocket is released at point 𝐴 from jet aircraft flying

horizontally at 1000 km/h at an altitude of 800 m.
If the rocket thrust remains horizontal and gives the
rocket a horizontal acceleration of 0.5𝑔, determine
the angle 𝜃 from the horizontal to the line of sight to
the target.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. 𝜃 = 30°
Note: Use Rectangular Coordinates

6 The direction of motion of a flat tape in a numerical-

control device is changed by the two pulleys 𝐴 and
𝐵 shown. If the speed of the tape increases
uniformly from 2 m/s to 18 m/s while 8 meters of
tape pass over the pulleys, calculate the magnitude
of the acceleration of point 𝑃 on the tape in contact
with pulley 𝐵 at the instant when the tape speed is
3 m/s.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. 𝑎 = 63.2 m/s 2
Note: Use normal-tangential coordinate

7 The robot arm is elevating and extending

simultaneously. At a given instant, 𝜃 = 30°, 𝜃̇ =
10 deg/s = constant, 𝑙 = 0.5 𝑚, 𝑙 ̇ = 0.2 𝑚/𝑠, and
𝑙 ̈ = −0.3 𝑚/𝑠 2 . Compute the magnitudes of the
velocity 𝒗 and acceleration 𝒂 of the gripped part 𝑃.
In addition, express 𝒗 and 𝒂 in terms of unit vectors
𝒊 and 𝒋.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. 𝑣 = 0.296 m/s, 𝑎 = 0.345 m/s2
𝒗 = 0.064 𝒊 + 0.289𝒋 m/s
𝒂 = −0.328𝒊 − 0.1086𝒋 m/s 2
Note: Use Polar Coordinate
8 The small block 𝑃 travels with constant speed 𝑣 in
the circular path of radius 𝑟 on the inclined surface.
If 𝜃 = 0 at time 𝑡 = 0, determine the 𝑥-, 𝑦-, and 𝑧-
components of velocity and acceleration as function
of time.
𝐴𝑛𝑠.
√3 𝑣 𝑣 1 𝑣
𝑥= 𝑟 cos 𝑡, 𝑦 = 𝑟 sin 𝑡, 𝑧 = − 𝑟 cos 𝑡
2 𝑟 𝑟 2 𝑟
√ 3 𝑣 𝑣 1 𝑣
𝑥̇ = − 𝑣 sin 𝑡, 𝑦̇ = 𝑣 cos 𝑡, 𝑧̇ = 𝑣 sin 𝑡
2 𝑟 𝑟 2 𝑟
√3 𝑣 2 𝑣 𝑣2 𝑣
𝑥̈ = − cos 𝑡, 𝑦̈ = − sin 𝑡, 𝑧̈
2 𝑟 𝑟 𝑟 𝑟
1 𝑣2 𝑣
= cos 𝑡
2 𝑟 𝑟

Note: Space Curvilinear Motion, Rectangular

coordinates
9 An amusement ride called the “corkscrew” takes
the passengers through the upside-down curve of a
horizontal cylindrical helix. The velocity of the cars
as they pass position 𝐴 is 15 m/s, and the
component of their acceleration measured along
the tangent to the path is 𝑔 cos 𝛾 at this point. The
effective radius of the cylindrical helix is 5 m, and
the helix angle is 𝛾 = 40°. Compute the magnitude
of the acceleration of the passengers as they pass
position 𝐴.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. 𝑎 = 27.5 m/s 2
Note: Space Curvilinear Motion, cylindrical
coordinates
10 At the bottom of a vertical loop in the 𝑥-𝑦 plane at
an altitude of 400 m, the airplane has a speed of
600 km/h with no horizontal 𝑥-acceleration. The
radius of curvature of the loop at the bottom is
1200 m. For the radar tracking at 𝑂, determine the
recorded value of 𝑅̈ and ∅̈ for this instant.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. 𝑅̈ = 34.4 𝑚/𝑠 2 , ∅̈ = 0.01038 𝑟𝑎𝑑/𝑠 2
Note: Space Curvilinear Motion, Spherical
Coordinates

11 The spacecraft S approaches the planet Mars along

a trajectory 𝑏 − 𝑏 in the orbital plane of Mars with
an absolute velocity of 19 𝑘𝑚/𝑠. Mars has a velocity
of 24.1 𝑘𝑚/𝑠 along its trajectory 𝑎 − 𝑎. Determine
the angle 𝛽 between the line of sight 𝑆 − 𝑀 and the
trajectory 𝑏 − 𝑏 when Mars appears from the
spacecraft to be approaching it head on.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. 𝛽 = 55.6°
Note: Relative Motion
 Optional
12 Under the action of force 𝑃, the constant
acceleration of block 𝐵 is 3 m/s 2 to the right. At the
instant when the velocity of 𝐵 is 2 m/s to the right,
determine the velocity of 𝐵 relative to 𝐴, the
acceleration of 𝐵 relative to 𝐴, and the absolute
veleocity of pont 𝐶 of the cable.
𝐴𝑛𝑠. 𝑣𝐵/𝐴 = 0.5 m/s, 𝑎𝐵/𝐴 = 0.75 m/s 2
𝑣𝐶 = 1 m/s, 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
Note: Constrained Motion of Connected particles