Dynamics Problem Set #4

1. As shown in Figure 1, when designing a dance platform, the builder needs to consider several
factors, one of which is the load created by people moving along the floor and thereby inducing
a horizontal load upon it. As an example, consider the situation shown in the figure. Two
dancers are accelerating to the left at 1.8m/s2 , while two are standing still upon the floor.
What is the total horizontal force being applied to the floor? vA = aA = vB = aB = 0. vC =
vD = 1.5 i m/s and aC =aD = - 1.8 i m/s2 . Dancers A and B weigh 54 kg, dancer C weighs
50 kg, and dancer D weighs 68 kg.

Figure 1: -

2. As shown in Figure 2, four cars traveling at different velocities become involved in a collision
while traveling in Minnesota during an ice storm. What is the velocity of the four cars’ center
of mass after they have collided (and are moving as a single, large mass)?

Figure 2: -

3. As shown in Figure 3, two blocks rest on a horizontal surface, one atop the other. What is
their acceleration if acted on by a force T = 30N , applied to the upper right corner of block
A? Assume that they can move only horizontally. µ1s = 0.4, µ1d = 0.35, µ2s = 0.2, µ2d =
0.15, mA = 10 kg, mB = 1 kg.

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 Figure 3: -

4. As shown in Figure 4, the mass m2 is placed on a platform m1 that itself is lying on a frozen
lake. The coefficient of friction between m1 and the ice is zero. The mass m2 uniformly
accelerates toward the far end (A) (measured relative to the platform). In 2 s she reaches A.
m1 = 40 kg, m2 = 60 kg, and L = 6 m.

(a) What is the platform’s absolute velocity when the child reaches A?

(b) What was the force between the child and the platform during the motion?

Figure 4: -

5. As shown in Figure 5, calculate the angular momentum of the system of particles about point
P . rP/O = (−10i + 20j + 30k) cm. mA = 0.2 kg, mB = 0.4 kg, mC = 0.1 kg, rA/O = rB/O =
rC/O = (50i + 40k) cm, vA = (10i + 5j) cm/s, vB = (2i + 2k) cm/s, and vC = (−5j − 5k)
cm/s.

6. As shown in Figure 6, what is HO for the three masses A , B , and C? mA = 0.05 kg, mB =
0.04 kg, and mC = 0.01 kg. rA/O = 4i cm, rB/O = (4i+4j+6k) cm, rC/O = (−1.5i−3.2j−2k)
cm, vA = 5k cm/s, vB = (9i + 4j + 3k) cm/s, and vB = −6k cm/s.

7. As shown in Figure 7, two masses (m1 and m2 ) are attached to the ends of a massless, rigid
rod. At the instant shown, vm1 = −5j m/s and vm2 = −10j m/s. m1 = 10 kg, m2 = 40 kg,
and L = 0.5 m.

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 Figure 5: -

Figure 6: -

(a) What is the system ’s angular momentum about O?

(b) What is the angular momentum of the system’s center of mass about O?

(c) Why do the results of a and b differ?

Figure 7: -

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8. As shown in Figure 8, the depicted system is constrained to rotate about the pivot O in the
horizontal plane, where m = 2 kg, M = 5 kg, and r = 0.6 m. Suppose the system is given
an initial angular speed of ω = 180 rpm in the counterclockwise direction, and the appended
masses are made of different materials such that the coefficients of friction for m and M are
µm = 0.2 and µm = 0.25, respectively. Find how long it takes for the system to come to a
stop.

Figure 8: -

9. As shown in Figure 9, a system consisting of two elastically constrained masses m1 and m2 is

free to slide on a frictionless rod that rotates about the pivot point O. Mass m1 is attached
to O along the rod by a spring of stiffness k1 with a free length of l1 , and m1 and m2 are
connected by a spring whose stiffness and free length are k2 and l2 , respectively. The angle θ
describes the rod’s orientation relative to the horizontal, and the positions of m1 and m2 along
the rod are given by L1 and L2 , respectively. Find expressions for the system’s total kinetic
and potential energies.

Figure 9: -

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10. As shown in Figure 10, the device shown in the figure has four massless arms attached to a
central (massless) rod that’s free to rotate in its base B. The four masses can slide along the
arms up to a distance of 0.4 m from the center. Initially, they are a distance of 0.2 m from the
center. m = 0.5 kg and the initial rotation rate is equal to 10 rad/s. At t = 0 the masses are
released with zero velocity relative to the arm they’re attached to. The tangential speed of
the masses is equal to the rotation rate of the arm (θ̇) multiplied by the distance of the mass
from the center of rotation (r).

(a) Determine the rotation rate of the overall system after the masses have reached the stop
at the end of the arms.

(b) What is the kinetic energy change?

Figure 10: -

11. As shown in Figure 11, a simple pendulum of length L and mass M is free to pivot about
the point O on a collar of mass m that is constrained to move along a smooth horizontal rail.
Let x denote the collar’s horizontal position along the rail, and take θ to be the angle that
the pendulum makes with the vertical. Write expressions for the system’s total kinetic and
potential energies.

12. As shown in Figure 12, consider the illustrated double pendulum. Mass m1 is connected to
the pivot point O via a massless, extensible cable of length L1 , and mass m2 is attached to
m1 by a massless, inextensible cable of length L2 . The angles θ and β describe the orientation
of cables L1 and L2 , respectively, as measured from the vertical. Derive an expression for the
double pendulum’s total kinetic energy.

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Figure 11: -

Figure 12: -