Ain Shams University Freshmen level
Faculty of Engineering Vibrations and Waves
Department of Eng. Phys. & Math. PHM 121s / Fall 2023
Problem Set 1
Linear and Circular Motion
Select the correct answer
1. The displacement between two points is
a) Always larger than any distance between the two points.
b) Always equal to the distance between the two points.
c) Always equal to or smaller than the distance between the two points.
d) Always larger than or equal to the distance between the two points.
2. In a uniform circular motion, the tangential acceleration is:
a) zero
b) positive
c) negative
d) equal to the centripetal acceleration.
3. The momenta of two moving particles are equal. This means that:
a) The two particles have equal masses 𝑚
b) The two particles have equal speeds 𝑣
c) The two particles can only be stopped when acted upon by the same force.
d) The two particles have the same kinetic energy.
4. Two particles perform circular motions with the same frequency. This means that:
a) The paths of motion for the two particles are of the same radius 𝑟.
b) The two particles have the same centripetal acceleration.
c) The two particles have the same tangential speed.
d) The two particles sweep an angle of 30𝑜 in the same period of time.
5. The process in which energy transfers from one particle to another is called:
a) Work.
b) Torque.
c) Acceleration.
d) Circular motion.
6. The velocity of an object as a function of time is given by 𝑣(𝑡) = 2 𝑚/𝑠 + (3 𝑚/𝑠) 𝑡 −
(1 𝑚⁄𝑠 2 )𝑡 2 . Determine the instantaneous acceleration at time 𝑡 = 4 𝑠.
a) −2 𝑚/𝑠 2
b) −5 𝑚/𝑠 2
c) 1 𝑚/𝑠 2
d) 0 𝑚/𝑠 2
e) −1 𝑚/𝑠 2
1
7. An airplane that is flying level needs to accelerate from a speed of 200 𝑚/𝑠 to a speed of 240 𝑚/𝑠
while it flies a distance of 1200 𝑚. What must the acceleration of the plane be?
a) 4.44 𝑚/𝑠 2
b) 2.45 𝑚/𝑠 2
c) 7.33 𝑚/𝑠 2
d) 5.78 𝑚/𝑠 2
e) 1.34 𝑚/𝑠 2
8. The aside figure shows the velocity-versus-time
graph for a basketball player traveling up and
down the court in a straight-line path. Find the
net displacement of the player for the 10 𝑠 shown
on the graph.
a) 20 𝑚
b) 18 𝑚
c) 16 𝑚
d) 14 𝑚
e) 12 𝑚
9. A ball is tied to the end of a cable of negligible mass. The ball is spun in a circle with a radius 2 𝑚
making 0.7 revolutions per second. What is the centripetal acceleration of the ball?
a) 67.9 𝑚/𝑠 2
b) 29.3 𝑚/𝑠 2
c) 14.8 𝑚/𝑠 2
d) 74.2 𝑚/𝑠 2
e) 38.7 𝑚/𝑠 2
Solve the following problem:
1. A 4 𝑘𝑔 object is attached to a vertical rod by two strings, as shown in Figure.
The object rotates in a horizontal circle at constant speed 6 𝑚/𝑠. Find the
tension in a) the upper string and b) the lower string
2. A 4 kg mass is attached to the end of a string rotates in a horizontal circular path in air. The mass has a
constant speed of 2 m/s and the radius of the circle is 0.8 m. what is the magnitude of the resultant force
acting on the mass?
2
Extra Problems
1. A positron undergoes a displacement, Δ𝑟⃗ = 2.0î + 3.0ĵ + 6.0k̂ ending with the position
vector 𝑟⃗ = 3.0ĵ − 4.0k̂, in meters. What was the positron’s initial position vector?
2. The position vector 𝑟⃗ = 5.00𝑡î + (𝑒𝑡 + 𝑓𝑡 2 )ĵ locates a particle as a function of time t.
Vector 𝑟⃗ is in meters, t is in seconds, and factors e and f are constants. Figure 1 gives the
angle of the particle’s direction of travel as a function of t ( is measured from the positive
x direction).What are (a) e and (b) f, including units?
Figure 1
3. The position 𝑟⃗ of a particle moving in an xy plane is given by 𝑟⃗ = (2𝑡 3 − 5𝑡)î +
(6 − 7𝑡 4 )ĵ with 𝑟⃗ in meters and t in seconds. In unit-vector notation, calculate (a) 𝑟⃗, (b) 𝑣⃗,
and (c) 𝑎⃗ for t =2.00 s. (d) What is the angle between the positive direction of the x axis
and a line tangent to the particle’s path at t 2.00 s?
4. An Earth satellite moves in a circular orbit 640 km (uniform circular motion) above Earth’s
surface with a period of 98.0 min. What are (a) the speed and (b) the magnitude of the
centripetal acceleration of the satellite? The radius of Earth is 6.37x106 m.
5. Figure 2 shows four tracks (either half- or quarter-circles) that can be taken by a train,
which moves at a constant speed. Rank the tracks according to the magnitude of a train’s
acceleration on the curved portion, greatest first.
Figure 2
6. In Figure 3, particle P is in uniform circular motion, centered on the origin of an xy
coordinate system. (a) At what values of is the vertical component ry of the position
vector greatest in magnitude? (b) At what values of is the vertical component vy of the
particle’s velocity greatest in magnitude? (c) At what values of is the vertical component
ay of the particle’s acceleration greatest in magnitude?
Figure 3