Tutorial 4 Questions
1. In Figure 1, the 50 g bullet travelling at 600 m/s strikes a 4 kg block centrally and is
embedded within it. If the block slides on a smooth horizontal plane with a velocity of 12
m/s in the direction shown prior to impact, determine the velocity, v of the block and
embedded bullet immediately after impact?
Figure 1: Collision between bullet and block
2. The 1500 kg car shown in Figure 2 has a velocity of 30 km/h up the 10 percent grade when
the driver applies more power for 8 seconds to bring the car up to a speed of 60 km/h.
Calculate the time average F of the total force tangent to the road exerted on the tires during
the 8 seconds. Treat the car as a particle and neglect air resistance.
Figure 2: Motion of a car on an inclined surface
3. In Figure 3, freight car A with a total mass of 80 Mg is moving along a horizontal track in
a switching yard at 3 km/h. Freight car B with a total mass of 60 Mg and moving at 5 km/h
overtakes car A and is coupled to it. Determine;
i) The common velocity of the two cars as they move together after being coupled?
ii) The loss of energy due to the impact?
Figure 3: Motion of two freight cars
4. The 450 kg ram of a pile driver falls 1.4 m from rest and strikes the top of a 240 kg pile
embedded 0.9 m into the ground (see Figure 4). Upon impact the ram is seen to move with
the pile with no noticeable rebound. Determine the velocity V of the pile and ram
immediately after impact.
Figure 4: Impact between ram and pile
5. At a certain instant, the linear momentum of a particle is given by 𝑮 = −𝟑𝒊 − 𝟐𝒋 + 𝟑𝒌
kgm/s and its position vector is 𝒓 = 𝟑𝒊 + 𝟒𝒋 − 𝟑𝒌 m. Determine the magnitude Ho of the
angular momentum of the particle about the origin of coordinates.
6. Determine the magnitude Ho of the angular momentum of the 2 kg sphere about point O.
The center of mass of the sphere lies in the x-y plane (See Figure 5);
i) By using the vector definition of angular momentum
ii) By using an equivalent scalar approach
Figure 5: Plane motion of a sphere
7. A comet is in the highly eccentric orbit shown in Figure 6. Its speed at the most distant
point A which is at the outer edge of the solar system is VA=740 m/s. Determine its speed
at the point B of the closest approach to the sun?
Figure 6: Motion of a comet in an eccentric orbit