sph1101 2014-5main

SECTION A (40 MARKS)
Question 1
(a) (i) In their standard order, state Newton’s three laws of motion. [4]
(ii) Define an inertial reference system. [1]
(b) (i) Write down the Galilean coordinate transforms. Define all the terms and
symbols that you use. [3]
(ii) Is acceleration a Galilean invariant? [1]
(iii) Justify the answer that you supplied (ii) above. [1]
(c) A man stationed on the ground observes a lorry that is moving away from him
at a speed of 80 km/hr. Another man at the back of the lorry throws – at a
speed of 20 km/hr, a missile directly at the man on the ground.
(i) Write down the Galilean velocity addition formula. Explain with the aid of a well
labelled diagram the symbols that us have used in the Galilean velocity addition
formula. [2]
(ii) At what speed does the man stationed on the ground observe the missile ap-
proach him? [3]
(d) (i) State Archimedes Principle. [1]

(iii) A 2 kg mass is suspended from a spring balance that measures its mass.
Given that 75% of this mass is suspended in a liquid of unknown density
and that the density of this mass is 1200 kg/m3 and further given that the
reading on the spring balance 1.5 kg, what is the density of the liquid in
which this mass is suspended? [4]
(e) One end of a graduated meter rule of uniform mass distribution rests on a
horizontal table while the other rests on a pivot point which is placed at the
60 cm mark. When a mass of m = 0.10 kg is placed at the 95 cm mark, the
other end of the meter rule raises and balances in such a manner that the entire
meter rule is parallel to the surface of the table.
(i) Draw an annotated schematic diagram of the balanced meter rule and label
all the forces. [2]
(ii) What is the mass of the meter rule? [3]
1
(f) (i) State Hooke’s law. [1]
(ii) In SI Units, how much work is done in stretching an elastic string of spring
constant k = 20 Nm−1 by a length x = 10 cm? [3]
(iii) After stretching, how much energy is stored in the string? [1]
(g) A man fires a missile with a speed of 20 ms−1 in a direction parallel to the
ground. After 6 s the missile stops after reaching the ground.
(i) At what distance from the man does the missile reach the ground? [2]
(ii) How far above the ground is the missile fired? [3]
(h) (i) State the two Postulates of Special Relativity. [2]

(ii) In relativity, what do you understand by the term “proper time interval ”
and “proper length”? [3]
SECTION B (60 MARKS)

Question 2
(a) Use Newton’s Third Law of Motion to derive the Law of Consideration of Mo-
mentum. [10]
(b) A parcel bomb stationed on a flat horizontal surface explodes into two fragments
of mass m and M. At the time of the explosion, the magnitude of the velocities
of the two fragments are v and V and they travel distances l and L before they
come to a standstill respectively. The co-efficient of static friction between the
fragments and the surface is µ.
(i) Show that the two fragments will fly-off in opposite directions. [5]
(ii) What is the magnitude of the deceleration, a, suffered by the fragments as they
travel the distances l and L? [5]
Question 3
(a) A ladder with a uniform mass distribution leans against a frictionless wall. If
the coefficient of friction of the ladder with the ground is µ, what is the smallest
angle, θ, the ladder can make with the ground without slipping? [10]
2
(b) A particle of mass m is suspended in equilibrium by two inelastic strings of
lengths a and b from two pegs A and B which are a distance c apart. At points
A and B the two strings of lengths a and b make angles α and β with the
horizontal respectively. Let T1 and T2 be the tensions in these two strings of
lengths a and b respectively. Show that:
mg cos β mg cos α
T1 = and T2 = .
sin(α + β) sin(α + β)
In your answer, use a well labelled diagram and make clear all the reasoning in
each step you take. [10]
Question 4
A block S of mass M is tied to another block H of mass m by a tight inelastic string.

The string passes over a frictionless pulley that is at the edge of a table. The block
S slides on the horizontal surface of the table. The string is taut and parallel to the
surface of the table and as-well parallel to the edge of the table. There is friction
between the surface of the table and the block S.
(a) Draw a well annotated schematic diagram of the above described scenario. [2]
(b) Draw a free-body diagram of the two blocks S and H. Label all the forces. [4]
(c) Write down the equations of motion of the two blocks S and H. [6]
(d) From the equations of motion, calculate the magnitude of the acceleration, a, of the
two blocks. [4]
(e) Again, from the equations of motion, calculate the magnitude of the tension, T , in
the string. [4]
Question 5
Given that in polar coordinates (r, ϕ), the acceleration a of a particle is given by
a = (r̈ − r ϕ̇2 )r̂ + (ṙϕ̇ − 2r ϕ̈)ϕ̂, where the symbols have their usual meanings, answer
the following questions:
(a) Demonstrate that the specific orbital angular momentum, J = r 2 ϕ̇, is a conserved
quantity. [5]
(b) By use of the substitution u = 1/r and the result in (a) above, show that the equation
of the orbit for a test particle in central force field, F (r), is given by:
d2 u F (u)
2
+u = − 2 2.
dϕ u J
[10]
3
(c) What kind of an orbit will result in an inverse cube force field? Use the result in (b)
above to arrive at your answer. [5]
Question 6
(a) In brief, explain how the problems between Maxwellian Electrodynamics and
Newtonian Mechanics led to the formulation the Special Theory of Relativity.
In your discussion, make clear the role played by the Relativity Principle. [5]
(b) Write down the Lorentz transformations. With the aid of a diagram, explain
all the symbols that you use. [6]
(c) From these Lorentz transformations, derive the relativistic velocity addition
formula. [4]
(d) Using the relativistic velocity addition formula that you derived above, demon-
strate the invariance of the speed of light. [5]
THE END.
(: GOOD LUCK :)

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SECTION A (40 MARKS)

(d) (i) State Archimedes Principle. [1]

(h) (i) State the two Postulates of Special Relativity. [2]

SECTION B (60 MARKS)

A block S of mass M is tied to another block H of mass m by a tight inelastic string.

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