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2-1 Motion of bodies with variable mass or acceleration: practice questions

Applied Mathematics — Second: Dynamics · Mathematics. These are 10 questions from the Magmo3 bank on this lesson, from easy to hard. Solve each one, then open "Show answer and explanation". Magmo3 has 37 questions on this lesson, each with an explanation.

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Question 1Easy

A body of mass 3 kg moves with speed 12 m/sec. Find the magnitude of its momentum.

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Correct answer: (B) 36 kg.m/sec

Explanation: Step 1: Momentum p = m v. Step 2: p = 3 × 12 = 36. ∴ Momentum = 36 kg.m/sec

Question 2Easy

A horizontal force of magnitude 0.6 kg.wt acts on a body of mass 300 gm resting on a smooth horizontal plane. Find the acceleration of the body.

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Correct answer: (B) 19.6 m/sec²

Explanation: Step 1: F = 0.6 kg.wt = 0.6 × 9.8 = 5.88 N and m = 300 gm = 0.3 kg. Step 2: a = F ÷ m = 5.88 ÷ 0.3 = 19.6 m/sec².

Question 3Easy

A body moves in a straight line with a uniform velocity of 54 km/h while its mass increases at a constant rate of 0.4 kg/sec. Find the magnitude of the force acting on it.

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Correct answer: (D) 6 N

Explanation: Step 1: F = d(mv)/dt = v dm/dt, because v is constant. Step 2: v = 54 × 5/18 = 15 m/sec. Step 3: F = 15 × 0.4 = 6 N.

Question 4Medium

A body of mass 3 kg is acted on by a variable force F = 6t newtons, where t is the time in seconds. Find its acceleration at t = 2 s.

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Correct answer: (C) 4 m/sec²

Explanation: Step 1: At t = 2: F = 6 × 2 = 12 N. Step 2: From F = m a, a = F ÷ m = 12 ÷ 3. Step 3: a = 4. ∴ Acceleration = 4 m/sec²

Question 5Medium

A body of mass 2 kg moves under the action of the forces F₁ = a î + 3 ĵ, F₂ = 4 î + b ĵ and F₃ = −î + 2 ĵ (in newtons). Its displacement vector is S = (t² − 3) î + (5t − 2t²) ĵ metres. Find the constants a and b.

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Correct answer: (A) a = 1, b = −13

Explanation: Step 1: V = dS/dt = 2t î + (5 − 4t) ĵ and a = dV/dt = 2 î − 4 ĵ. Step 2: F₁ + F₂ + F₃ = (a + 3) î + (b + 5) ĵ. Step 3: By Newton's second law this equals m a = 4 î − 8 ĵ. Step 4: a + 3 = 4 gives a = 1, and b + 5 = −8 gives b = −13.

Question 6Medium

A force F = (2r + 6) newtons acts on a body of mass 2 kg, initially at rest at the origin O, in the direction of its motion along a straight line, where r is its distance from O in metres. Find r when the velocity of the body becomes 4 m/sec.

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Correct answer: (A) 2 m

Explanation: m v dv/dr = F ⇒ 2 ∫₀ᵛ v dv = ∫₀ʳ (2r + 6) dr ⇒ v² = r² + 6r. v = 4 ⇒ r² + 6r − 16 = 0 ⇒ (r + 8)(r − 2) = 0; the body moves from rest in the positive direction, so r = 2 m. (8/3 m comes from treating the acceleration as the constant 3 m/sec², its value at O.)

Question 7Medium

A body of variable mass m = (t + 3) kg moves in a straight line, and its displacement vector is S = (t² + 4t) c metres, where c is a unit vector in the direction of motion and t is in seconds. Find the magnitude of the force acting on the body when t = 2 sec.

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Correct answer: (C) 18 N

Explanation: Step 1: V = dS/dt = (2t + 4) c, so the momentum H = m V = (t + 3)(2t + 4) c = (2t² + 10t + 12) c. Step 2: F = dH/dt = (4t + 10) c. Step 3: When t = 2: F = 8 + 10 = 18 N (m × a = 5 × 2 = 10 N alone forgets that the mass changes).

Question 8Hard

A metal ball of mass 50 gm moves in a straight line through a dusty medium, and dust sticks to it at a constant rate of 2 gm per second. Its displacement after t seconds is s = (t² + 5t) cm. Find the magnitude of the force acting on the ball when t = 5 sec.

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Correct answer: (D) 150 dyne

Explanation: Step 1: The mass after t seconds is m = (50 + 2t) gm and the velocity is v = ds/dt = (2t + 5) cm/sec. Step 2: F = d(mv)/dt = m dv/dt + v dm/dt = (50 + 2t) × 2 + (2t + 5) × 2. Step 3: When t = 5: m = 60 gm, v = 15 cm/sec, so F = 60 × 2 + 15 × 2 = 120 + 30. Step 4: F = 150 dyne.

Question 9Hard

A body of mass 2 kg starts from rest and moves in a straight line under a force F = (12 − 4t) newtons acting along the line, where t is in seconds. Find the distance it covers until it comes to rest again.

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Correct answer: (B) 36 m

Explanation: Step 1: a = F ÷ m = 6 − 2t, so v = ∫₀ᵗ (6 − 2t) dt = 6t − t². Step 2: It is at rest again when 6t − t² = 0, i.e. t = 6 sec (v is positive on ]0, 6[). Step 3: Distance = ∫₀⁶ (6t − t²) dt = [3t² − t³/3]₀⁶ = 108 − 72. Step 4: Distance = 36 m (9 m/sec is its greatest velocity, at t = 3).

Question 10Hard

Sand falls vertically at a steady rate of 5 kg/sec onto a horizontal belt moving at a constant 2 m/sec. Find the horizontal force needed to keep the belt moving at this speed.

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Correct answer: (C) 10 N

Explanation: Step 1: The sand must be accelerated to the belt speed; here mass is variable, so F = v × (dm/dt). Step 2: F = 2 × 5. Step 3: F = 10. ∴ Force = 10 N

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