A monkey of mass 40 kg climbs on a rope (Fig. 5.20) which can stand a maximum tension of 600 N. In which of the following cases will the rope break: the monkey
(a) climbs up with an acceleration of 6 m s-2
(b) climbs down with an acceleration of 4 m s-2
(c) climbs up with a uniform speed of 5 m s-1
(d) falls down the rope nearly freely under gravity?
(Ignore the mass of the rope).
Case (a)
Mass of the monkey, m= 40 kg
Acceleration due to gravity, g= 10 m/s
Maximum tension that the rope can bear, Tmax= 600 N
Acceleration of the monkey, a= 6 m/s2upward
UsingNewton's second law of motion, we can write the equation of motion as:
T- mg= ma
∴T= m(g+ a)
= 40 (10 + 6)
= 640 N
Since T > Tmax, the rope will break in this case.
Case (b)
Acceleration of the monkey, a= 4 m/s2downward
UsingNewton's second law of motion, we can write the equation of motion as:
mg - T = ma
∴T= m (g- a)
= 40(10 - 4)
= 240 N
Since T < Tmax, the rope will not break in this case.
Case (c)
The monkey is climbing with a uniform speed of 5 m/s. Therefore, its acceleration is zero, i.e., a= 0.
UsingNewton's second law of motion, we can write the equation of motion as:
T- mg = ma
T- mg = 0
∴T = mg
= 40 x 10
= 400 N
Since T < Tmax, the rope will not break in this case.
Case (d)
When the monkey falls freely under gravity, its will acceleration become equal to the acceleration due to gravity, i.e., a = g
UsingNewton's second law of motion, we can write the equation of motion as:
mg - T= mg
∴T= m(g- g) = 0
Since T < Tmax, the rope will not break in this case.
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A pebble of mass 0.05 kg is thrown vertically upwards. Give the direction and magnitude of the net force on the pebble,
(a) during its upward motion,
(b) during its downward motion,
(c) at the highest point where it is momentarily at rest.
Do your answers change if the pebble was thrown at an angle of 45° with the horizontal direction? Ignore air resistance.
A train runs along an unbanked circular track of radius 30 m at a speed of 54 km/h. The mass of the train is 106 kg. What provides the centripetal force required for this purpose - The engine or the rails? What is the angle of banking required to prevent wearing out of the rail?
A shell of mass 0.020 kg is fired by a gun of mass 100 kg. If the muzzle speed of the shell is 80 ms-1, what is the recoil speed of the gun?
A block of mass 15 kg is placed on a long trolley. The coefficient of static friction between the block and the trolley is 0.18. The trolley accelerates from rest with 0.5 ms-2 for 20 s and then moves with uniform velocity. Discuss the motion of the block as viewed by (a) a stationary observer on the ground, (b) an observer moving with the trolley.
A bob of mass 0.1 kg hung from the ceiling of a room by a string 2 m long is set into oscillation. The speed of the bob at its mean position is 1 ms-1. What is the trajectory of the bob if the string is cut when the bob is (a) at one of its extreme positions, (b) at its mean position.
Ten one-rupee coins are put on top of each other on a table. Each coin has a mass m. Give the magnitude and direction of
(a) the force on the 7th coin (counted from the bottom) due to all the coins on its top,
(b) the force on the 7th coin by the eighth coin,
(c) the reaction of the 6th coin on the 7th coin.
One end of a string of length l is connected to a particle of mass m and the other to a small peg on a smooth horizontal table. If the particle moves in a circle with speed v the net force on the particle (directed towards the centre) is:
(i) T, (ii) T - mv2 / l , (iii) T + mv2 / l , (iv) 0
T is the tension in the string. [Choose the correct alternative].
Some of the most profound statements on the nature of science have come from Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists of all time. What do you think did Einstein mean when he said : “The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible”?
The sign of work done by a force on a body is important to understand. State carefully if the following quantities are positive or negative:
(a) work done by a man in lifting a bucket out of a well by means of a rope tied to the bucket.
(b) work done by gravitational force in the above case,
(c) work done by friction on a body sliding down an inclined plane,
(d) work done by an applied force on a body moving on a rough horizontal plane with uniform velocity,
(e) work done by the resistive force of air on a vibrating pendulum in bringing it to rest.
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Toricelli's barometer used mercury. Pascal duplicated it using French wine of density 984 kg m-3. Determine the height of the wine column for normal atmospheric pressure.
Just as precise measurements are necessary in science, it is equally important to be able to make rough estimates of quantities using rudimentary ideas and common observations. Think of ways by which you can estimate the following (where an estimate is difficult to obtain, try to get an upper bound on the quantity):
(a) the total mass of rain-bearing clouds over India during the Monsoon
(b) the mass of an elephant
(c) the wind speed during a storm
(d) the number of strands of hair on your head
(e) the number of air molecules in your classroom.
Estimate the average thermal energy of a helium atom at
(i) room temperature (27 °C),
(ii) the temperature on the surface of the Sun (6000 K),
(iii) the temperature of 10 million Kelvin (the typical core temperature in the case of a star).
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y (x, t) = 0.06 sin(2π/3x) cos(120πt)
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( I ) Is the function describing a stationary wave or a travelling wave?
( ii ) Interpret the wave as a superposition of two waves travelling in opposite directions. Find the speed, wavelength and frequency of each wave.
( iii ) Calculate the wire’s tension. [X and y are in meters and t in secs]
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m = m0 / (1-v2)½
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The ceiling of a long hall is 25 m high. What is the maximum horizontal distance that a ball thrown with a speed of 40 m s–1 can go without hitting the ceiling of the hall?