S 2009 H2 PHYSICS TUTORIAL: FORCES

Hooke's Law 1. A weight is suspended from a spring. The variation with weight of the length of the spring is shown below.
le n g th / c m 16

14

12

10

8 w e ig h t / N

What is the value of the spring constant (force constant) of the spring in N m-1? The graph only shows the length of the spring vs the weight of the load. To find spring constant, the force acting on the spring and the extension need to be found. Weight of the load provides the tension in the spring to extend it. Since F = kx F k= = = !"" N x ".1# ".1!

!"

!. The scale of a certain spring balance reads from " to 1"" N and the scale of the spring is ".!# m long. $ind the elastic potential energ% stored in the spring when the balance reads !" N. (Assume that the spring obe%s &oo'e(s law.) $or a e)tension of ".!# m* a force of 1"" N is re+uired. Thus the spring constant can be obtained. Since F = kx F 1"" k= = = ,"" N !" x ".!# #lastic potential energy = $ kx% !" =( &.&)& ,"" Therefore elastic potential energy = $ '*&&('&.&)&(% =&.)& + with a force of %& N, the extension will be ' Upthrust

-. A long narrow tube is filled with water of densit% 1"!" 'g m -- to a depth of 1."" m. The tube is then inclined at -". to the hori/ontal as shown. 0f atmospheric pressure is 1"" '1a* what is the pressure at point 2* inside the tube?

,oint - is sub.ected to the force of the weight above it and the force due to the at ospheric pressure. i.e. ,x = ,at / 0fghf where hf is the vertical height of the fluid 2 = "&& 1 "& / '"&%& 1 3.4" 1 ".& sin 2&5( = ".&) 1 "&) ,a . $uel tan's often have gauges at the side which show how full the tan' is (see $ig. .1). gauge

fuel

$ig. .1

3)plain wh% the pressure at the bottom of the gauge is the same as the pressure on the bottom of the tan'.
,ressure at a point in a fuel is due to the force acting on it. 6n this case, the force is the weight of the fluid above it. #ven though the weight of the fluid in the tank is greater than the weight of the fluid in the gauge, the pressure at the botto of both side is the sa e. This is because pressure is the ratio of the force over the area. The ratio of the weight over the area is the sa e for the tank and the gauge.

,. An ob4ect hangs from a spring balance. The balance registers #" N in air* -" N when this ob4ect is immersed in water* and ,, N when the ob4ect is immersed in another li+uid of un'nown densit%. What is the densit% of the li+uid?

6n air T" = W W = )& N

6n water T% / 9% = W 9% = )& : 2& = %& N

6n 7i8uid of unknown density T2 / 92 = W 92 = )& : ** = ;.& N

Since 9 = 0fg<f For sub erged in water, 0h%&g<f = %& !!! '"( For sub erged in unknown li8uid, 0xg<f = ;.& !!! '%( Since the ob.ect is totally sub erged in both li8uid, the <f is the sa e. - g<f ." = '%( = '"( = > !" g<f !"

." = 1""" !" 0x = 2&& kg

!2

#. A solid has a densit% of -.# g cm --. 5alculate the densit% of a li+uid in which the solid would float with one-+uarter of its total volume e)posed above the li+uid surface. When an ob.ect floats, it is stationary 'i.e. no net force acting on it( Weight of the ob.ect = 9pthrust acting on the ob.ect g = fg<f

og<o= fg<f
Since the volu e of the ob.ect sub erged is e8ual to the volu e of the fluid displaced, < f = ? <o 2.) 1 g 1 <o= f 1 g 1 ? <o 0f = *.@ g c
!2

E u!"!#r!u$ o% &op"a'ar %or&es 6. A metal disc is acted upon b% a number of forces. The forces are all in the plane of the disc and the weight of the disc is negligible. 0n which of the following situations is the disc in e+uilibrium? $n 8 " 9n 8 " A

7. A bird of weight W lands at the midpoint of a hori/ontal wire stretched between two poles. The magnitude of the force e)erted b% each pole on the wire is F.
F F

For e8uilibriu , Fn = & AFx = &B AFy = &B Since F cos C = F cos C 'no use to solve this 8ues( F sin C / F sin C = W % F sin C = W F D F sin C %F D % F sin C %F D W 'Ens(

<. A small electricall% charged sphere is suspended verticall% from a thread. An oppositel% charged rod is brought close to the sphere such that the sphere is in e+uilibrium when displaced from the vertical b% an angle of ,#=.

Which o'e of the following best represents the free bod% diagram for the sphere?
A . B.

C.

D .

For e8uilibriu , the net force and net tor8ue acting on the ob.ect i.e. Fn = & and Gn = &

ust be Fero.

Thus if the vector addition of the forces is e8ual to &, i.e. the force vectors for s a closed loop, the ob.ect is in e8uilibriu . 1". N<7>!>1 5urrents in the sea water cause the buo% to be displaced so that the rope ma'es an angle of -#" with the vertical* as shown in the above diagram. The buo% ma% be considered to be acted upon b% - forces* the tension T in the rope* a hori/ontal force H and a vertical force < e+ual to "" N. (a) ?sing a scale of 1." cm to represent 1"" N* complete the figure provided to produce a vector triangle for the three forces acting on the buo%. (b) ?se %our vector triangle to determine the magnitude of the force H.

'a(

'b( Iy scale drawingB H = *"& N H Iy calculationB tan -# = < H = ;&& tan 2) = *%& N 11. The diagram shows a beam of length !"." m and mass ,"." 'g resting on two supports placed at #." m from each end.
N N 5 .0 m
1 2

5 .0 m X

A girl of mass #"." 'g stands on the beam between the supports. The reaction forces at the supports are shown. (a) @tate the value of N1 A N!. (b) The girl now moves towards end 2 of the beam. ;etermine the distance of the girl from end 2 when the beam is about to tip. $or e+uilibrium* $n 8 " and 9n 8 "B 'a( Since Fn = & AFy = & JN" / N% = K )& 1 3.4" / *& 1 3.4" N" / N% = 442 N 'b( When the bea is about to tip, the contact at N" will cease to occur, i.e. N" = & Taking o ent at N%, *& 1 3.4" 1 ) = )& 1 3.4" 1 ') : x( x="

2 0 .0 m

1!. Cachid is using a wheelbarrow to move some bloc's. When a lifting force is applied at the handle* its support legs are lifted off the ground. The dimensions of the wheelbarrow are shown in the diagram below.

li&tin g &o rc e $ ! % % o rt le g

0 .8 m

0 .4 m w e ig h t # 6 0 0 N

h o riz o n t l g ro ! n "

When loaded* the total weight of the wheelbarrow and the bloc's is "" N. The ground is hori/ontal. (a) ;etermine (i) the minimum (ert!&a" force needed to lift the support legs off the ground. (ii) the magnitude a') the direction of the force e)erted b% the ground on the wheel. Cachid now pushes the wheelbarrow forward at &o'sta't spee). &e applies a force of ! " N to the handles at an angle of #"= to the vertical. (b) (i) 5alculate the hor!*o'ta" component of the force e)erted b% Cachid. (ii) ;etermine the magnitude of the resultant frictional force acting on the wheelbarrow. 'a( 'i( When the support legs are lifted fro ground, Ns = & the

9sing principle of o ents with pivot at the contact of the wheel and the ground, F7 1 ".% = ;&& 1 &.* F7 = %&& NL 'ii( Since Fn = & J F7 / Nw = K W Nw = ;&& : %&& = *&& N J 'b( Since the wheelbarrow is oving at a constant speed in a straight line, Fn = &. 'i( >oriFontal force = F sin )&5 = %;& sin )&5 = "33 N 'ii( AFx = & f = FhoriFontal = "33 N

1-. A rod of length 1." metre has non-uniform composition* so that the centre of gravit% is not at its geometrical centre. The rod is laid on supports across two top-pan balances as shown in the diagram. The balances (previousl% set at /ero) give readings of !,"g and -!"g.

Since the rod is stationary, it is in e8uilibriu , i.e. Fn = & and Gn = & Taking o ents about M.N 'so that the o ent due to the W of the rod is Fero( %*& 7 = 2%&'" : 7( 7 = &.)@ Therefore, c.g. of rod is &.&@& to the right of the geo etrical center. 1,+ A mountain climber is rappelling down a vertical wall (the figure below ). The rope attaches to a buc'le strapped to the climberDs waist 1#." cm to the right of his center of gravit%. 0f the climber weighs 66" N* find (a) the tension in the rope and (b) the magnitude and direction of the contact force e)erted b% the wall on the climberDs feet.

Since the person is not

oving, he is in e8uilibriu , i.e. Fn = & and Gn = &

'a( The pivot chosen is the point of contact of the wall with the cli berOs feet 'this is so that the o ent due to the friction and the nor al force due to the wall will be &.( 9sing APE = &, Su of anti!clockwise o ent = Su T cos%)Q x "&; = @@& x 3" T = @%3 N 'b( AFx = & N = T sin C N = @%3 sin %)5 = 2&4 N AFy = & f / T sin C = Wc f = @@& : @%3 cos %)5 = "&3 N R% =2&4% / "&3% R = 2%@ N 1"< -"7 C = "3.)5 R is 2%@ N above the horiFontal. tan = 1# A ladder of length #." m and mass !." 'g rests against a wall. 0ts upper end is at a height of ,." m above the ground. Assuming that the wall is smooth* but not the ground* what is the force e)erted b% the wall on the ladder? @ince the ladder is at rest* it is in e+uilibrium* i.e. Fn = & and Gn = & Take o ents about botto of ladder 'so that the o ent due to - and S is Fero(B g x ".) = N x *.& N = '%.& x 3.4"( x ".) T *.& = @.2; N EdditionalB AFx = & U - = N = @.2; N AFy = & U S = g = %.& x 3.4" = "3.; N of clockwise o ent

5.0 m 4.0 m

S g