PROBLEMS 1 AC 2013/2014

1. A block whose weight is 45.0 N rests on a horizontal table. A horizontal force increasing slowly
is applied to the block, until the block starts to move and after this moment remains constant to that
value. The coefficients of static and kinetic friction are 0.650 and 0.420, respectively. g =10m/s
2
.
(a) What is the value of the applied force when will the block start to move?
(b) What will be the blocks acceleration?
A:

The block begins to move when the applied force has increased to a
value equal to the friction force given by the static friction coefficient.
F =
st
G = 0.65x45 = 29.25N
When the body begins to move the friction coefficient is reduced to the
value of the kinetic friction coefficient
F
f
=
k
G = 0.42x45 = 18.9N < F
The acceleration is given by: aG/g = F - F
f

a = (29.25 18.9)/4.5 = 2.3m/s
2
2. The drawing in figure 101 shows a 25.0-kg crate (a slatted wooden box or framework for packing)
that is initially at rest on a horizontal surface. Note that the view is one looking down on the top of the
crate. Two horizontal forces are applied to the crate, and it begins to move. The coefficient of kinetic
friction between the crate and the floor is
k
=0.35. Determine the magnitude and direction (relative to
the x axis) of the acceleration of the crate.
A: The two forces are in the same horizontal plane .
The components of the resulting force are: F
x
= F
1
cos 53 + F
2

F
y
= F
1
sin 53
The direction of the acceleration is the same as the direction of the resulting force. The resulting force
makes an angle with the 0x direction. tan = F
y
/F
x

The resulting force is F = [(F
x
)
2
+(F
y
)
2
]
-1/2

The acceleration is given by F - F
f
= ma F
f
= mg = 0.352510 = 87.5N
3.
. A block of mass m
1
on a rough, horizontal surface is
connected to a second mass m
2
by a light cord over a
light frictionless pulley as shown in the figure 102.
(Light means that we can neglect the mass of the cord
and the mass of the pulley.)
A force of magnitude F is applied to the mass m
1
as
shown, such that m
1
moves to the right. The coefficient
of kinetic friction between m
1
and the surface is . Find:
(a) the acceleration of the masses.
(b) the tension in the cord
(c) If m
1
= m
2
= 1kg,
s
=0.5 and = 45 what are the
minimum F
m
and the maximum F
M
values of force F so
that the system is at rest (m
1
does not move neither to the
right, nor to the left).

0
1
= + + G F N
n

1
G F N
n
= +
u = = sin
1 1
F g m F G N
n

( ) u = = sin
1
F g m N F
f

a m g m T
2 2
=
( ) u u sin cos
1
F g m T F

Fig.101

Fig. 102
( ) ( )a m m g m F g m F
2 1 2 1
sin cos + = u u
( )
2 1
2 1
sin cos
m m
g m F g m F
a
+
u u
=
2 1
2 1 2 1
sin cos
m m
g m g m g m F g m F
g a
+
+ + u + u
= +
| | g m F g m F
m m
m
T
1 1
2 1
2
sin cos + u + u
+
=

| | g m F g m F
m m
m
F g m F T
2 1
2 1
1
1
sin cos sin cos + u + u
+
u + u =
u + u + u sin cos cos
1 2 1
2
1 2 1
F m g m m g m F m F m

u + + u + u sin sin cos
1 2 1
2
1 2 1
F m g m m g m F m F m

| | ) 1 ( sin cos
1
2 1
2
+ u + u
+
= m F F
m m
m
T
b)
max
F F so that 0 = a
0 sin cos
2 1
= u + u g m F g m F Notation F
max
= F
M

2 3
4 15
4
2
2
2
10 1 5 . 0 10 1
sin cos
1 2

=
+
+
=
u + u
+
=
g m g m
F
M

N 14 . 14 2 10
2
20
= = =
M
F
Notation : the minimum value of the force F
min
= F
m

The direction of the friction force is opposite as in the previous case.
( ) 0 sin cos
1 2
= u u
m m
F g m F g m
( ) g m g m F
m 1 2
sin cos = u u
N 1 . 14 N 2 10
4
2
2
2
5 . 0 1
10
sin cos
1 2
= =

=
u u

=
m m
g F
m

Due to the chosen values there is just one value (not an interval) for F so that there is no acceleration.
If the value is just a little less than 14.1 N the block m
2
will move the system.
If the value is just a little greater than 14.1N, the force F will move the system.

4. Two blocks are in contact on a frictionless horizontal surface.
The blocks are accelerated by a single horizontal force applied
to one of them (Figure 103).
(a) Find the acceleration and the contact force of block 1
on block 2 for the values F = 3.2N , m
1
= 2.0kg and m
2
= 6.0
kg.
(b) What are the acceleration and, respectively, the contact force if g = 10m/s
2
and the friction
kinematical coefficient = 0.1

Figure 103
5. Repeat problem 4, both (a) and (b) questions, but with the two blocks interchanged, so that the force
acts on the mass m
2
.
Are your answers for this problem the same or not?
6. Solve the problem if the force pulls the blocks.

Figure 104

The acceleration is again the same
2 1
m m
F
a
+
=
2 1
m m
F
a
+
=
Tension in not the same
F
m m
m
T
2 1
1
'
+
= F
m m
m
T
2 1
2
"
+
=

In the presence of friction (friction forces not represented in the figures)
( ): g
m m
F
a
+
=
2 1
g
m m
F
a
+
=
2 1


g m g m F
m m
m
T
1 1
2 1
1
' +
+
= g m g m F
m m
m
T
2 2
2 1
2
" +
+
=

7. In the drawing, the weight of the block on the table is 422 N and that of
the hanging block is 185 N.
Ignoring all frictional effects, consider g = 10m/s
2
and assuming the pulley
to be mass less, find :
(a) the acceleration of the two blocks and the tension in the cord.
(b) What should be the kinetic friction coefficient with the table so that the
blocks move at constant speed and what would be the tension in the cord in
this case.


Figure 105