NAME: Phys 0475 Practice Midterm Exam I Oct 5, 2010

INSTRUCTIONS: Please print your name above in the space provided.

The actual exam will consists of 4 problems worth 25 points each. It is important to show your work to get credit. Please write neatly so we can give partial credit. You may use calculators, although there is no need for them.

Question 1 2 3 4 Total

Score

1. The trajectory of a charged particle moving in a magnetic eld is given by r = b cos t + b sin t + ctk, i j where b, and c are positive constants. (a) Show that the particle moves with constant speed.

(b) Find the magnitude of its acceleration.

2. A racing car moves on a circular track of radius b. The car starts from rest and its speed increases at a constant rate . (a) Find the velocity vector of the car at time t.

(b) Find the acceleration vector of the car at time t.

(c) Calculate the angle between the velocity and acceleration vectors.

3. In an air show, a pilot is to execute a circular loop at the speed of sound (340 m/s). The pilot may black out if his acceleration exceeds 8g. Find the radius of the smallest circle he can use. [Take g = 10 m/s2 .]

4. A book of mass M is positioned against a vertical wall. The coecient of friction between the book and the wall is . You wish to keep the book from falling by pushing on it with a force F applied at an angle with respect to the horizontal (/2 < < /2), as shown. (a) For a given , what is the minimum F required?
F q M m

(b) For what is this minimum F the smallest? What is the corresponding minimum F?

(c) What is the limiting value of , below which there does not exist an F that keeps the book up?

5. (a) A block starts at rest and slides down a frictionless plane inclined at an angle . What should be so that the block travels a given horizontal distance in the minimum amount of time?

(b) Same question, but now let there be a coecient of kinetic friction between the block and the plane.

6. A particle of mass m is subject to a force F (t) = ma0 ebt . The initial position and speed are zero. Find x(t).

7. A ball is thrown horizontally to the right, from the top of a vertical cli of height h. A wind blows horizontally to the left, and assume (simplistically) that the eect of the wind is to provide a constant force to the left, equal in magnitude to the weight of the ball. How fast should the ball be thrown so that it lands at the foot of the cli?

8. You throw a ball with speed v0 at a vertical wall, a distance l away. At what angle
2 should you throw the ball so that it hits the wall as high as possible? Assume l < v0 /g

(why?).

9. A person stands on a scale at the equator. If the earth somehow stopped spinning but kept its same shape, would the reading on the scale increase or decrease? By what fraction?

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10. An airplane ies at speed v in a horizontal circle of radius R. (a) At what angle should the plane be banked so that you dont feel like you are getting ung to the side in your seat?

(b) At this angle, what is your apparent weight (that is, what is the normal force from the seat)?

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