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Class C Lesson 5 Exercise

Use Scantron sheet to fill in answers of multiple-choice questions.

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1. The figure shows the same breadbox in four situations where horizontal forces are applied. Rank the
situations according to the magnitude of the box’s acceleration, greatest first.
(A) a>b>c>d
(B) c>d>a>b
(C) a>b=c=d
(D) b=c>a=d

2. Three astronauts, propelled by jet backpacks, push and guide a 120 kg asteroid toward a processing
dock, exerting the forces shown in the figure, with F1 = 32N, F2 = 55N, F3 =41N, 𝜃! = 30°, and 𝜃" = 60°.
What is the asteroid’s acceleration component along positive x direction?
(A) 0.86 m/s2
(B) 2.73 m/s2
(C) 4.67 m/s2
(D) 45.4 m/s2

3. The figure shows a box of mass m1 =3.0 kg on a frictionless plane inclined at angle 𝜃! = 30°. The box
is connected via a cord of negligible mass to a box of mass m2 = 2.0 kg on a frictionless plane inclined at
angle 𝜃# = 60°. The pulley is frictionless and has negligible mass. What is the tension in the cord?
(A) 0.92 N
(B) 18.0 N
(C) 16.1N
(D) 22.4 N

4. A 3.5 kg block is pushed along a horizontal floor by a force F of magnitude 15 N at an angle 𝜃 = 40°
with the horizontal as shown in the figure. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the
floor is 0.25. The magnitudes of the frictional force on the block from the floor and the block’s
acceleration are

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(A) 21 N, 4.5 m/s2

(B) 4.5N, 2.7 m/s2
(C) 0.46N, 0.02 m/s2
(D) 11.0N, 0.14 m/s2

5. Body A in the figure has a mass of 102 kg, and body B 32 kg. The pulley and string are massless and
frictionless. The coefficients of friction between A and the incline is 𝜇$ = 0.25. Angle 𝜃 = 40°. The
magnitude of acceleration of A if A is initially moving down the incline, and initially moving up are:
(A) 1.02 m/s2, 3.88 m/s2
(B) 1.62 m/s2, 3.98 m/s2
(C) 4.06 m/s2, 9.88 m/s2
(D) 1.96m/s2, 1.88 m/s2

6. A mass, m, is pulled along a rough horizontal surface, as shown above. If the mass is accelerating,
then the friction force, f, is equal to
(A) F only (B) N only (C) µmg only (D) both A and C (E) both B and C

7. Three masses are connected with strings, as shown above. Determine the acceleration of the 2-
kilogram mass.
(A) 0 m/s2 (B) 1 m/s2 (C) 2 m/s2(D) 4 m/s2 (E) 6 m/s2

8. As shown in the diagram above, a 2-kilogram mass lies on a horizontal rough surface while a 1-
kilogram mass hangs vertically. The string between them is massless, and the pulley is both massless and
frictionless. What minimum coefficient of friction will keep the blocks at rest?
(A) 0.1 (B) 0.2 (C) 0.3 (D) 0.4 (E) 0.5

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9. A person standing on a scale in an elevator at rest. The scale shows a reading of 50-kilogram. When
the elevator accelerates upward at 2.5 meters per second squared, what is the reading of the scale?
(A) 62.5 kg (B) 50 kg (C) 37.5 kg (D) 625 kg (E) 62.5 N

10. Two masses, M and m, are hung over a massless, frictionless pulley as shown below. If M > m, what
is the downward acceleration of mass M?

11. A 20-N force is pushing two blocks horizontally along a frictionless floor as shown below. What is the
force that the 8-kg mass exerts on the 2-kg mass?
(A) 4 N (B) 8 N (C) 16 N (D) 20 N

12. A mass, M, is released from rest on an incline that makes a 42˚ angle with the horizontal. In 3 s, the
mass is observed to have gone a distance of 3 m. What is the coefficient of kinetic friction between the
mass and the surface of the incline?
(A) 0.8 (B) 0.7 (C) 0.6 (D) 0.5
13. A person who weighs 800 N steps onto a scale that is on the floor of an elevator car. If the elevator
accelerates upward at a rate of 5 m/ s2, what will the scale read?
(A) 400 N (B) 800 N (C) 1,000 N (D) 1,200 N (E) 1,600 N

14. A 20 N block is being pushed across a horizontal table by an 18 N force. If the coefficient of kinetic
friction between the block and the table is 0.4, find the acceleration of the block.
(A) 0.5 m/s2 (B) 1 m/s2 (C) 5 m/s2 (D) 7.5 m/s2 (E) 9 m/s2

15. An object of mass m is allowed to slide down a frictionless ramp of angle θ, and its speed at the
bottom is recorded as v. If this same process was followed on a planet with twice the gravitational
acceleration as Earth, what would be its final speed?
% %
(A) 2v (B) √2v (C) v (D) (E)
√# #

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Free-response Questions
1. A 3-kg block is placed on top of a 7-kg block as shown below. The coefficient of kinetic friction
between the 7-kg block and the surface is 0.35. A horizontal force F acts on the 7-kg block.

(a) Draw a free-body diagram for each block.

(b) Calculate the magnitude of the applied force F to maintain an acceleration of 5 m/s2.
(c) Find the minimum coefficient of static friction to prevent the 3-kg block from slipping.

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2. This question concerns the motion of a crate being pulled across a horizontal floor by a rope. In the
diagram below, the mass of the crate is m, the coefficient of kinetic friction between the crate and the
floor is μ, and the tension in the rope is FT.

(a) Draw and label all of the forces acting on the crate.
(b) Compute the normal force acting on the crate in terms of m, FT, θ, and g.
(c) Compute the acceleration of the crate in terms of m, FT, θ, μ, and g.
(d) Assume that the magnitude of the tension in the rope is fixed but that the angle may be varied.
For what value of θ would the resulting horizontal acceleration of the crate be maximized?

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3. In the diagram below, a massless string connects two blocks— of masses m1 and m2, respectively— on
a flat, frictionless tabletop. A force F pulls on Block #2, as shown:

Solve for the following in terms of given quantities.

(a) Draw and label all of the forces acting on Block #1.
(b) Draw and label all of the forces acting on Block #2.
(c) What is the acceleration of Block #1?
(d) What is the tension in the string connecting the two blocks?
(e) If the string connecting the blocks were not massless, but instead had a mass of m, find
(i) the acceleration of Block #1, and
(ii) the difference between the strength of the force that the connecting string exerts on block
#2 and the strength of the force that the connecting string exerts on Block #1.

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4. A sky diver is falling with speed v0 through the air. At that moment (time t = 0), she opens her
parachute and experiences the force of air resistance whose strength is given by the equation F = kv,
where k is a proportionality constant and v is her descent speed. The total mass of the sky diver and
equipment is m. Assume that g is constant throughout her descent.
(a) Draw and label all the forces acting on the sky diver after her parachute opens.
(b) Determine the sky diver’s acceleration in terms of m, v, k, and g.
(c) Determine the sky diver’s terminal speed (that is, the eventual constant speed of descent).
(d) Sketch a graph of v as a function of time, starting at t = 0 and going until she lands, being sure to
label important values on the vertical axis.
(e) Derive an expression for her descent speed, v, as a function of time t since opening her
parachute in terms of m, k, and g.

Class C, Bellingham Academy