Faculty of Sciences

Lebanese University
Faculty of Sciences V

P1104
Exercises

Mechanics (TD 3)

2024/2025

Lebanese University-Faculty of Sciences V 1

 Energy and Conservation

Exercise 1
A shopper in a supermarket pushes a cart with a force of 35 N directed at an angle of 25° downward from
the horizontal.
a) Find the work done by the shopper on the cart as he moves down an aisle 50 m long.
b) What is the total work done by the whole forces exerted on the cart? Why?

Exercise 2

A force 𝐹⃗ = 4𝑥 𝑖⃗ + 3𝑦 𝑗⃗ N acts on an object as the object moves in the x direction from the origin to
𝑥 = 5 m. Find the work done on the object by the force.

Exercise 3
A block having a mass of 0.8 kg is given an initial velocity 𝑣𝐴 =
1.2 m/s to the right and collides with a spring of negligible mass
and force constant 𝑘 = 50 N/m, as shown in the adjacent figure.
a) Assuming the surface to be frictionless, calculate the
maximum compression of the spring after the collision.
b) Suppose a constant force of kinetic friction acts between the
block and the surface, with 𝜇𝑘 = 0.5. If the speed of the
block at the moment it collides with the spring is 𝑣𝐴 = 1.2
m/s, what is the maximum compression 𝑥𝑚𝑎𝑥 in the spring?

Exercise 4
When a 4 kg object is hung vertically on a certain light spring that obeys Hooke’s law, the spring
stretches 2.5 cm.
a) If the 4 kg object is removed, how far will the spring stretch if a 1.5 kg block is hung on it.
b) How much work must an external agent do to stretch the same spring 4 cm from its unstretched
position?

Exercise 5
A small particle of mass 𝑚 is pulled to the top of a frictionless
half-cylinder (of radius R) by a cord that passes over the top of
the cylinder, as illustrated in the adjacent figure.
a) If the particle moves at a constant speed, show that 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃.
b) Determine the work done in moving the particle at constant speed
from the bottom to the top of the half-cylinder.

Lebanese University-Faculty of Sciences V 2

Exercise 6
A 250 g block is dropped onto a relaxed vertical spring that has a spring constant of
𝑘 = 2.5 N/cm. The block becomes attached to the spring and compresses the spring
12 cm before momentarily stopping. While the spring is being compressed:
a) What work is done on the block by the gravitational force on it
b) What work is done on the block by the spring force?
c) What is the speed of the block just after it hits the spring?
(Assume that friction is negligible.)
d) If the speed at impact is doubled, what is the maximum compression of the spring?

Exercise 7
A 60 kg skier starts from rest at height H = 20 m
above the end of a ski-jump ramp (See the
figure) and leaves the ramp at angle 𝜃 = 28°.
Neglect the effects of air resistance and assume
the ramp is frictionless.
a) What is the maximum height h of his jump
above the end of the ramp?
b) If he increased his weight by putting on a
backpack, would ℎ then be greater, less, or the same?

Exercise 8
A block with mass 𝑚 = 2 kg is placed against a spring on a frictionless
Incline with angle 𝜃 = 30° (See the figure). (The block is not attached to
the spring.) The spring, with spring constant 𝑘 = 19.6 N/cm, is
compressed 20 cm and then released.
a) What is the elastic potential energy of the compressed spring?
b) What is the change in the gravitational potential energy of the block
– Earth system as the block moves from the release point to its
highest point on the incline?
c) How far along the incline is the highest point from the release point?

Exercise 9
A boy is initially seated on the top of a hemispherical ice mound of radius
𝑅 = 13.8 m. He begins to slide down the ice, with a negligible initial speed
(See the figure). Approximate the ice as being frictionless. At what height
does the boy lose contact with the ice?

Exercise 10
In the adjacent figure, a block of mass 𝑚 = 2.5 kg slides head
on into a spring of spring constant 𝑘 = 320 N/m. When the
block stops, it has compressed the spring by 7.5 cm. The
coefficient of kinetic friction between block and floor is 0.25.
While the block is in contact with the spring and being
brought to rest, what are:
Lebanese University-Faculty of Sciences V 3
 a) The work done by the spring force
b) The increase in thermal energy of the block–floor system?
c) The block’s speed just as it reaches the spring?

Exercise 11
Two blocks are connected by a light string that passes over a
frictionless pulley, as shown in the adjacent figure. The block
of mass 𝑚1 lies on a horizontal surface and is connected to a
spring of force constant 𝑘. The system is released from rest
when the spring is unstretched. If the hanging block of mass
𝑚2 falls a distance ℎ before coming to rest, calculate the
coefficient of kinetic friction between the block of mass 𝑚1
and the surface.

Exercise 12
A 10 kg block is released from point 𝐴 as shown in the
adjacent figure. The track is frictionless except for the
portion between points 𝐵 and 𝐶, which has a length of 6 m.
The block travels down the track, hits a spring of force
constant 2 250 N/m, and compresses the spring 0.3 m from
its equilibrium position before coming to rest momentarily.
Determine the coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the rough surface between 𝐵 and 𝐶.

Exercise 13
A 20 kg block is connected to a 30 kg block by a string that passes
over a light frictionless pulley. The 30 kg block is connected to a
spring that has negligible mass and a force constant of 250 N/m,
as shown in the adjacent figure. The spring is unstretched when
the system is as shown in the figure, and the incline is frictionless.
The 20 kg block is pulled 20 cm down the incline (so that the 30
kg block is 40 cm above the floor) and released from rest.
Find the speed of each block when the 30 kg block is
20 cm above the floor (that is, when the spring is unstretched).

Exercise 14
A block of mass 0.5 kg is pushed against a horizontal spring
of negligible mass until the spring is compressed a distance 𝑥
(See the figure). The force constant of the spring is 450 N/m.
When it is released, the block travels along a frictionless,
horizontal surface to point 𝐵, the bottom of a vertical circular
track of radius 𝑅 = 1m, and continues to move up the track.
The speed of the block at the bottom of the track is 𝑣𝐵 = 12
m/s, and the block experiences an average friction force of 7
N while sliding up the track.
a) What is the value of 𝑥?
b) What speed do you predict for the block at the top of the track?
c) Does the block actually reach the top of the track, or does it fall off before reaching the top?

Lebanese University-Faculty of Sciences V 4