1.

Boat crossing river - 1 (⋆)

A river of width 𝐿 has a current of speed 𝑣𝑐 , uniform accross its width and
constant in time. A boat crosses the river, and its engines allow it to have
a speed 𝑣𝑏⃗ relative to the current, with a direction 𝜃 that can be choosen.
The captain wants to reach the other side of the river at the point which
is exactly facing the starting point of the boat. How must she choose the
angle 𝜃?

2. Boat crossing river - 2 (⋆)

A river of width 𝐿 has a current of speed 𝑣𝑐 , uniform accross its width
and constant in time. A boat crosses the river, starting from point 𝑂 and
finishing its course on point 𝑃 on the opposite side. Its engines allow it to
have speed 𝑣𝑏 in the direction perpendicular to the current. As a function
of the quantities above:
1. Compute the velocity vector of the boat relative to the ground, and the
angle 𝜃 it makes with the direction of the river.
2. What is the distance (along the river bank) between the starting point
𝑂 and the end point 𝑃 ?
Suggestion: You can use two different methods, a geometrical one or one
based on kinematics.

3. Gravitational acceleration (⋆)

An object is thrown straight upwards with an initial speed of 20𝑚/𝑠. It
is only subject to gravitational acceleration 𝑔 = 9.8𝑚/𝑠 What is maximum
height that it reaches? How long does it take the object to return to the
starting position?

4. Uniform circular motion - Polar coordi-

nates(⋆)
A point-mass 𝑀 (blue dot) is moving along a circle of radius 𝑅 centered in
𝑂 at constant angular velocity. To study the kinematics of 𝑀 , we use the
polar basis centered in 𝑂 with unit vectors ̂𝑟 and 𝜃:̂
• the vector ̂𝑟 is defined by ̂𝑟 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
OM/ OM
• the vector 𝜃̂ is perpendicular to ̂𝑟, as in the figure.
1. Express vectors ̂𝑟 and 𝜃̂ in terms of the Cartesian unit vectors ̂𝑖 and 𝑗.
̂
2. Show that
d̂𝑟 d𝜃̂
= 𝜃𝜃̂̇ and = −𝜃̂𝑟̇ .
d𝑡 d𝑡
3. Compute the velocity vector of 𝑀 . What angle does it make with ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
OM?
4. Compute the acceleration vector of 𝑀 . What angle does it make with
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
OM?

5. Elliptical trajectory (⋆)

A point 𝑀 goes around an ellipse of semi-major axis length 𝑎 and semi-
minor axis length 𝑏. At any time, the position of 𝑀 with respect to the
origin is
𝑟 ⃗ = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
OM = 𝑎 cos(𝜔𝑡 + 𝜑)̂𝑖 + 𝑏 sin(𝜔𝑡 + 𝜑)𝑗,
̂
where 𝜔 and 𝜑 are constants.
1. What are the dimensions of 𝜔 and 𝜑?
2. Show that the position of 𝑀 verifies the equation of an ellipse, that is
𝑥 2 𝑦 2
( ) + ( ) = 1.
𝑎 𝑏
3. Show that the movement of 𝑀 is periodic, and compute the period 𝑇 .
4. Compute the velocity vector 𝑣.⃗
Is the magnitude of the velocity constant in time?
5. Show that the acceleration vector 𝑎⃗ always points towards the center of
the ellipse.
6. Angle for collision (⋆ ⋆)
A particle 𝐴 with initial position 𝑑̂
𝑦 moves with a constant velocity 𝑣 ⃗ =
𝑣̂
𝑥. A second particle 𝐵 starts at the origin (position 0) with no velocity
and has a constant acceleration 𝑎.⃗
We want to find the angle 𝜃 such that there is a collision between 𝐴
and 𝐵.
1. Show that 𝜃 verifies
2𝑣2
cos2 𝜃 + cos 𝜃 − 1 = 0.
𝑎𝑑
2. Show that there is only one reasonable 𝜃 that satisfies this condition.
Note: for 2., you do necessarily have to compute 𝜃.

7. Calling dog (⋆ ⋆)

A woman jogs along a straight path at constant speed 𝑣ℎ . Her dog is at rest
at a distance 𝑑 from her, as in the drawing. At 𝑡 = 0, she calls her dog. The
dog starts running in a straight line forming an angle 𝜃 with the path, and
with a constant acceleration 𝛾. It reaches the path at point 𝑃 exactly at
the same time as the woman (that is, they both reach 𝑃 at the same time).
How fast does the woman run? Do an analytical calculation, then give
a numerical value using 𝛾 = 1𝑚 ⋅ 𝑠−2 , 𝑑 = 6𝑚 and 𝜃 = 𝜋6 .

8. Optimal trajectory (⋆ ⋆)
A person walking on a straight road sees a scarecrow in a field, at a distance
d from the road. He decides to go see it from closer, and enters the field at
point 𝑃 . While in the field, he walks straight to the scarecrow. His speed is
𝑣1 on the road and 𝑣2 in the field. Find the position of 𝑃 so that the time
to reach the scarecrow is minimal.

9. Cycloid - Rolling without slipping (⋆ ⋆)

Consider a wheel of radius 𝑅 and center 𝐴 that is rolling without slipping
along a horizontal path (direction 𝑥) at constant speed 𝑣0 . We are interested
in the kinematics of a point 𝑀 located on the radius of the wheel and call
𝜃 the angle it makes relative to the vertical, as in the figure. We use the
referential centered in point 𝑂, with unit vectors (̂𝑖, 𝑗). ̂
1. Assuming that the wheel has travelled a horizontal distance 𝑥 from point
𝑂, compute the vectors ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
OA, ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
AM and ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
OM as a function of 𝑥, 𝑅, 𝜃 and
the unit vectors.
2. Show that the velocity of point 𝑀 is
 d⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
OM
= (𝑣0 − 𝑅𝜃 ̇ cos 𝜃)̂𝑖 + 𝑅𝜃 ̇ sin 𝜃𝑗.
̂
d𝑡
3. The wheel is rolling without slipping. Explain why this means that the
velocity of 𝑀 vanishes when it comes in contact with the ground. Using
this, find a relation between 𝑣0 , 𝑅 and 𝜃,̇ and then another between 𝑥, 𝑅
and 𝜃.
4. Assuming that the wheel started in 𝑂 at 𝑡 = 0, show that the trajectory
(𝑥𝑀 , 𝑦𝑀 ) of point 𝑀 is defined by
𝑥𝑀 (𝜃) = 𝑅(𝜃 − sin 𝜃)
𝑦𝑀 (𝜃) = 𝑅(1 − cos 𝜃).
This curve is called a cycloid and has many interesting properties (https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycloid).
5. Compute the acceleration of 𝑀 , and show that it always points towards
the center of the wheel.

10. Satellite around the Earth (⋆ ⋆)

An object in space is following a circular trajectory of radius 𝑟 around
the Earth with a constant angular velocity 𝜔. We admit that because of
gravitation, it has an acceleration
2
𝑅
𝑎 = 𝑔( )
𝑟
directed to the center of the Earth, where 𝑔 = 9.8 𝑚 ⋅ 𝑠−2 is the gravitional
acceleration at the surface of the Earth and 𝑅 = 6 400 km is the radius of
the Earth.
1. Find a relation between 𝜔, 𝑟 and 𝑅.
2. Given that the Earth-Moon distance is 384 000 km, compute the period
of rotation of the moon around the Earth. Does your result correspond
to what you expect?
3. A space agency wants to set a satellite in geo-stationary orbit: its period
of rotation is the same as the period of rotation of the Earth around
itself. What should the radius of the orbit be?