Final Examination

Term: Fall Year: 2012

Student Name:
Student Identification Number:
Division Number:
Instructor:

Course: ECE105
Course Title: Physics for Electrical Engineering
Date of Exam: Mon, Dec 10, 2012
Exam Period Start time: 4:00pm End time: 6:30pm
Duration of Exam: 2.5h
Number of Exam Pages: 13 (includes cover page and equation sheet)
Exam Type:

Closed
Book

Special
Materials

Open
Book

Materials allowed are listed below:

Programmable calculator

Select this box if second side of paper is to be used for rough work calculations.

Instructions:
1. Mark your computer card in dark lead PENCIL only. Mark your ID number in the space provided.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you fill in the correct ovals for your ID number.
2. Questions in Part A are worth 1.5 marks each; questions in Part B are worth 4 marks each. These
are multiple choice questions: mark your answers on the computer card provided. There
is no penalty for selecting an incorrect answer. Ignore any round-off errors and pick the closest
answer.
3. Questions in Part C are worth 12 marks each. Answer only 5 of the 6 questions. If you
answer more than five, only the first five will be marked. Write full solutions directly in the
exam booklet, and put your final answer in the boxes provided. Use the back of the opposite page if
necessary; indicate clearly if you have done so. These will be hand-marked, with partial credit given
for correct procedure.
4. Check that this booklet has 21 questions and 13 pages including the equation sheet, which you may
tear off.
5. COMPUTER SHEETS WILL BE COLLECTED AFTER 2 HOURS

Marking scheme: For office use only - do not fill in.

C16
C17
C18
C19

C20

C21

Total

ECE105 Final Exam

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Concept Questions: Answer all questions on the computer

card provided.

1. (1.5 marks) In the diagram below, a block of mass m is attached by a string to a block of unknown
mass M2 on an inclined plane. What is the magnitude of the normal force acting on mass m?
a) N = mg
b) N > mg
c) N < mg
d) N = 0
e) N = mg cos

2. (1.5 marks) A bead is free to travel around a vertical, circular hoop of radius R, without friction.
Gravity is present. At some point, shown in the diagram, the bead is at the bottom of the hoop,
with speed v . At what angle , measured counterclockwise from the vertical, does the normal force
on the bead have its maximum value? Answer in degrees.
a) = 0
b) = 90
c) = 180
d) 0 < < 90
e) 90 < < 180

3. (1.5 marks) A mass m hangs from a rope wound around a pulley. The mass is then allowed to fall
under the effect of gravity. You have three choices of pulleys: a uniform disk, a uniform ring, or a
disk that is thicker near the centre than at the edge. All pulleys have the same mass M and radius
R. Which pulley would you choose to make the mass reach the highest possible speed after falling
distance h?
a) The uniform disk
b) The uniform ring
c) The non-uniform disk
d) All will be the same, because they have the same mass (the radius is irrelevant)
e) All will be the same, because they have the same mass and radius.

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4. (1.5 marks) For a rotating object,

a) If the angular speed is positive the angular acceleration must be positive as well.
b) A zero angular acceleration is possible with non-zero angular speed
c) If the angular speed is zero then the angular acceleration must be zero as well
d) All of the above are true
e) None of the above are true

5. (1.5 marks) A ladder leans against a wall at angle . The other end rests on a horizontal surface.
The ladder will be in static equilibrium if
a) There is sufficient friction between the ladder and the wall
b) There is sufficient friction between the ladder and the floor
c) There is sufficient friction between the ladder and either the wall or the floor. You need friction
on at least one surface, but it doesnt matter which one.
d) There is sufficent friction between the ladder and both surfaces. If either surface is frictionless,
the ladder will slip.
e) None of the above

6. (1.5 marks) A torque acts on a disk, which can pivot about its centre of mass, as shown. The
magnitude of the torque increases linearly with time. Which of the following statements must be
true?
a) The disk is rotating in the clockwise direction
b) The disks angular speed will change at a constant rate.
c) The disks angular acceleration is in the counterclockwise direction.
d) At some point in the future, the disk will be rotating in the clockwise direction.
e) Either none of the above, or more than one of the above, are true.

7. (1.5 marks) A simple harmonic oscillator with period T has speed v at some point in time. The
next time it has the same speed
a) Must be a period T later
b) Must be half a period later
c) Must be one quarter of a period later.
d) Can occur at any value of t between zero and T /2 (inclusive).
e) None of the above.
8. (1.5 marks) If you superpose two waves with the same amplitude and wavelength, the resulting
amplitude will be
a) Twice the amplitude of each wave
b) Four times the amplitude of each wave
c) Some value between zero and four times the amplitude of each wave
d) Some value between zero and twice the amplitude of each wave
e) Any of the above is possible.

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B Short Calculation Questions: Answer all questions on the

computer card provided.
9. (4 marks) The hockey stick shown below has a total mass M , uniformly distributed. The shaft
has length L, and the blade has length L/4, as shown. It can pivot freely about the point P, in the
middle of the shaft. What will be the magnitude of its angular acceleration, if it is subject to a net
torque of 2 Nm acting in the counter-clockwise direction?
a) 1.9/(M L2 )
b) 5.6/(M L2 )
c) 7.5/(M L2 )
d) 16.5/(M L2 )
e) None of the above

10. (4 marks) A spring of spring constant k = 200 N/m has one end fixed to a wall as it sits unstretched
on a horizontal, frictionless surface. The other end is attached to a mass M1 =2 kg. Another mass
M2 is moving toward M1 and collides with it in a perfectly elastic collision. Immediately after the
collision M2 stops moving, while M1 compresses the spring by an unknown distance x. When M1
rebounds back, it strikes the now stationary mass M2 . Find M2 , in kg.
a) 1
b) 2
c) 0.5
d) Not enough information to tell
e) None of the above

11. (4 marks) A spring of spring constant k = 200 N/m has one end fixed to a wall, and the other
attached to a block of mass m. The spring is initially compressed by 10 cm. The block is then moved
until the spring is stretched by 20 cm. What is the work done by the spring on the block, in J?
a) -3
b) -1
c) 1
d) 9
e) None of the above or impossible to tell

ECE105 Final Exam

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12. (4 marks) Block m2 = 5kg rests on a larger block of mass M = 10kg. A rope attached to m2 passes
over a pulley to m1 = 2kg. There is no friction between M and the ground. As a constant force
F = 20N is applied to M , m1 and m2 remain in the configuration shown, relative to each other and
block M . The pulley is massless and frictionless. Find the angle , in degrees.

a) 11.5
b) 84.3
c) 0
d) 6.8
e) None of the above.

13. (4 marks) A 2.0m long string fixed at both ends vibrates at its m = 3 harmonic frequency, with a
maximum amplitude of 3.0cm. Find the oscillation amplitude in cm, a distance x = 10cm from one
end of the string.

a) 3.0
b) 2.72
c) 4.2
d) 1.36
e) None of the above

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14. (4 marks) Mass m = 0.75 kg is released from rest in the system shown, when the spring is stretched
by 15 cm. The pulley is a uniform disk with mass mp = 1kg and radius r = 20cm, and the spring
has k = 200N/m. Find the amplitude of oscillation, in cm.

a) 16.3
b) 15.0
c) 26.3
d) 7.6
e) None of the above

15. (4 marks) A wave moves through otherwise still water, at speed v = 1.5m/s. The wave has an
amplitude of 0.5m, and you measure the distance between successive crests to be 2.5m. Two buoys,
each of mass m = 5kg, float on the water, separated by 4m. The direction of wave propagation is
from buoy A to buoy B. Find the net force acting on A, 3s after the crest of a wave passes by B.
Answer in N. (Watch your precision: keep at least 4 significant figures through your calculations).
a) 28.7
b) 33.8
c) 11
d) 2.2
e) 12

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Problems: Answer only 5 of the 6 questions!!

16. (12 marks) A 12 m tall, 2000 kg pillar is broken at the base. Originally vertical, the pillar begins
to swing. Indiana Jones stands at the top; he is 2m tall and has a mass of 100 kg. Assume enough
friction between the pillar and Jones to ensure Jones does not slide off the pillar, and assume Jones
maintains his orientation relative to the pillar. Assume both the pillar and Jones can be approximated
as thin rods.
(a) (6 marks) How high above the ground is the top of the pillar, when Jones is just about to lose
contact with the pillar?

h=

(b) (3 marks) Find Jones angular acceleration at the instant he is about to leave the pillar.

rad/s2

(c) (3 marks) Find the total linear acceleration at the top of Jones head, the instant he is about
to leave the pillar

a=

m/s2

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17. 12 marks)
The bar in the figure is 3m long, with mass m = 2kg, and rests on the surfaces shown. The contact
with the surface on the right is frictionless. The incline on the left makes an angle of 23 degrees with
the horizontal. The incline on the right makes an angle of 62 degrees with the horizontal. The bar
makes an angle of 45 degrees with the incline on the right. Assume the bar does not slip.
a) (3 marks) Draw a correct free-body diagram for
the rod. Indicate all forces acting on the rod.

b) (3 marks) Calculate the normal force from the frictionless surface (on the right).

c) (6 marks) Find the force of friction acting on the left end of the bar.

f=

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18. (12 marks)

A uniform rod with mass M and length L = 3m is pivoted
at one end as shown. The free end is attached to a vertical
spring fixed to the floor, which is unstretched when the
rod is perfectly horizontal. The rod is raised so it makes
an angle of 5 degrees relative to horizontal, and released
from rest. The tip of the rod is then seen to fall a total
vertical distance of L/5, before bouncing back. Hint: use
the small angle approximation.
a) (3 marks) At what angle from the horizontal, E , is the system in equilibrium? Answer in
degrees.

E =

deg

b) (4 marks) What is the ratio of spring constant to the mass of the rod, k/M ? (Hint: consider
the net torque acting on the system when it is at the equilibrium position found in b).

k/M =

s2

c) (5 marks) Find the frequency of small oscillations, in rad/s.

rad/s2

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19. (12 marks) Many corners on Formula One race circuits are reverse-camber they are sloped
such that the track is higher on the inside of the corner, as shown. This example has a radius of
curvature R = 100m and = 15 degrees.

a) (3 marks)Draw a free-body diagram for the car as shown on the left, traveling into the page
at speed v without slipping, on this track. Identify all forces and the direction of acceleration.

b) (3 marks) Find the minimum possible value for the coefficient of static friction s , if the car
is to make the corner without slipping.

s,min =
c) (3 marks) If the maximum coefficient of static friction is 2.5 times larger than the minimum
you found in part b, what is the maximum speed with which a car could round this corner
without slipping?

vmax =

m/s

d) (3 marks) Inside the car, a spider (m = 10g) hangs from a thread attached to the roof. What
angle does the thread make, relative to the roof, if the car is traveling at the speed found in
part c?

degrees

ECE105 Final Exam

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20. (12 marks)

a) (3 marks) A rubber bullet of mass m1 is fired with horizontal speed v at a stationary block
of mass m2 . If no kinetic energy is lost in the collision, show that, after the collision, the speed
1
of block m2 is given by v2 = m2m
v .
1 +m2

b) (2 marks) Now consider the case where m2 is initially moving with speed v. Write an expression
for its final speed following the collision with the bullet (which is still moving at v ).

v2 =

c) (3 marks) Assume the block has m2 = 2kg and the bullets (m1 = 50g) are fired with speed
v = 10 m/s, at a rate of 3/s. Calculate the average force of the bullets acting on m2 , at the
instant when m2 is at rest. (Neglect any motion of m2 during the time over which the force is
averaged).

F =

d) (4 marks) You continue to fire bullets at the block at the same rate of 3/s. The block speeds
up until it reaches v = 5m/s, at which point it continues to move with constant speed. Find the
coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the surface. (Assume the bullets continue
to strike the block with a horizontal speed of v = 10m/s, relative to the ground).

k =

ECE105 Final Exam

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21. (12 marks) A particle of mass m = 300g, initially at rest, is attached to a unstretched horizontal
spring whose other end is attached to a wall. A constant horizontal force is applied to the mass such
that it comes to rest momentarily 0.4 seconds later, after having travelled 4cm.
a) (4 marks) Find the applied force

F =

b) (2 marks) When the spring is at maximum extension the force is reduced by a factor of 2.
How long does it take the mass to go back to equilibrium?

t=

c) (6 marks) With the force in part b still applied, find the time it takes the particle to go from
a point x1 = A2 , moving in the direction of increasing x at speed v1 , to a point x2 where it has
v2 = vmax /7 and a positive acceleration for the first time since leaving x1 .

t=