Solutions for Sample Test 1

1. El Guerrouj ran 1-mile in 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds. What is his speed in m/s?

d = 1 mile = 1609 m
(3 minutes * 60 s minutes) + 43.13 s = 223.12 s
d 1609 m
v= = = 7.211 m s
∆t 223.13 s

2. You can determine the speed of your car using the kilometre marks on the side of the
highway and a watch. How many seconds should elapse between two consecutive marks
if your are driving at 100 km/h?

100 km h *0.277 m*h km*s = 27.7 m s

∆x = v ∆ t
∆x 1000 m
∆t = = = 36.0 s
v 27.7 m s

3. A motorist drives the 150 km distance between two cities in 2.5 hours, but makes the
return trip in 2.0 hours. What is her average speeds for (a) each half of the round trip and
(b) the total trip? Sketch the position-time and velocity-time graphs for this trip.
trip out
d 150 km
v= = = 60.0 km h
∆t 2.5 h

trip back
d 150 km
v= = = 75.0 km h
∆t 2.0 h

round trip
d 300 km
v= = = 66.7 km h
∆t (2.5 + 2.0) h
4. A confused physics student walks to the Marine Institute. He travels 650 m South in 5
minutes and realizes he has left his lab book home. Instantly he goes back home in 4
minutes and gets the book. He then returns to school, 840 m South of his apartment, in 8
minutes. What was his average speed and average velocity (m/min)? Sketch the
position-time and velocity-time graphs for this trip.

Average speed
d (650 + 650 + 840) m 2140 m
v= = = = 125 m min
∆t (5 + 4 + 8) min 17 min

Average Velocity
∆x 840 m 840 m
v= = = = 49.4 m min due South
∆t (5 + 4 + 8) min 17 min

5. A 27 pound meteorite struck a car leaving a dent 22 cm deep in the trunk. If the
meteorite struck the car with a speed of 550m/s, what was the magnitude of its
deceleration?

v y2 = v02y + 2a∆y
v y2 − v02 y 0 2 − (550 m s ) 2
=a= = −6.875 x105 m s2
2 ∆y 2(0.22 m)
6. Using the following v-t graph answer the following questions.

a. What is the object’s acceleration during each distinct phase of travel?

Calculate the slopes of each line segment.

i. 0 - 1 second

∆v (1.0 − −0.5) m s
a= = = 1.5 m s 2
∆t (1 − 0) s

ii. 1 - 3 seconds

0 m/s2, horizontal v-t graphs mean constant velocity

thus no acceleration

iii.

∆v (1.5 − 1.0) m s
a= = = 0.5 m s 2
∆t (4 − 3) s

iv.

∆v (0.0 − 1.5) m s
a= = = −0.75 m s 2
∆t (6 − 4) s

b. What is the object’s displacement during

each distinct phase of travel?

Calculate the area between the line and the time axis,
i.e., the shaded sections

i. Green )x = 0.25 m (Subtract inverted area from upright area)

ii. Blue )x = 2.00 m
iii. Red )x = 1.25 m (Cut into recognizable shapes rectangle under a
triangle)
iv. Yellow )x = 1.50 m

c. What is the object’s average velocity?

Total displacement (the sum of ‘b’) divided by time = 5.0 m / 6.0 s = 0.83 m/s
 d. Accurately plot the object’s x-t graph given its initial position is 5.0 metres.

7. Describes the motion of this object in a few sentences?

The object travels to the right while decelerating for 75 seconds, then stops and remains at rest
for 25 seconds.
8. A volcano shoots out blobs of molten lava called lava bombs, from ground level. A
geologist observing the eruption uses a stopwatch to time the flight of a particular lava
bomb that is projected straight upward. If the time for it to rise and fall back to the
ground is 4.75 seconds, what is its initial speed?

∆y = v0 y ∆t + 1 2 g ∆t 2
0 = v0 y (4.75 s) − 4.9 m s 2 (4.75 s) 2
4.9 m s 2 (4.75 s) 2
= 4.9(4.75) = v0 y = 23.3 m s
4.75 s

9. A stone is thrown vertically upward from the edge of a 25.6 metre tall building, with an
initial velocity of 16.7 m/s. The stone just misses the building on the way down and
strikes the street below. Determine:

a. the total time of flight

b. velocity of the stone (impact velocity) just before it strikes the ground.

time of flight
∆y = v0 y ∆t + 1 2 g ∆t 2
−25.6 m = 16.7 m s ∆t − 4.9 m s2 ∆t 2
0 = −4.9 m s2 ∆t 2 + 16.7 m s ∆t + 25.6 m

− B ± B 2 − 4 AC −16.7 ± 16.7 2 − 4(−4.9)(25.6)

∆t = =
2A −9.81
∆t = −1.147 s
∆t = 4.55 s

impact velocity
v y = v0 y + g ∆t = 16.7 m s − 9.81 m s2 (4.55 s)
v y = −27.9 m s
10. A drunk driver is driving his car at a constant 15.0 m/s, when he sees a dog in the middle
of the road. His reaction time (time to hit the brake) is a drastic 2.50 seconds. Once the
brakes are applied, the car decelerate at a constant 6.50 m/s2. Consider the whole motion
from the time he sees the dog until he stops:

a. How much time is spent in motion?

∆t = ∆t1 + ∆t2
∆t1 = 2.50 s
∆t 2
v y = v0 y + a∆t2
0 = 15.0 m s − 6.5 m s2 ∆t2
−15.0 m s
∆t 2 = = 2.31 s
−6.5 m s2

∆t = (2.5 + 2.31) s = 4.81 s = 4.8 s

b. How far does he travel?

∆x = ∆x1 + ∆x2
∆x1
∆x1 = v∆t1 = 15.0 m s (2.50 s) = 37.5 m

∆x2
∆x2 = v0 y ∆t2 + 1 2 a∆t22
∆x2 = 15.0 m s (2.31 s) + 1 2 (−6.50 m s2 )(2.31 s) 2 = 17.31 m

∆t = (37.5 + 17.310 m = 54.8 m

c. Sketch the corresponding position-time and velocity-time graphs.

11. Deborah passes a ghost car travelling at 100 km/h. She travels at a constant
125 km/h. When the cop begins the chase, she is already 40 metres away. The
cop will accelerate at a steady 15.0 m/s2.

a. When and where does he catch up with Deborah?

Deb Truck
∆ x = v ∆t ∆x = v∆t + 1 2 a∆t 2
x f − x0 = v∆t x f − x0 = v∆t + 1 2 a∆t 2
x f − 40m = 34.7 m s ∆t x f − 0 = 27.7 m s ∆t + 1 2 15.0 m s2 ∆t 2
x f = 34.7 m s ∆t + 40m x f = 27.7 m s ∆t + 7.5 m s2 ∆t 2

Substitution for x f
25.0 m s ∆t + 40m = 27.7 m s ∆t + 7.5 m s2 ∆t 2
0 = 7.5 m s2 ∆t 2 + 27.7 m s ∆t − 34.7 m s ∆t − 40m
0 = 7.5 m s2 ∆t 2 − 7.0 m s ∆t − 40m
a quadratic where a = 7.5, b = -7.0 and c = -40
−b ± b 2 − 4ac
tf =
2a
7.0 ± (−7.0) 2 − 4(7.5)(−40)
tf =
2(7.5)
t f = 2.8( s )or − 1.9( s )
Since both the Deb and the Cop travel the same distance,
we can use the simpler Deb equation to solve.
x f = 34.7 m s ∆t + 40m = 34.7 m s (2.8 s) + 40m = 137.2 m

b. What is the cop’s velocity when he catches her?

v = v0 + a ∆t = 27.7 m s + 15.0 m s2 (2.8 s) = 69.7 m s

 c. Sketch the x-t and v-t graphs of this motion.

12. On a river that flows from West to East, a boat tries to head due North. Because of the
river’s 4 m/s current the boat ends up drifting at 30° E of N. What is the speed of the
boat relative to the water? What angle must the sailor point the boat to make the
desired crossing?
v 4.0 m s
tan(30) = wg =
vbw vbw
4.0
vbw = = 6.9 m s
tan(30)

vwg 4.0 m s
θ = sin −1 ( ) = sin −1 ( ) = 35.4°
vbw 6.9 m s
13. Many trans-Atlantic passenger jets were re-routed to St. John’s airport on September 11th.
British Air flight 905, approached the airport with a velocity (relative to the ground) of
240 km/hr @ 30° N of W. Also, approaching St. John’s was, United Airlines flight 643,
which was traveling at a velocity (relative to ground) of 310 km/hr @ 10° E of N.
Assume both planes are in level flight and flying at the same altitude.

Determine the velocity of “British Air flight 905” relative to “United Air flight 643.”
Include a tip-to tail diagram, which must be clearly and properly labeled. Be sure to
show all necessary workings to find the magnitude and direction of the velocity.

v BU = v Bg + v gU = v Bg − vUg

Vector and Standard angle X component Y component

(vx = v*cos2) (vy = v*sin2)
240 m/s @ 150° -207.8 m/s 120.0 m/s
310 m/s @ 260° -53.8 m/s -305.3 m/s
Resultant -261.7 m/s -185.3 m/s

vBU = vx2 + v y2 = (−261.7) 2 + (−185.3) 2 = 320.6 km

h

v
θ = tan −1 ( y ) = 35.3° in the third quadrant w.r.t. the x axis
vx
or 215.3° or 35.3° S of W
14. A person is playing a game of darts. He stands 2.6 m away from the dart board and
throws his dart with a velocity of 8.0 m/s @ 15° above horizontal. The dart follows a
projectile path and just after passing its maximum height, it sticks into the bull’s-eye of
the board.

Sketch an appropriate diagram.

What are the initial velocity components of the dart?

v0 x = v0 cos θ = 8.0 cos(15) = 7.73 m s
v0 y = v0 sin θ = 8.0 sin(15) = 2.07 m s

What is the total flight time of the dart?

∆x = v0 x ∆t
∆x 2.6 m
∆t =
= = 0.34 s
v0 x 7.73 m s
What is the height of the bull’s-eye above the point of release of the dart?

∆y = v0 y ∆t + 1 2 g ∆t 2 = 2.07 m s (0.34 s) − 4.9 m s2 (0.34 s) 2

∆y = 0.12 m
What is the max height of the dart’s flight above its point of release?

vy = 0 m s
v y2 = v02y + 2 g ∆y
0 = (2.07 m s ) 2 − 2(9.81 m s2 ) ∆y
−4.28 m s2
2

= ∆y = 0.21 m
−19.6 m s2

What are the components of the velocity of the dart as it hits the board?

vx = v0 x = 7.73 m s
v y = v0 y + g ∆t = 2.07 m s − 9.81 m s2 (0.34 s) = −1.26 m s

What is the dart’s impact velocity and angle?

vy −1.26 m s
v f = vx2 + v y2 θ = tan −1 ( ) = tan −1 ( ) = −9.26°
vx 7.73 m s
v f = (7.73 m
s ) + (−1.26
2 m
s ) 2
θ = 9.26° Below horizontal
v f = 7.83 m s