(a)(i) State the law of inertia.
(ii) Use the law stated in (a)(I) to explain how wearing a safety belt in a moving vehicle could reduce the possibilities of severe injuries when the vehicle is involved in a collision.
(b)(I) Define the term moment of a force.
(ii) A uniform plank measures \(2\,\text{m}\) long from its ends point A to point B. If the weight of the plank is \(54\,\text{N}\) and it rests on a knife edge \(0.50\,\text{m}\) from end B and point A is supported by a vertical string so that AB balances horizontally:
i. Draw a force diagram for the arrangement;
ii. Determine the tension, T, in the string.
iii. Determine the force, F, acting on the knife edge
(c) State three differences between solid friction and viscosity
(d) State one method of increasing the velocity ration of a pulley system.
(a)(i) The law of inertia states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.
(a)(ii) Wearing a safety belt in a moving vehicle could reduce the possibilities of severe injuries when the vehicle is involved in a collision because of the law of inertia. When a car suddenly stops in a collision, the passengers in the car tend to continue moving forward at the same speed the car was moving before the collision. If they are not restrained by a seat belt, they will keep moving forward and could collide with the dashboard, steering wheel, or windshield. However, if they are wearing a seat belt, the belt applies a force to the passenger in the opposite direction, keeping them from moving forward, and reducing the risk of injury.
(b)(i) The moment of a force is the turning effect of the force about a pivot and is given by the product of the force and the perpendicular distance from the pivot to the line of action of the force.
(b)(ii)
i. The force diagram for the arrangement is a diagram that shows all the forces acting on an object in a particular situation. For this arrangement, the force diagram will show the weight of the plank acting downwards at the center, the tension T acting upwards at point A, and the reaction force F acting upwards at the knife edge.
ii. To determine the tension, T, in the string, we can use the principle of moments. The sum of the clockwise moments about the knife edge must be equal to the sum of the anticlockwise moments about the knife edge. Thus,
54 N x 0.50 m = T x 1.50 m.
Therefore, T = 18 N.
iii. To determine the force, F, acting on the knife edge, we can use the principle of moments. The sum of the clockwise moments about the knife edge must be equal to the sum of the anticlockwise moments about the knife edge and at equilibrium, the sum of upward forces = the sum of forces acting downward
T + F = 54
T = 18 N
18 + F = 54
F = 36 N
(c) Three differences between solid friction and viscosity are:
1. Solid friction is the force that opposes the motion of an object along a solid surface, whereas viscosity is the force that opposes the motion of an object through a fluid.
2. Solid friction depends on the nature of the surfaces in contact, whereas viscosity depends on the properties of the fluid, such as its density and viscosity.
3. Solid friction is independent of velocity, whereas viscosity is directly proportional to velocity.
(d) One method of increasing the velocity ratio of a pulley system is to increase the number of pulleys in the system. The velocity ratio of a pulley system is the ratio of the distance moved by the effort to the distance moved by the load. The more pulleys there are in the system, the greater the distance the effort can move for a given distance moved by the load, thus increasing the velocity ratio.
(a)(i) The law of inertia states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.
(a)(ii) Wearing a safety belt in a moving vehicle could reduce the possibilities of severe injuries when the vehicle is involved in a collision because of the law of inertia. When a car suddenly stops in a collision, the passengers in the car tend to continue moving forward at the same speed the car was moving before the collision. If they are not restrained by a seat belt, they will keep moving forward and could collide with the dashboard, steering wheel, or windshield. However, if they are wearing a seat belt, the belt applies a force to the passenger in the opposite direction, keeping them from moving forward, and reducing the risk of injury.
(b)(i) The moment of a force is the turning effect of the force about a pivot and is given by the product of the force and the perpendicular distance from the pivot to the line of action of the force.
(b)(ii)
i. The force diagram for the arrangement is a diagram that shows all the forces acting on an object in a particular situation. For this arrangement, the force diagram will show the weight of the plank acting downwards at the center, the tension T acting upwards at point A, and the reaction force F acting upwards at the knife edge.
ii. To determine the tension, T, in the string, we can use the principle of moments. The sum of the clockwise moments about the knife edge must be equal to the sum of the anticlockwise moments about the knife edge. Thus,
54 N x 0.50 m = T x 1.50 m.
Therefore, T = 18 N.
iii. To determine the force, F, acting on the knife edge, we can use the principle of moments. The sum of the clockwise moments about the knife edge must be equal to the sum of the anticlockwise moments about the knife edge and at equilibrium, the sum of upward forces = the sum of forces acting downward
T + F = 54
T = 18 N
18 + F = 54
F = 36 N
(c) Three differences between solid friction and viscosity are:
1. Solid friction is the force that opposes the motion of an object along a solid surface, whereas viscosity is the force that opposes the motion of an object through a fluid.
2. Solid friction depends on the nature of the surfaces in contact, whereas viscosity depends on the properties of the fluid, such as its density and viscosity.
3. Solid friction is independent of velocity, whereas viscosity is directly proportional to velocity.
(d) One method of increasing the velocity ratio of a pulley system is to increase the number of pulleys in the system. The velocity ratio of a pulley system is the ratio of the distance moved by the effort to the distance moved by the load. The more pulleys there are in the system, the greater the distance the effort can move for a given distance moved by the load, thus increasing the velocity ratio.
