Problems

3.5 ?? Many applications of conservation of momentum involve conservation of energy as well, and we havent yet
begun our discussion of energy. Nevertheless, you know enough about energy from your introductory physics
course to handle some problems of this type. Here is one elegant example: An elastic collision between two
bodies is defined as a collision in which the total kinetic energy of the two bodies after the collision is the
same as that before. (A familiar example is the collision between two billiard balls, which generally lose extremely little of their total kinetic energy.) Consider an elastic collision between two equal mass bodies, on
of which is initially at rest. Let their velocities be v1 and v2 = 0 before the collision and v01 and v02 after.
Write down the vector equation representing conservation of momentum and the scalar equation which expresses that the collision is elastic. Use these to prove that the angle between v01 and v02 is 90 . This result
was important in the history of atomic and nuclear physics: That two bodies emerge from a collision traveling
on perpendicular paths was strongly suggestive that they had equal mass and had undergone an elastic collision.
Solution:

For conservation of momentum, we can write the vector equation for the two bodies of equal mass m as
mv1 + mv2 = mv01 + mv02 .
From the question, we know that v2 = 0. We can now break the momentum vector equation into its components
given by the diagram and simplify them.
y-component:

x-component:
mv1 =
v1 =

0
0
0 = mv1y
+ mv2y

0
0
mv1x
+ mv2x
0
0
v1x + v2x

0
v1y

0
= v2y

From conservation of energy, we can write

1
1
1
mv12 = mv102 + mv202
2
2
2
v12 = v102 + v202 .
Now if we substitute v1 from the x-component equation and write v10 and v20 in terms of their components, we
get




0
0 2
02
02
02
02
(v1x
+ v2x
) = v1x
+ v1y
+ v2x
+ v2y
02
0
0
02
02
02
02
v1x
+ 2v1x
v2x
+ v2x
= v1x
+ v2x
+ 2v1y
0
0
02
v1x
v2x
= v1y
.

Now, if two vectors are 90 , then the dot product of these two vectors is zero. So if we take v01 v02 we find that
0
0
0
0
v01 v02 = v1x
v2x
+ v1y
v2y
.
0
0
From the y-component equation, we know that v1y
= v2y
. Therefore the dot product becomes
0
0
02
v01 v02 = v1x
v2x
v1y
.

0
0
02
From energy conservation, we found that v1x
v2x
= v1y
. So finally, we can write the dot product as
0
0
0
0
v01 v02 = v1x
v2x
v1x
v2x
= 0.

Therefore, the vectors v01 and v02 are orthogonal.

Q.E.D.
3.12 ?? To illustrate the use of a multistage rocket consider the following: (a) A certain rocket carries 60% of its initial
mass as fuel. (That is, the mass of fuel is 0.6m .) What is the rockets final speed, accelerating from rest in free
space, if it burns all its fuel in a single stage? Express your answer as a multiple of vex . (b) Suppose instead
it burns the fuel in two stages as follows: In the first stage it burns a mass 0.3m of fuel. It then jettisons the
first-stage fuel tank, which has a mass of 0.1m , and then burns the remaining 0.3m of fuel. Find the final
speed in this case, assuming the same value of vex throughout, and compare.
Solution:
First, lets go through the derivation for the thrust from a rocket in zero gravity for a rocket moving in a
straight line so all the action occurs on one axis. We know that the momentum of the rocket of mass m is
initially given by
P (t) = mv.
At a short time dt later, we know the mass of the rocket has changed by dm (which is a negative value) and the
velocity has changed by dv. We also know that the rocket ejects fuel in this time of mass dm (the opposite
of the mass lost by the rocket) with a velocity vex relative to the ship. This means the momentum becomes
P (t + dt) = (m + dm)(v + dv) + (dm)(v vex )
= mv + m dv + v dm + dm dv dm v + dm vex
= mv + m dv + dm vex
where I neglected the term dm dv because it is small and insignificant. Now if we find the change in momentum
in this time dt, we get
P (t + dt) P (t) = m dv + dm vex .
For this situation,
is no gravitational force so the net force on the object is zero, as given by Newtons
P ~ there
p
.
Therefore
we can write
Second Law
F = d~
dt
dv
dm
+ vex
dt
dt
dm
= vex
Zdtm
dm0
= vex
0
m m
m


= vex ln
.
m

0=m
m
Z

dv
dt

dv 0

v v
Therefore, the speed of the rocket is given by

v = v + vex ln

m 

(a) If the rocket burns 0.6m , then the final mass of the rocket is 0.4m . Therefore the final speed of the
rocket is


m
v = vex ln
= 0.916vex .
0.4m
(b) In the first stage, the rocket burns fuel equal to 0.3m . This means the mass of the rocket after the first
stage is 0.7m . Therefore the speed of the rocket after the first stage is


m
v = vex ln
= 0.357vex .
0.7m
2

Once the rocket jettisons the first-stage fuel tank and burns through the final 0.3m of fuel, the final mass
of the rocket becomes 0.3m . Therefore, the final speed of the rocket becomes

v = 0.357vex + vex ln

0.6m
0.3m


= 1.05vex .

If we compare these two final speeds, we find that the two-stage rocket has a final speed that is 14.6%
greater than that of the single-stage rocket.
3.13 ?? If you have not already done it, do Problem 3.11(b) and find the speed v(t) of a rocket accelerating vertically
from rest in a gravitational field g. Now integrate v(t) and show that the rockets height as a function of t is
1
mvex  m 
y(t) = vex t gt2
.
ln
2
k
m
Using the numbers in Problem 3.7, estimate the space shuttles height after two minutes.
Solution:
From Problem 3.11(b), we can solve for the speed v(t) from the Equation 3.30 which is
mv = mv
ex mg.

(3.30)

If we let m
= k and m = m kt, we can rewrite Equation 3.30 as
(m kt)v = kvex (m kt)g.
Solving for v gives us
v =

kvex
g.
m kt

Now we can integrate both sides,which gives us

Z v
Z t
dv 0 =


kvex

g
dt0
0
m

kt

v
0


m kt
v v = vex ln
gt.
m

Solving for v(t) gives us


v(t) = v gt vex ln

m kt
m


.

Now, we can integrate to find the position y, which gives us



Z y
Z t
m kt0
0
0
dt0
dy =
v gt vex ln
m
y
0


 


t
1 02 vex m m kt0
m kt0
vex m m kt0
0
y y = v t gt +
ln

2
k
m
m
k
m
0

 

1 2 vex m m kt
m kt
y y = v t gt +
ln
+ vex t
2
k
m
m
If we substitute m = m kt, and solve for y(t), we get
1
mvex
ln
y(t) = y + (v + vex )t gt2 +
2
k

m
m


.

If we let v = 0 and y = 0 and flip the fraction in the natural logarithm function, we get
1
mvex  m 
y(t) = vex t gt2
ln
.
2
k
m
3

From Problem 3.7, we know that m = 2 106 kg, m = 1 106 kg, and vex = 3000m/s. We also know that
k = (1 106 kg 2 106 kg)/120 s = 8333.3 kg/sUsing these values, the rocket will reach a height of
y(120 s) = 39907 m

3.14 ?? Consider a rocket subject to a linear resistive force, f = bv, but no other external forces. Use Equation (3.29)
in Problem 3.11 to show that if the rocket starts from rest and ejects mass at a constant rate k = m,
then
its speed is given by
"

b/k #
m
k
.
v = vex 1
b
m

Solution:
Equation (3.29) is given by
mv = mv
ex + F ext .

(3.29)

If we substitute f = bv for F ext and k = m,

the equation becomes
mv = kvex bv.

Rearranging the equation, we can write

kb
dv
=
dt.
v/k vex /b
m
On the right side of the equation, we can rewrite k = dm
dt , this allows us to show
 

dv
b
dm
=
dt
v/k vex /b
m
dt


dv
dm
=b
v/k vex /b
m
Z v
Z m
0
dv
dm0
=b
0
0
v v /k vex /b
m m




v/k vex /b
m
k ln
= b ln
v /k vex /b
m
"

b/k #

m
v/k vex /b
= ln
ln
v /k vex /b
m

b/k
v
v
vex
vex  m

.
k
b
k
b
m
Finally if we solve for the speed v, we get


b/k
k
k
m
v = vex + v vex
b
b
m
"

b/k #
k
m
= v + vex 1
.
b
m
From the problem, we were given that the rocket is initially at rest, so we know that v = 0. Therefore, the
final speed equation becomes
"

b/k #
k
m
v = vex 1
.
b
m

3.22 ?? Use spherical coordinates r, , to find the CM of a uniform solid hemisphere of radius R, whose flat face lies
in the x y plane with its center at the origin. Before you do this, you will need to convince yourself that the
element of volume in spherical polars is dV = r2 dr sin() d d. (Spherical polar coordinates are defined in
Section 4.8. If you are not already familiar with these coordinates, you should probably not try this problem
yet.)
Solution:

Figure 1: A visualization of the volume element dV for spherical polar coordinates.

For a quick review, one can easily convince themselves of the volume element dV in spherical polar coordinates
by looking at Figure . To determine the center of mass, we know from symmetry that the CM will lie on the
z-axis and is independent of the coordinates or . That being said, the CM of a uniform solid hemisphere of
mass M and density % is
Z
1
R=
r dm.
M
Using the density %, we can write dm = % dV . And if we substitute dV = r2 dr sin() d d and r = r cos()
z,
we get
Z 2 Z /2 Z R
%
.
R=
r3 dr sin() cos() d d z
M 0
0
0
The triple integral is easy to solve and gives us
R=

%R4
.
z
4M

Since the hemisphere is uniform, we can easily see that the density can be written as % = 3M/(2R3 )
(Mass/Volume). Substituting for the density %, we finally get the position vector R for the CM to be
R=

3
.
Rz
8

3.25 ? A particle of mass m is moving on a frictionless horizontal table and is attached to a massless string, whose
other end passes through as hole in the table, where I am holding it. Initially the particle is moving in a circle
of radius r with angular velocity , but I now pull the string string down through the hole until a length r
remains between the hole and the particle. What is the particles angular velocity now?
Solution:
This problem can be easily solved if we consider conservation of angular momentum. From conservation of
angular momentum, we are able to write
l = lf
mr2
5

= mr2 .

Solving for (final angular velocity), we get

=

 r 2

3.34 ?? A juggler is juggling a uniform rod one end of which is coated in tar and is burning. He is holding the rod
by the opposite end and throws it up so that, at the moment of release, it is horizontal, its CM is traveling
vertically up at speed v and it is rotating with angular velocity . To catch it, he wants to arrange that
when it returns to his hand it will have made an integer number of complete rotations. What should v be, if
the rod is to have made exactly n rotations when it returns to his hand?
Solution:

To solve this problem, we can use simple kinematic equations for both translational and rotational motion.
The rotational kinematic equation for this motion is given by
= t
where is the radial position of the rod, where the angle is positive when counterclockwise from the +x axis.
For the juggler to catch the rod, the rod needs to make an integer number of spins so is given by = 2n
where n = 1, 2, 3, ... where n determines the number of rotations. Substituting this condition for , we can
solve for the time t that will satisfy these rotations, which gives us
t=

2n
.

Now for the vertical position y, the y position is given by

1
y = y + v t gt2 .
2
For simplicity, lets define y = 0. When the rod returns back to the jugglers hand, the position y of the rod
is y = 0. Now if we substitute the time t for integer spins, we can solve for v .

0 = v

2n

1
g
2

2n

2

Solving for v give us

v =

ng

where n = 1, 2, 3, ...