Practice Sheet

(Newton’s Laws of Motion)

1. A piece of wire is bent in the shape of a parabola y = kx2 (y-axis vertical) with a bead of mass m on it. The bead
can slide on the wire without friction. It stays at the lowest point of the parabola when the wire is at rest. The wire
is now accelerated parallel to the x-axis with a constant acceleration a. The distance of the new equilibrium position
of the bead, where the bead can stay at rest with respect to the wire, from the y-axis is (2009)
a a
(A) (B)
gk 2gk
2a a
(C) (D)
gk 4gk

2. Two particles of mass m each are tied at the ends of a light string of length 2a. The whole system is kept on a
frictionless horizontal surface with the string held tight so that each mass is at a distance a from the center P (see
figure). Now, the mid-point of the string is pulled vertically upwards with a small but constant force F. As a result,
the particles move towards each other on the surface. The magnitude of acceleration, when the separation between
them becomes 2x, is (2007)

F a F x
(A) (B)
2m a − x 2
2 2m a − x 2
2

F x F a2 − x2
(C) (D)
2m a 2m x

3. A particle moves in the x – y plane under the influence of a force such that its linear momentum is
p(t) = A(ıˆ cos kt − ˆ sin kt) , where A and k are constants. The angle between the force and the momentum is (2007)
(A) 0° (B) 30°
(C) 45° (D) 90°

4. System shown in the figure is in equilibrium and at rest. The string is massless and inextensible and spring is
massless. The acceleration of the mass 2m and m just after the string is cut will be (2006)

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 (A) g/2 upwards, g downwards (B) g upwards, g/2 downwards
(C) g upwards, 2g downwards (D) 2g upwards, g downwards

5. A string of negligible mass going over a clamped pulley of mass m supports a block of mass M as shown in the
figure. The force on the pulley by the clamp is given by (2001)

(A) 2Mg (B) 2mg

(C) (M + m)2 + m2 g (D) (M + m)2 + M2 g

6. The pulleys and strings shown in the figure are smooth and of negligible mass. For the system to remain in
equilibrium, the angle  should be (2001)

(A) 0° (B) 30°

(C) 45° (D) 60°

7. A ship of mass 3 × 107 kg initially at rest, is pulled by a force of 5 × 104 N through a distance of 3 m. Assuming
that the resistance due to water is negligible, the speed of the ship is (1980)
(A) 1.5 m/s (B) 60 m/s
(C) 0.1 m/s (D) 5 m/s

8. A reference frame attached to the earth (1986)

(A) is an inertial frame by definition.
(B) cannot be inertial frame because the earth is revolving around the sun.
(C) is an inertial frame because Newton's laws are applicable in this frame.
(D) cannot be an inertial frame because the earth is rotating about its own axis.

9. Two identical trains are moving on rails along the equator on the earth in opposite directions with the same speed.
They will exert the same pressure on the rails. (1985)

10. The pulley arrangements of figure (a) and (b) are identical. The mass of the rope is negligible. In figure (a) the mass m
is lifted up by attaching a mass 2m to the other end of the rope. In figure (b), m is lifted up by pulling the other end of
the rope with a constant downward force F = 2mg. The acceleration of m is the same in both cases. (1984)

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 k
11. A particle of mass 10–2 kg is moving along the positive x-axis under the influence of force F(x) = − , where
2x 2
k = 10−2 N m2 . At time t = 0 it is at x = 1.0 m and its velocity v = 0. (1998)
(a) Find its velocity when it reaches x = 0.5 m.
(b) Find the time at which it reaches x = 0.25 m.

12. A smooth semicircular wire track of radius R is fixed in a vertical plane (see figure). One end of massless spring
of natural length 3R/4 is attached to the lowest point O of the wire track. A small ring of mass m which can slide
on the track is attached to the other end of the spring. The ring is held stationary at point P such that the spring
makes an angle 60° with the vertical. The spring constant is k = mg/R. Consider the instant when the ring is released
(a) draw the free body diagram of the ring, and (b) determine the tangential acceleration of the ring and the normal
reaction. (1996)

13. Two blocks of mass 2.9 kg and 1.9 kg are suspended from a rigid support S by two inextensible wires each of length 1
m (see figure). The upper wire has negligible mass and the lower wire has a uniform mass of 0.2 kg/m. The whole system
of blocks, wire and support have an upward acceleration of 0.2 m/s2. [Take g = 9.8 m/s2.] (1989)
(a) Find the tension at the midpoint of the lower wire.
(b) Find the tension at the midpoint of the upper wire.

14. A uniform rope of length L and mass M lying on a smooth table is pulled by a constant force F. What is the tension
in the rope at a distance l from the end where the force is applied? (1978)

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