OpenStax University Physics Volume I

Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
University Physics Volume I
Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
Conceptual Questions
1. What form does the trajectory of a particle have if the distance from any point A to point B is
equal to the magnitude of the displacement from A to B?
Solution
straight line
3. If the instantaneous velocity is zero, what can be said about the slope of the position function?
Solution
The slope must be zero because the velocity vector is tangent to the graph of the position
function.
5. If an object has a constant x-component of the velocity and suddenly experiences an
acceleration in the y direction, does the x-component of its velocity change?
Solution
No, motions in perpendicular directions are independent.
7. Answer the following questions for projectile motion on level ground assuming negligible air
resistance, with the initial angle being neither nor (a) Is the velocity ever zero? (b)
When is the velocity a minimum? A maximum? (c) Can the velocity ever be the same as the
initial velocity at a time other than at t = 0? (d) Can the speed ever be the same as the initial
speed at a time other than at t = 0?
Solution
a. no; b. minimum at apex of trajectory and maximum at launch and impact; c. no, velocity is a
vector; d. yes, where it lands
9. A dime is placed at the edge of a table so it hangs over slightly. A quarter is slid horizontally
on the table surface perpendicular to the edge and hits the dime head on. Which coin hits the
ground first?
Solution
They both hit the ground at the same time.
11. Can tangential acceleration change the speed of a particle undergoing circular motion?
Solution
yes
13. A basketball player dribbling down the court usually keeps his eyes fixed on the players
around him. He is moving fast. Why doesn’t he need to keep his eyes on the ball?
Solution
If he is going to pass the ball to another player, he needs to keep his eyes on the reference frame
in which the other players on the team are located.
15. The hat of a jogger running at constant velocity falls off the back of his head. Draw a sketch
showing the path of the hat in the jogger’s frame of reference. Draw its path as viewed by a
stationary observer. Neglect air resistance.
Solution

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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

Problems
17. The coordinates of a particle in a rectangular coordinate system are (1.0, –4.0, 6.0). What is
the position vector of the particle?
Solution

19. The 18th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Course is a dogleg to the left of length 496.0 m. The
fairway off the tee is taken to be the x direction. A golfer hits his tee shot a distance of 300.0 m,
corresponding to a displacement and hits his second shot 189.0 m with a
displacement What is the final displacement of the golf ball from the
tee?
Solution

21. A cyclist rides 5.0 km due east, then 10.0 km west of north. From this point she rides
8.0 km due west. What is the final displacement from where the cyclist started?
Solution
Sum of displacements =

23. The position of a particle is (a) What is the velocity of the

particle at 0 s and at s? (b) What is the average velocity between 0 s and s?
Solution
a. , b.

25. The F-35B Lighting II is a short-takeoff and vertical landing fighter jet. If it does a vertical
takeoff to 20.00-m height above the ground and then follows a flight path angled at with
respect to the ground for 20.00 km, what is the final displacement?
Solution

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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

27. A particle’s acceleration is At t = 0, its position and velocity are zero.

(a) What are the particle’s position and velocity as functions of time? (b) Find the equation of the
path of the particle. Draw the x- and y-axes and sketch the trajectory of the particle.
Solution

a. , b.

29. The position of a particle for t > 0 is given by (a) What

is the velocity as a function of time? (b) What is the acceleration as a function of time? (c) What
is the particle’s velocity at t = 2.0 s? (d) What is its speed at t = 1.0 s and t = 3.0 s? (e) What is
the average velocity between t = 1.0 s and t = 2.0 s?
Solution
a. ,
b. , c. ,
d.
,
e.

31. A particle has a position function , where the arguments of

the cosine and sine functions are in radians. (a) What is the velocity vector? (b) What is the
acceleration vector?
Solution
a. , b.

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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
33. A bullet is shot horizontally from shoulder height (1.5 m) with an initial speed 200 m/s. (a)
How much time elapses before the bullet hits the ground? (b) How far does the bullet travel
horizontally?
Solution

a. , b.
35. A dart is thrown horizontally at a speed of 10 m/s at the bull’s-eye of a dartboard 2.4 m
away, as in the following figure. (a) How far below the intended target does the dart hit? (b)
What does your answer tell you about how proficient dart players throw their darts?

Solution

a. , b. They aim high.

37. Suppose the airplane in the preceding problem fires a projectile horizontally in its direction
of motion at a speed of 300 m/s relative to the plane. )a) How far in front of the release point
does the projectile hit the ground? (b) What is its speed when it hits the ground?
Solution
a.,

b.
39. A projectile is launched at an angle of and lands 20 s later at the same height as it was
launched. (a) What is the initial speed of the projectile? (b) What is the maximum altitude? (c)
What is the range? (d) Calculate the displacement from the point of launch to the position on its
trajectory at 15 s.
Solution

a. ,
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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

b. ,
c.

d.
41. At a particular instant, a hot air balloon is 100 m in the air and descending at a constant speed
of 2.0 m/s. At this exact instant, a girl throws a ball horizontally, relative to herself, with an
initial speed of 20 m/s. When she lands, where will she find the ball? Ignore air resistance.
Solution

43. An athlete can jump a distance of 8.0 m in the broad jump. What is the maximum distance
the athlete can jump on the Moon, where the gravitational acceleration is one-sixth that of Earth?
Solution

45. A rock is thrown off a cliff at an angle of with respect to the horizontal. The cliff is 100
m high. The initial speed of the rock is 30 m/s. (a) How high above the edge of the cliff does the
rock rise? (b) How far has it moved horizontally when it is at maximum altitude? (c) How long
after the release does it hit the ground? (d) What is the range of the rock? (e) What are the
horizontal and vertical positions of the rock relative to the edge of the cliff at t = 2.0 s, t = 4.0 s,
and t = 6.0 s?
Solution

a. ,

b. ,

c. , d.
,
e.

47. A golfer on a fairway is 70 m away from the green, which sits below the level of the fairway
by 20 m. If the golfer hits the ball at an angle of with an initial speed of 20 m/s, how close
to the green does she come?
Solution

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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

So the golfer’s shot lands 13.3 m short of the green.

49. An astronaut on Mars kicks a soccer ball at an angle of with an initial velocity of 15
2
m/s. If the acceleration of gravity on Mars is 3.7 m/s , (a) what is the range of the soccer kick on
a flat surface? (b) What would be the range of the same kick on the Moon, where gravity is one-
sixth that of Earth?
Solution

a. ,

b.
51. MIT’s robot cheetah can jump over obstacles 46 cm high and has speed of 12.0 km/h. (a) If
the robot launches itself at an angle of at this speed, what is its maximum height? (b) What
would the launch angle have to be to reach a height of 46 cm?
Solution

a.

,
b.

53. Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints can throw a football 23.0 m/s (50 mph). If he angles
the throw at from the horizontal, what distance does it go if it is to be caught at the same
elevation as it was thrown?
Solution

55. A soccer goal is 2.44 m high. A player kicks the ball at a distance 10 m from the goal at an
angle of The ball hits the crossbar at the top of the goal. What is the initial speed of the
soccer ball?
Solution

57. In 1999, Robbie Knievel was the first to jump the Grand Canyon on a motorcycle. At a
narrow part of the canyon (69.0 m wide) and traveling 35.8 m/s off the takeoff ramp, he reached
the other side. What was his launch angle?
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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
Solution

or
1. 59. Aaron Rodgers throws a football at 20.0 m/s to his wide receiver, who is running straight
down the field at 9.4 m/s. If Aaron throws the football when the wide receiver is 10.0 m in front
of him, what angle does Aaron have to launch the ball at so the receiver catches it 20.0 m in front
of Aaron?
Solution
It takes the wide receiver 1.1 s to cover the last 10 m of his run.

61. A particle travels in a circle of radius 10 m at a constant speed of 20 m/s. What is the
magnitude of the acceleration?
Solution

63. A fairground ride spins its occupants inside a flying saucer-shaped container. If the
horizontal circular path the riders follow has an 8.00-m radius, at how many revolutions per
minute are the riders subjected to a centripetal acceleration equal to that of gravity?
Solution

which is
65. What is the acceleration of Venus toward the Sun, assuming a circular orbit?
Solution
Venus is 108.2 million km from the Sun and has an orbital period of 0.6152 y.

67. A fan is rotating at a constant 360.0 rev/min. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of a
point on one of its blades 10.0 cm from the axis of rotation?
Solution

69. The coordinate axes of the reference frame remain parallel to those of S, as moves
away from S at a constant velocity (a) If at time t = 0 the origins
coincide, what is the position of the origin in the S frame as a function of time? (b) How is
particle position for and as measured in S and respectively, related? (c) What is

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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
the relationship between particle velocities (d) How are accelerations
related?
Solution
a. ,
b. ,
c. , d. The accelerations are the same.
71. The velocity of a particle in reference frame A is The velocity of
reference frame A with respect to reference frame B is and the velocity of reference
frame B with respect to C is What is the velocity of the particle in reference frame C?
Solution

73. A seagull can fly at a velocity of 9.00 m/s in still air. (a) If it takes the bird 20.0 min to travel
6.00 km straight into an oncoming wind, what is the velocity of the wind? (b) If the bird turns
around and flies with the wind, how long will it take the bird to return 6.00 km?
Solution
a. A = air, S = seagull, G = ground
velocity of seagull with respect to still air

b.

75. A boat can be rowed at 8.0 km/h in still water. (a) How much time is required to row 1.5 km
downstream in a river moving 3.0 km/h relative to the shore? (b) How much time is required for
the return trip? (c) In what direction must the boat be aimed to row straight across the river? (d)
Suppose the river is 0.8 km wide. What is the velocity of the boat with respect to Earth and how
much time is required to get to the opposite shore? (e) Suppose, instead, the boat is aimed
straight across the river. How much time is required to get across and how far downstream is the
boat when it reaches the opposite shore?
Solution
Take the positive direction to be the same direction that the river is flowing, which is east. S =
shore/Earth, W = water, and B = boat.
a.

b.

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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

c. west of north

d.
e. but only the component of the velocity straight across
the river is used to get the time

Downstream =
77. A cyclist traveling southeast along a road at 15 km/h feels a wind blowing from the
southwest at 25 km/h. To a stationary observer, what are the speed and direction of the wind?
Solution

The angle between and is so the direction of the wind is north of east.

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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
Additional Problems
79. A Formula One race car is traveling at 89.0 m/s along a straight track enters a turn on the
race track with radius of curvature of 200.0 m. What centripetal acceleration must the car have to
stay on the track?
Solution

81. The driver of a car moving at 90.0 km/h presses down on the brake as the car enters a circular
curve of radius 150.0 m. If the speed of the car is decreasing at a rate of 9.0 km/h each second,
what is the magnitude of the acceleration of the car at the instant its speed is 60.0 km/h?
Solution

83. An elephant is located on Earth’s surface at a latitude Calculate the centripetal

acceleration of the elephant resulting from the rotation of Earth around its polar axis. Express
your answer in terms of the radius of Earth, and time T for one rotation of Earth. Compare
your answer with g for

Solution

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Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

The radius of the circle of revolution at latitude is The velocity of the body is

for

85. A propeller blade at rest starts to rotate from t = 0 s to t = 5.0 s with a tangential acceleration
of the tip of the blade at The tip of the blade is 1.5 m from the axis of rotation. At t =
5.0 s, what is the total acceleration of the tip of the blade?
Solution

with respect to
the tangent to the circle of revolution directed inward.
87. A particle’s centripetal acceleration is at t = 0 s where it is on the x-axis and
moving counterclockwise in the xy plane. It is executing uniform circular motion about an axis at
a distance of 5.0 m. What is its velocity at t = 10 s?
Solution

89. A particle located initially at undergoes a displacement of

What is the final position of the particle?
Solution

91. A spaceship is traveling at a constant velocity of when its rockets fire,

giving it an acceleration of What is its velocity s after the rockets
fire?
Solution

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Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

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OpenStax University Physics Volume I
Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
93. A long jumper can jump a distance of 8.0 m when he takes off at an angle of with
respect to the horizontal. Assuming he can jump with the same initial speed at all angles, how
much distance does he lose by taking off at
Solution

95. A mountain biker encounters a jump on a race course that sends him into the air at to the
horizontal. If he lands at a horizontal distance of 45.0 m and 20 m below his launch point, what
is his initial speed?
Solution

97. A geosynchronous satellite orbits Earth at a distance of 42,250.0 km and has a period of 1
day. What is the centripetal acceleration of the satellite?
Solution

Challenge Problems
99. World’s Longest Par 3. The tee of the world’s longest par 3 sits atop South Africa’s Hanglip
Mountain at 400.0 m above the green and can only be reached by helicopter. The horizontal
distance to the green is 359.0 m. Neglect air resistance and answer the following questions. (a) If
a golfer launches a shot that is with respect to the horizontal, what initial velocity must she
give the ball? (b) What is the time to reach the green?
Solution

a.

, b.
101. A truck is traveling east at 80 km/h. At an intersection 32 km ahead, a car is traveling north
at 50 km/h. (a) How long after this moment will the vehicles be closest to each other? (b) How
far apart will they be at that point?
Solution

a.

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Chapter 4: Motion in Two and Three Dimensions
,

b.

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