Answers to Grade 12U Physics Key Questions Unit 1:

Lesson 1 Answers:
1. A ladybug with a velocity of 10.0mm / s[W ] crawls on a chair that is being pulled
[W 50 N ] at 40.0mm / s. What is the velocity of the ladybug relative to the ground? (9
marks)
Solution:
First we must identify what we are given.

vbc 10.0mm / s[W ], v cg 40.0mm / s[W 50 N ], 50

where the subscript bc represents the velocity of the bug relative to the chair and cg

represents the velocity of the chair relative to the ground. Now well create the value vbg
which represents the velocity of the ladybug relative to the ground.

v bg ?

vbg

(v xnet ) 2 (v ynet ) 2

Here, v xnet represents the sum of all the horizontal component vectors in the problem

and v ynet represents the sum of all the vertical component vectors.

v xnet ?

v xnet v xchair v xbug

v ynet ?

v ynet v ychair v ybug

v xbug 10.0mm / s[W ]

v ybug 0.00mm / s[ N ]

v xchair ?

v ychair ?

v xchair vcg cos

v ychair v cg sin

v xchair 40.0mm / s[W 50 N ] cos 50

v ychair 40.0mm / s[W 50 N ] sin 50

v xchair 25.7 mm / s[W ]

v xnet 25.7 mm / s[W ] 10.0mm / s[W ]

v xnet 35.7 mm / s[W ]

v ychair 30.6mm / s[ N ]

v ynet 30.6mm / s[ N ]


vbg

(35.7 mm / s[W ]) 2 (30.6mm / s[ N ]) 2

v bg 47.0mm / s[ NW ]

v ynet
tan ( )
v xnet
1

tan 1 (

30.6mm / s[ N ]
)
35.7 mm / s[W ]

41

vbg 47 mm / s[W 41 N ]

Therefore, the velocity of the ladybug relative to the ground is

47 mm / s[W 41 N ].

2. An airplane is flying to a city due west from its current location. If there is a slight
wind blowing to the southwest, in what direction must the plane head (that is, in what
direction must it point)? Explain your answer using a diagram. (3 marks)
Solution:

As demonstrated by the diagram, the initial vector of the plane represents the airspeed of
the plane (its speed relative to the air). When the wind vector is added with a speed
relative to the ground, the resultant vector represents the planes bearing relative to the
ground. The airspeed and airplanes resultant bearing are both pointing west, but one is a
vector relative to the air, the other is relative to the ground.
3. Do research to find out how relative velocity is related to the direction in which rockets
are launched to send them into space. Explain the benefits (to society and/or the
environment) of using a specific direction for launching rockets. (6 marks: 3 marks for
explanation of relative velocity and 3 marks for explanation of benefits)
Solution:
Rockets are launched at a velocity relative to the rotating Earth below them. The Earth
rotates on its axis with a west to east direction at a maximum velocity of approximately
1000 mi/h (at the equator, with respect to the distant stars). When space rockets are
launched, they are launched pointing in an eastward direction so that they can add the
rotation of the earth to their ground velocity (i.e., they gain the extra 1000 mi/h of speed
from the earths rotation). NASA launches its rockets from Cape Canaveral in Florida
because its proximity to the equator allows rockets to exploit this as much as possible
within the CONUS (Continental United States). This means the rockets are permitted to
consume less fuel to achieve the necessary velocity, and so emit less greenhouse warming
CO2 (as carbon dioxide is a product of the combustion of rocket fuel). It also means that
less fuel needs to be produced for the rocket, reducing the mission cost, and allowing for
the fuel to be diverted to other sectors of a society. It must be noted that rockets are only
initially launched vertically relative to the local ground before rotating to find an
Eastward direction, eventually flying parallel to the direction of Earths rotation (Adcock
and Davison, 2011). The diagram below will help clarify this phenomenon (Cape
Canaveral, Florida is where all NASA rockets and the space-shuttle are launched from):

Therefore, it can be concluded that the net or final velocity of the rocket is equal to the
sum of its velocity relative to an unmoving object and the rotational velocity of the Earth.

In equation form, this can be stated as v net v rocket v Earth .

References
Adcock, G. and Davison, RC. (2011, October 31). Rocket Science-The Very Basics.
Retrieved March 1, 2016, from Bright Hub Website:
www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/29607.aspx

Lesson 2 Answers:
4. Using the data you have just collected from the projectile experiment, complete the
Analysis questions and Conclusion statement for the projectile motion investigation.
Analysis:
a) Construct a labelled drawing of your investigation, indicating the object projected, the
height from which it was projected, and its horizontal range. (4 marks)

b) Using the known vertical height ( d y ) and the average horizontal range ( d x ),
perform the necessary calculations to determine the initial velocity of your object. (3
marks)
c) State two possible sources of error (reviewed here, or others that you can think of) and
how you worked to reduce the possibility or effects of these errors. (2 marks)

d) Describe any safety precautions taken when carrying out this investigation. (1 mark)
Conclusion:
Write a conclusion by filling in the blanks in the following statement. Note that the
statement is concise and is directly related to the objective of the investigation.
When projecting a ___________________ from a height of ____________________, the
average horizontal range was measured to be _____________________ and the
magnitude of the initial velocity was calculated to be ____________________.
(2 marks for complete conclusion)
Solution:
Analysis:
From the experiment it was observed that when the paint bottle hit the ground, it would
bounce back up before hitting the ground for a final time. Consequently, the paint bottle
was covered in red paint to act as a marker so that when the projectile hit the ground for
the first time it would leave a paint mark to indicate how far from the table it landed.

a)

d y 0.825m[ down ]

b)

d xave 1.56m[ right ]

g 9.8m / s 2 [down]

v1 ?

Vertical

Horizontal

d xave 1.56m[ right ]

d y 0.825m[ down ]

a 0.00m / s 2

g 9.8m / s 2 [down]

v1 y 0.00m / s

t ?

v1 x ?

As v1 y 0.00m / s we can use the shortened formula below to solve for t.

1
d y gt 2
2

2 d y

2(0.825m[down])
9.8m / s 2 [down]

t 0.410 s

v1 x ?

d xave

v1 x
t

1.56m[right ]
v1 x
0.410s

v1 x 3.81m / s[ right ]

v1 3.81m / s[right ]

Therefore, the initial velocity of the paint bottle is 3.81m / s[ right ].

c) Below are the horizontal range measurements obtained from the experiments:

d 1 x

d 2 x

d 3 x

d 4 x

d 5 x

1.275m[ right ]
1.2725m[ right ]

1.975m[ right ]
1.65625m[ right ]

1.63m[ right ]

The large deviation in the above values is the result of a number of possible sources of
error. One possible source was that the torsion rope in the catapult did not give off the
same amount of force for each throw. It is possible that each time the arm of the catapult
was brought down and released, a strain was placed on the rope that altered its ability to
apply a certain amount of force. As a result, the force applied to the bottle on each throw
varied, resulting in varying degrees of acceleration, and therefore, velocity and range.
Unfortunately, there was no real way to limit this source of error. A second source of error
was the distance measurements may not have been 100% accurate. When the bottle hit
the ground, the red paint would have splattered an area of about 1.00cm in diameter, and
the bottle could have hit the ground anywhere in between that 1.00cm, potentially
shifting the range value over by a small margin. Therefore, the horizontal range values
may only have been accurate up to a certain degree of accuracy (90% for example). This
would not have created a large deviation, but is still considered a source of error. This

could be made more accurate by having a slow motion camera record the missiles flight
and record exactly where it landed at the instant of impact with the ground.
d) No real safety precautions needed to be taken with this experiment because there was
nobody else in the room during the experiment or any delicate or dangerous devices in
the area.
Conclusion:
When projecting a paint bottle from a height of 0.825m, the average horizontal range was
measured to be 1.56m[right] and the magnitude of the initial velocity was calculated to be
3.81m/s.
5. A projectile is launched so that its point of launch is lower than its landing point. (5
marks: 1 mark each)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

When is the vertical velocity at a maximum?

When is the horizontal velocity at a maximum?
When is the vertical velocity at a minimum?
What is the acceleration of the object?
Which will take longer: the upward motion or the downward motion?

Solutions:
a) The vertical velocity is greatest at the point of launch (as its upward velocity will
drop trying to counteract gravity). This is because the launch point is lower than
the landing point.
b) The horizontal velocity is greatest at the projectiles launch point because the
projectile hasnt experienced any amount of drag at the point of launch to slow it
down.
c) The projectile reaches its minimum vertical velocity at its apogee (the point of
maximum height where the projectile will begin to fall down).
d) The acceleration of the projectile is the acceleration due to gravity (
9.8m / s 2 [downward ]).

e) The upward motion will take longer because it has more distance to travel upward
than downward (due to the greater height of the landing point than the launch
point).
6. A child sitting in a tree throws his apple core from where he perched (4.0 m high) with
a velocity of 5.0m / s[35 above the horizontal], and it hits the ground right next to his
friend.
a) How long does it take for the apple core to hit the ground? (3 marks)
b) How far from the base of the tree will the apple core land? (3 marks)
c) What is the velocity of the apple core on impact? (4 marks)

Solutions:

a) v1 5.0m / s g 9.8m / s 2 [down]

d 4.0 m[ down]

35

t ?

1
d v1 y t gt 2
2

v1 y ?

v1 y v1 sin

v1 y (5.0m / s )(sin 35 )

v1 y 2.87 m / s[upward ]

1
(9.8m / s 2 [ down])t 2
2
( 4.9m / s 2 [down ])t 2 ( 2.87m / s[ down]) t 4.0m[ down] 0
4.0m[down ] (2.87 m / s[upward ])t

Now well use the quadratic formula.

b 2.87
c 4.0

a 4 .9

( 2.87)

2.87

2.87

( 2.87) 2 4(4.9)(4.0)
2(4.9)

8.3769 78.4
9 .8

86.7769
9.8

2.87 9.32
9.8

2.87 9.32
9.8

2.87 9.32
9.8

x 1.2
x 0.66
A negative value for time would not be sensible in this calculation. Therefore,
t 1 .2 s

It takes 1.2 seconds for the apple core to hit the ground.


d x ?

b)

d x

v1x
t

d x v1 x t

v1 x ?

v1x v1 cos

v1x (5.0m / s )(cos 35 )

v1 x 4.1m / s[ right ]

d x ( 4.1m / s[ right ])(1.2 s )

d x 4.9m[ right ]

The apple core will land 4.9 m to the right from where it was launched.

v2 ?

c)
Vertical

g 9.8m / s 2 [ down ]

d y 4.0m[ down ]

v1 y 2.87 m / s[ down ]

Horizontal
t 1.2 s

a x 0.0m / s 2 [right ]

d x 2.7 m[ right ]

v1x 4.9m / s[ right ]

v2 y ?

v2 x 4.9m / s[ right ]

The horizontal velocity does not change because there is no force to accelerate the
projectile to the right (except possibly, drag which is absent in this case).

v 2 2 y v 21 y 2 gd y

v 2 2 y (2.87m / s[down]) 2 2(9.8m / s 2 [ down])(4.0m[ down])

v 2 2 y 8.4369m 2 / s 2 [down] 78.4m 2 / s 2 [down]


v 2 2 y 86.8369m 2 / s 2 [down]

v2 y

86.8369m 2 / s 2 [ down]

v2 y 9.3m / s[ down ]

v2 ?

v 22 v 22x v 22y

v 2 2 (4.9m / s[right ]) 2 (9.3m / s[down]) 2

v 2 2 24.01m 2 / s 2 [right ] 86.49m 2 / s 2 [ down]

v 2 2 110.5m 2 / s 2 [downright ]

v2 110 .5m 2 / s 2 [ downright ]

v2 11m / s

v2 y
tan ( )
v2 x
1

tan 1 (

9.3m / s[down]
)
4.3m / s[right ]

65

Therefore, the velocity of the apple core upon hitting the ground is 11m / s[65 below the
horizontal].
7. Describe three ways that understanding projectile motion and relative velocity could
help you improve your success in a basketball game. (6 marks)
Solution:
Firstly, understanding projectile angles can help a basketball player determine where he
or she will toss from. If I intend to pass a ball through the hoop from a substantial
distance I should take into consideration the force of gravity will cause the ball to drop
with time. I should therefore, increase the angle at which the ball is thrown to compensate
for the drop of the ball; the angle would vary depending on the distance from the hoop.

Secondly, I would also need to consider the balls speed. A faster throw would need to be
done at a greater distance from the hoop as the position the ball lands in is determined by
the speed of the ball (distance is proportional to speed). If I shoot right below a net, I
would have to throw at a lower vertical speed to avoid overshooting the hoop due to the
greater distance a faster ball would travel in a given amount of time. Thirdly, I would
need to consider the velocity of the ball relative to my velocity. If the ball is thrown while
I am moving forward, the net, or final velocity of the ball will be increased due to the
extra speed it gains from my forward velocity. The increased velocity would cause the
ball to travel a greater distance and the ball could possibly overshoot the hoop.
Consequently, I would want to throw the ball with reduced initial velocity for it so my
velocity and the balls will add to have the ball travel at the right speed to pass through
the hoop.

Lesson 3 Answers:
8. If an object is in motion, does that mean that the object has a net force in the direction
of that motion? Explain. (2 marks)
Solution:
An object in motion does not need to have the net force acting in the same direction
because a net force could be acting opposite to the direction of an objects motion in
slowing the object down until the object comes to a stop.
9. At a construction site, a small crane is raising two boxes of nails on a plank to the roof.
One box has already been opened and is half full, while the other box is new. The boxes,
including the nails, weigh 10kg and 20kg, respectively, and are the same size.
a) As the plank tilts towards the heavier box, predict which box of nails will start to
slide first. Explain your prediction. (1 mark)
b) If the coefficient of static friction is 0.4, draw an FBD for each box of nails and
use it to calculate the angle at which each box begins to slide. (6 marks0
c) If the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.3, how fast will the boxes accelerate along
the plank, once they start to slide? (5 marks)
Solution:

a) Both boxes will slide at the same time because being the same size; they both
have the same centre of gravity (the masses have no effect on which object will
slide first).
b)

Diagram for box 1:

The y-axis is defied as the normal to the plane, while the x-axis is parallel to the
plane, as shown in the diagrams below:

Diagram for box 2:

Because both boxes are the same size, they will start to slide at the same time, and thus
we can use one equation to solve for the slide angle of both boxes. For the following
calculations we can assume that the net force acting on the boxes is 0.00N. Well also
only use the mass of box 1 for the calculation.
In the y-direction:
m1 10kg

g 9.8m / s 2

Fnet 0.00 N


Fg ?

Fg m1 g

Fg 10kg 9.8m / s 2 [down]

Fg 98 N [down]

Fnety FN Fgy

0 FN 98 N [ down]

FN 98 N [up ]

In the x-direction:

Fnetx Fgx F f

Fnetx Fg sin s FN

FN Fg cos

Fnetx Fg sin s ( Fg cos )

0 98 N [down] sin (0.4)( 98 N [ down] cos )

0 98 N [ down] sin 39.2 N cos
98 N [ down] sin 39.2 N cos

sin

39.2 N [ down] cos

98 N [ down ]

sin 0.40 cos

sin
0.40
cos

tan 0.40

tan 1 0.40
22

Therefore, the two boxes will start to slide at an angle of 22 to the horizontal.
c)

k 0.3

a ?

Facceleration Fg sin F f

(Force of kinetic friction)

Facceleration ma

ma Fg sin k FN cos

Fg sin k FN cos
a
m

The acceleration of box 1 will be given by the equation:

Fg sin k FN cos

a1
m1

and the acceleration of box 2 will be given by the equation:

Fg sin k FN cos

a2
m2

98 N [ down] sin 22 (0.3)( 98 N [down]) cos 22

a1
10 kg

a1 6m / s 2

First we must calculate the value of

Fg

for box 2.

Fg ( 20kg )(9.8m / s 2 [down])

Fg 196 N [ down]

FN 196 N [ down ]

196 N [ down ] sin 22 (0.3)(196 N [ down]) cos 22

a2
20kg


a2 6 m / s 2

Notice that both boxes accelerate at the same rate.

Therefore, the boxes will accelerate at a rate of 6m / s 2 down the slope.
10. Design a simple experiment that you could carry out in your home to
i) determine the coefficient of static friction between an object and a surface.
ii) prove that the coefficient of static friction is dependent only on the surfaces in contact,
and is not affected by any change in the mass of your object.
(Hint: You might want to look back at the last couple of Support Questions in this lesson,
to help you.)
a) Describe your plan. It must include a list of materials, a diagram of the set-up, and
an explanation of the steps you would take and the data you would collect. (5
marks)
b) Explain how you would analyze the collected data to determine the coefficient of
static friction and prove that it is unaffected by any change in the mass of your
object. (2 marks)
c) State one possible source of error that you might encounter in this experiment and
state the steps you took to minimize or eliminate this source of error. (1 mark)
Solution:
a) The plan is to prove that a wooden block of greater mass will have the same static
coefficient of friction as a wooden block of smaller mass based on similarities in
the angle at which they begin to slide down a wooden plank.
Below is a list of the materials used in the experiment:
- a 32.2cm long plank of wood 4.8cm wide.
- a small block of wood
- a larger block of wood
- a wooden plank 4.8cm long
- a protractor
Once the materials were obtained, the protractor was held against the 4.8cm long plank of
wood and the longer plank was raised by the experimenters brother with a block on it as
it pivoted around the pivot point. This was to measure the angle at which either block of
wood would begin to slide.

Below are the angles at which the blocks began to slide for each test:
For the Smaller Block
Experiment 1,
Experiment 2,
Experiment 3,
Experiment 4,
Experiment 5,

26.5
18
22
18.2
21

For the Larger Block

Experiment 1, 21
Experiment 2, 20
Experiment 3, 23
Experiment 4, 21
Experiment 5, 22.5

Now the average angle for the smaller block will be taken:
ave

(26.5 18 22 18.2 21 )
5

ave 21.14

for the smaller block

Now the average angle for the larger block will be taken:
ave

(21 20 23 21 22.5 )
5

ave 21.5 for the larger block

b) To calculate the coefficient of static friction, the average or net value of the two
average slide angles must be obtained as follows:

( ave forblock1 ave forblock 2)

2

(21.5 21.14 )
2

21.32

The coefficient of static friction can be calculated as follows:

sin
tan
cos

s tan 21.32

s 0.4

Therefore, the coefficient of static friction for the blocks was 0.4.
c) A possible source of error was different characteristic coefficients of static friction for
the two different blocks of wood. Although, both blocks were wood, the fact that they
were different types of wood and had slightly different lengths meant they would have
likely had slightly different static friction coefficients. As a result, the two blocks tended
to slide at slightly different angles. This source of error was not considered while the
experiment was conducted, and so no measures were taken to avoid it. However, in the
future, better selection could be taken to use two blocks of the exact same length of the
same type of wood, with the same height.
11. Efficient and safe transportation depends on friction being either minimized or
maximized as necessary.
Using research, find
a) one example in which friction is maximized to aid in transportation. (2 marks)
b) one example in which friction is minimized to aid in transportation. (2 marks)
For each situation, explain how the friction is maximized/minimized and why this is
necessary or beneficial.
c) Give at least one source that you used for your research. (1 mark)

Solutions:
The best example in which friction is maximized is the brakes on a car which can
change from applying low brake pressure (little friction) to high brake pressure (high
friction) to slow a car at different rates. This is useful in that it allows cars to stop
immediately if a sudden emergency came up, or gradually if a driver needs to begin
braking far from an intersection (Friction-Real life applications, n.d.).
To reduce friction, bearings that include cylindrical balls are placed in annular
spaces between the axle and the hub of a wheel in modern vehicles and electric motors to
allow the axle to turn more smoothly and rapidly without losing energy to friction. This is
necessary for wheels to turn more rapidly without wearing away, and thus allowing
vehicles to move faster (Radhakrishnan, 2016).
References
Radhakrishnan, V. (1998, February 10). Locomotion: Dealing with friction. Retrieved
March 8, 2016 from PNAS website:
http://www.pnas.org/content/95/10/5448.full#sec-4
Science Clarified. (n.d.). Friction-Real-life applications. Retrieved March 8, 2016 from
Science Clarified website: http://www.scienceclarified.com/everyday/Real-LifeChemistry-Vol-3-Physics-Vol-1/Friction-Real-life-applications.html
Lesson 4 Answers:
12. Does the label centripetal force ever appear in an FBD? Explain? (2 marks)
Solution:
The label centripetal force is avoided in FBDs because specific kinds of force need to
be indicated, where centripetal force is a vague description of force because it could be
any kind of force that keeps an object in a rotational motion. For example, the centripetal
force acting on a horizontally swinging yo-yo would be the tension force in the string.
Centripetal force could be a frictional, gravitational, normal, or applied force, as long as
its directed between an object and the centre it is rotating around.
13. Sometimes, road surfaces have banked curves. Use an FBD to explain how this helps
cars to make turns more safely. (3 marks)
Solution:

If a curve is banked, the horizontal component of the normal force FN sin is added to
the frictional force already present to increase the centripetal force acting on the car, this
extra centripetal force counteracts factors like ice or water to provide more traction when
a vehicle makes a turn (see for instance Holzner, 2011, p. 123.)
Holzner, S., PhD. (2011). Physics I for Dummies (2nd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley
Publishing, Inc.
14. A bus passenger has her laptop sitting on the flat seat beside her as the bus, travelling
at 10.0m/s, goes around a turn with a radius of 25.0m. What minimum coefficient of
static friction is necessary to keep the laptop from sliding? (5 marks)
Solution:

v 10.0m / s, r 25.0m, g 9.8m / s 2 [down ]

s ?

v2
s
gr

(10.0m / s ) 2
(9.8m / s 2 25.0m)

 s 0.41

Therefore, the minimum coefficient of sliding friction required is 0.41.

15. Keys with a combined mass of 0.100kg are attached to a 0.25m long string and swung
in a circle in the vertical plane. (9 marks)
a) What is the slowest speed that the keys can swing and still maintain a circular
path?
b) What is the tension in the string at the bottom of the circle?
Solutions:
a)

m 0.100kg , r 0.25m, g 9.8m / s 2

The slowest speed the swinging keys would have would be at the peak of their climb
when they swing as they lose their momentum. At this point, only the fore of gravity is
acting on the keys and therefore,

Fc Fg

mv 2
mg
r

gr

(9.8m / s 2 )(0.25m)

v 1 .6 m / s

Therefore, the slowest speed the keys could swing yet still maintain a circular path is
1.6m / s.

b)

Ft ?

Ft Fc Fg

Fg ?

Fg mg

Fg 0.100kg 9.8m / s 2 [ down]

Fg 0.98 N [ down]

Fc ?

mv 2
Fc
r

(0.100kg (1.6m / s ) 2 )
Fc
0.25m

Fc 1.024 N [ down]

Ft 1.024 N [ down ] 0.98 N [ down]

Ft 2.0 N [ down ]

Therefore, the tension in the string at the bottom of the circle is 2.0 N [ down].
16. Do research to find out what artificial gravity is and how it is related to centripetal
motion. Explain how artificial gravity could be created in a weightless environment and
give a reason why we want to do this. Give at least one source that you used for your
research. (5 marks)
Solution:
Artificial gravity is the inertial reaction to centripetal acceleration that acts on the human
body in circular motion (like when one sees astronauts swinging around in a space craft)
(Hall, 2012). Artificial gravity relates to centripetal motion in that the most realistic
method of producing it is by creating a centripetal force to produce a pulling sensation
toward the floor of a spaceship to mimic the effects of gravity (Feltman, 2013). The
centripetal force would be created by the rotation of a space station in orbit, as the
reference frame for astronauts is the spaceship (if it starts to spin, the people inside move
accordingly, like a driver who feels no motion driving a car). One major reason artificial
gravity is necessary on a space station is that many astronauts suffer from Space
Adaptation Syndrome (SAS), a condition that includes nausea and disorientation because
the brain is made to function under gravity and gets confused in its absence (Weir, 2014).
References
Feltman, R. (2013, May 3). Why Dont we Have Artificial Gravity? Retrieved March 10,
2016 from Popular Mechanics Website:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a8965/why-dont-we-haveartificial-gravity-15425569/
Hall, T. W. (2012, July 6). SpinCalc. Retrieved March 10, 2016 from website:
http://www.artificial-gravity.com/sw/SpinCalc/
Weir, A. (2014, March 4). If Were Serious About Going to Mars, We Need Artificial

Gravity (Op-Ed). Retrieved from Space.com Website:

http://www.space.com/24904-gravity-for-mars-missions.html