In areas of the world where a plane is unable to land, free fall airdrops can be used to
deliver supplies.
Drop zone
A plane travelling at a speed of 75 m s and at a height of 63 m releases a package of
supplies.
(a) (i) Draw the path of the falling package on the diagram above.
(1)
(ii) Show that the time taken for the supplies to reach the ground is about 4 s.
(2)
(iii)
iii) Calculate the horizontal distance of the plane from the drop zone when rele
the package.
(2)
Horizontal distance =
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(b) (i) Show that the change in gravitational potential energy of the package during the fall
is about 6 kJ.
(2)
(2)
(iii) Determine the kinetic energy of the package on impact.
(1)
Kinetic energy =
(iv) State why in practice the actual value for the kinetic energy on impact with the
ground is less than the value you calculated in part (b)(iii).
(1)
(c) Most airdrops are not free fall and use parachutes.
State why using parachutes causes less damage to the package.
(1)
(Total for Question = 12 marks)
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The photograph shows an athlete performing a long jump.
At take-off his horizontal speed is 8.0 m s–1 and his vertical speed is 2.8 m s–1.
(a) Show that the total time the athlete spends in the air is about 0.6 s.
Assume that his centre of gravity is at the same height at take-off and landing.
(3)
(b) Calculate the horizontal distance jumped by the athlete.
(2)
Horizontal distance =
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(c) In reality, when the athlete lands his centre of gravity is 50 cm lower than its position
at take-off.
Calculate the extra horizontal distance this enables the athlete to jump.
(4)
Extra horizontal distance =
(Total for Question = 9 marks)
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The monkey and hunter is a thought experiment to illustrate the independence of the
horizontal and vertical motion of a projectile.
A student models the experiment by projecting a table tennis ball horizontally at a toy
monkey. The ball and monkey are initially at the same height, 0.25 m, above the bench.
The monkey drops at the instant the ball is projected. The monkey and the ball will
always meet irrespective of their horizontal separation.
electromagnet releases
the monkey as the ball is
ball released here projected
0.25 m
(a) (i) Show that the time taken for the ball to fall to the bench is about 0.2 s.
(2)
.
Calculate the horizontal distance that the ball should travel if the ball is to hit the
monkey as it reaches the bench.
(2)
Horizontal distance =
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(b) A variation of this experiment is where the monkey is initially higher so that the ball
has to be projected upwards towards the monkey. The two objects will still always
meet.
(i) Complete the diagram above to show the paths of the ball and the monkey.
(2)
horizontal. If the monkey is at a horizontal distance of 0.50 m, how far will it
have fallen when it meets the ball?
(3)
Distance fallen =
(Total for Question = 9 marks)
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The ‘Stealth’ roller coaster at the Thorpe Park theme park is advertised as reaching
135 km hour–1 from rest in 2.3 seconds.
Most roller coasters are driven slowly up to the top of a slope at the start of the ride.
ground level by a hydraulic launch system, before rising to the top of the first slope.
135 km hour–1 = 37.5 m s–1
(2)
Average acceleration =
system.
mass of carriages and passengers = 10 000 kg
(3)
Minimum average power =
(1)
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and the data from preceding launches is used to calculate the required force.
If the mass of the passengers for a particular ride is significantly more than for
preceding launches, this can lead to ‘rollback’. This is when the carriages do not
quite reach the top of the first slope and return backwards to the start.
Explain why ‘rollback’ would occur in this situation.
(3)
between the moving parts has had time to warm up.
(2)
(Total for Question = 11 marks)
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The photograph shows an arrangement used to launch a light, foam rocket at a school
science competition.
The rocket is launched at the level of one end of a long table and lands at the other end
at the same level. The students measure the horizontal distance travelled by the rocket
and the time of flight.
(a) The rocket travels 1.88 m in a time of 0.88 s.
(i) Show that the horizontal component of the initial velocity of the rocket is about
2 m s 1.
(2)
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. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(ii) Show that the vertical component of the initial velocity of the rocket is about
4 m s 1.
(2)
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. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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(iii) Calculate the initial velocity of the rocket.
(4)
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. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Magnitude of initial velocity .................................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Angle to the horizontal of the initial velocity ...................................
(b) The students obtained their data by filming the flight. When they checked the
maximum height reached by the rocket they found it was less than the height
predicted using this velocity.
(i) Suggest why the maximum height reached was less than predicted.
(1)
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(ii) Give two advantages of filming the flight to obtain the data.
(2)
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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. . . . . ............................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(Total for Question 11 marks)
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