<Chap.

3 Motion in Two and Three Dimensions: Suggested Problems and Solutions>

3.29

Let us take a direction toward north and east as 𝚤𝚤̂, 𝚥𝚥̂ respectively. Then, the velocity of wind can be
written as 𝑣𝑣𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 4.9𝚥𝚥̂(𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠). As a flock of geese can fly at 7.6m/s relative to the air, following equation
should hold to make them migrate due south.

𝑣𝑣geese − 𝑣𝑣air = −7.6𝚤𝚤̂

𝑣𝑣geese = −7.6𝚤𝚤̂ + 4.9𝚥𝚥̂

which is the direction and magnitude they should be headed.

3.67

When the initial speed of your ball is 𝑣𝑣, in projectile motion, by taking your position as an origin of frame,
the displacement of 𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦 axis are given as
𝑣𝑣
𝑥𝑥you = 𝑣𝑣 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 45° 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑡𝑡
√2
1 v 1
yyou = v sin 45° t − gt 2 = t − 𝑔𝑔𝑡𝑡 2
2 √2 2

While, for your friend,

𝑥𝑥friend = ℎ
1
𝑦𝑦friend = ℎ − 𝑔𝑔𝑡𝑡 2
2
It holds as a ball is thrown, aiming straight at a friend at an angle of 45°, making the base of the right
triangle same as the height ℎ.

Then, the moment when two balls collide is,

𝑥𝑥you = 𝑥𝑥friend
𝑣𝑣
𝑡𝑡 = ℎ
√2
√2ℎ
𝑡𝑡 =
𝑣𝑣
For 𝑦𝑦 axis,

𝑦𝑦you = 𝑦𝑦friend

𝑣𝑣 1 1
𝑡𝑡 − 𝑔𝑔𝑡𝑡 2 = ℎ − 𝑔𝑔𝑡𝑡 2
√2 2 2
√2ℎ
𝑡𝑡 =
𝑣𝑣
1
We can see that − 𝑔𝑔𝑡𝑡 2 term vanishes and gives the same result as in x axis. This is because the
2
constant acceleration g makes the change of the y axis equivalent. In this case, even ignoring gravity
is possible by considering the projectile as being launched toward the tree in constant velocity moving
√2ℎ
along the hypotenuse of the right triangle with length √2ℎ, which also yields the same result 𝑡𝑡 = .
𝑣𝑣

The only case it fails is when the initial velocity of the ball is not sufficient to reach 𝑥𝑥 = ℎ and falls.
Since the moment it reaches the surface is
 𝑦𝑦you = 0
𝑣𝑣 1 2
𝑡𝑡 − 𝑔𝑔𝑡𝑡 = 0
√2 2
√2𝑣𝑣
𝑡𝑡 =
𝑔𝑔

following inequality should hold.

𝑣𝑣 √2𝑣𝑣
× ≥ℎ
√2 𝑔𝑔
𝑣𝑣 ≥ �𝑔𝑔ℎ

making �𝑔𝑔ℎ the minimal speed required.

3.92

(a) If we draw a circle with radius R on the origin, it can be parameterized as 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑅𝑅 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 θ, 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑅𝑅 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 θ
satisfying 𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑦𝑦 2 = 𝑅𝑅2 making it possible to write the position vector as

𝑟𝑟⃗ = 𝑅𝑅(𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 θ 𝚤𝚤̂ + 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 θ 𝚥𝚥̂)

which is also known as a polar coordinate system.

(b) As the displacement is arc, it can be written as 𝑠𝑠 = 𝑅𝑅θ. Using the definition of velocity, considering
arbitrary angle θ and a whole cycle,
Δs 𝑅𝑅θ 2π𝑅𝑅
𝑣𝑣 = = =
Δt 𝑡𝑡 𝑇𝑇
2π𝑡𝑡
θ=
𝑇𝑇
while 𝑇𝑇 is a period.

(c) By using the result of (b), a position vector could be written as,

𝑟𝑟⃗ = 𝑅𝑅(𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 𝜃𝜃 𝚤𝚤̂ + 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝜃𝜃 𝚥𝚥̂)

2π𝑡𝑡 2π𝑡𝑡
= 𝑅𝑅 �𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 𝚤𝚤̂ + 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝚥𝚥̂�
𝑇𝑇 𝑇𝑇
By differentiating it twice,

𝑑𝑑 2 𝑟𝑟⃗ 2π 2
2
= − � � 𝑟𝑟⃗
𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 𝑇𝑇
It is equivalent to centripetal acceleration with a direction toward the center of circle(−𝑟𝑟⃗).

We can see that by using calculus, the same result can be constructed as geometrical case.
 Q 33. A carpenter tosses a shingle horizontally of an 8.2-m-high at 14 m/s. (a) How long does it take
the shingle to reach the ground? (b) How far does it move horizontally?

Answer: We are given the initial velocity and height of the object.

(a) The shingle reaches the ground when t = t0, where t0 is obtained by
𝑡𝑡0
−8.2 m = � (−𝑔𝑔)𝑡𝑡 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
0

2 ∙ (8.2 m) 2 ∙ (8.2 m)
t0 = � =� = 1.29 s = 1.3 s
𝑔𝑔 9.8 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2

(b) The horizontal displacement is

(14 m/s) ∙ (1.3 s) = 18 m

Q 42. Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites circle Earth at altitudes of approximately 20,000 km,
where the gravitational acceleration has 5.8% of its surface value. To the nearest hour, what’s the orbital
period of the GPS satellites?

Answer: The period of the satellite is T = C/v, where C is the circumference of the orbit and v is the
orbital velocity. And a = v2/r, where a = 0.058g and r is the radius.

C 𝐶𝐶 2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋 𝑟𝑟
T= = = = 2𝜋𝜋�
v √𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 √𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑎𝑎

Here, r is the Earth’s radius plus the altitude, so r = 6.37 ∙ 106 𝑚𝑚 + 2 ∙ 107 𝑚𝑚.

𝑟𝑟 6.37 ∙ 106 𝑚𝑚 + 2 ∙ 107 𝑚𝑚

T = 2𝜋𝜋� = 2𝜋𝜋� = 4.28 ∙ 104 𝑠𝑠 ~ 12 ℎ
𝑎𝑎 0.058 ∙ (9.8 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2 )
 Q 64. A particle leaves the origin with its initial velocity given by ����⃗𝑣𝑣0 = 11𝚤𝚤̂ + 18𝚥𝚥̂ 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 , undergoing
constant acceleration 𝑎𝑎� = −1.4𝚤𝚤̂ + 0.27𝚥𝚥̂ 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2 . (a) When does the particle cross the y-axis? (b) What’s
its y-coordinate at the time? (c) How fast is it moving and in what direction?

Answer:

The velocity and position at time t is given as follows

𝑣𝑣⃗(𝑡𝑡) = ����⃗
𝑣𝑣0 + 𝑎𝑎�𝑡𝑡 = (11 − 1.4𝑡𝑡)𝚤𝚤̂ + (18 + 0.27𝑡𝑡)𝚥𝚥̂ 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠

𝑟𝑟⃗(𝑡𝑡) = (11𝑡𝑡 − 0.7𝑡𝑡 2 )𝚤𝚤̂ + (18𝑡𝑡 + 0.135𝑡𝑡 2 )𝚥𝚥̂ 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠

(a) Solving for the time when x = 0 gives (with t ≠ 0)

11
t= = 15.7 𝑠𝑠 = 16 𝑠𝑠
0.7
(b) Plugging this time in for the y-position,
m m
y = �18 � ∙ (15.7 s) + �0.135 2 � ∙ (15.7 s)2 = 316 𝑚𝑚
s s
(c) Plugging this time in for the velocity,

𝑣𝑣⃗(15.7 𝑠𝑠) = (11 − 1.4𝑡𝑡)𝚤𝚤̂ + (18 + 0.27𝑡𝑡)𝚥𝚥̂ 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 = (−10.98)𝚤𝚤̂ + (22.24)𝚥𝚥̂ 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠

The magnitude is

v = �(−10.98)2 + (22.24)2 = 25 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠

The direction is
22.24
θ = tan−1 � � ~116°
−10.98
from the positive x-axis.