OCR MEI M4 (Mechanics 4) 2016 June

1 A car of mass \(m\) moves horizontally in a straight line. At time \(t\) the car is a distance \(x\) from a point O and is moving away from O with speed \(v\). There is a force of magnitude \(k v ^ { 2 }\), where \(k\) is a constant, resisting the motion of the car. The car's engine has a constant power \(P\). The terminal speed of the car is \(U\).

1. Show that $$m v ^ { 2 } \frac { \mathrm {~d} v } { \mathrm {~d} x } = P \left( 1 - \frac { v ^ { 3 } } { U ^ { 3 } } \right)$$
2. Show that the distance moved while the car accelerates from a speed of \(\frac { 1 } { 4 } U\) to a speed of \(\frac { 1 } { 2 } U\) is $$\frac { m U ^ { 3 } } { 3 P } \ln A$$ stating the exact value of the constant \(A\). Once the car attains a speed of \(\frac { 1 } { 2 } U\), no further power is supplied by the car's engine.
3. Find, in terms of \(m , P\) and \(U\), the time taken for the speed of the car to reduce from \(\frac { 1 } { 2 } U\) to \(\frac { 1 } { 4 } U\).

2 A thin rigid rod PQ has length \(2 a\). Its mass per unit length, \(\rho\), is given by \(\rho = k \left( 1 + \frac { x } { 2 a } \right)\) where \(x\) is the distance from P and \(k\) is a positive constant. The mass of the rod is \(M\) and the moment of inertia of the rod about an axis through P perpendicular to PQ is \(I\).

1. Show that \(I = \frac { 14 } { 9 } M a ^ { 2 }\). The rod is initially at rest with Q vertically below P . It is free to rotate in a vertical plane about a smooth fixed horizontal axis passing through P . The rod is struck a horizontal blow perpendicular to the fixed axis at the point where \(x = \frac { 3 } { 2 } a\). The magnitude of the impulse of this blow is \(J\).
2. Find, in terms of \(a , J\) and \(M\), the initial angular speed of the rod.
3. Find, in terms of \(a , g\) and \(M\), the set of values of \(J\) for which the rod makes complete revolutions.

3 Fig. 3 shows a uniform rigid rod AB of length \(2 a\) and mass \(2 m\). The rod is freely hinged at A so that it can rotate in a vertical plane. One end of a light inextensible string of length \(l\) is attached to B . The string passes over a small smooth fixed pulley at C , where C is vertically above A and \(\mathrm { AC } = 6 a\). A particle of mass \(\lambda m\), where \(\lambda\) is a positive constant, is attached to the other end of the string and hangs freely, vertically below C . The rod makes an angle \(\theta\) with the upward vertical, where \(0 \leqslant \theta \leqslant \pi\). You may assume that the particle does not interfere with the rod AB or the section of the string BC . \begin{figure}[h] \end{figure}

1. Find the potential energy, \(V\), of the system relative to a situation in which the rod AB is horizontal, and hence show that $$\frac { \mathrm { d } V } { \mathrm {~d} \theta } = 2 m g a \sin \theta \left( \frac { 3 \lambda } { \sqrt { 10 - 6 \cos \theta } } - 1 \right) .$$
2. Show that \(\theta = 0\) and \(\theta = \pi\) are the only values of \(\theta\) for which the system is in equilibrium whatever the value of \(\lambda\).
3. Show that, if there is a third value of \(\theta\) for which the system is in equilibrium, then \(\frac { 2 } { 3 } < \lambda < \frac { 4 } { 3 }\).
4. Given that there are three positions of equilibrium, establish whether each of these positions is stable or unstable. It is given that, for small values of \(\theta\), $$\frac { \mathrm { d } V } { \mathrm {~d} \theta } \approx 2 m g a \left[ \left( \frac { 3 } { 2 } \lambda - 1 \right) \theta - \left( \frac { 13 } { 16 } \lambda - \frac { 1 } { 6 } \right) \theta ^ { 3 } \right] .$$
5. Investigate the stability of the equilibrium position given by \(\theta = 0\) in the case when \(\lambda = \frac { 2 } { 3 }\).

4 A raindrop falls from rest through a stationary cloud. The raindrop has mass \(m\) and speed \(v\) when it has fallen a distance \(x\). You may assume that resistances to motion are negligible.

1. Derive the equation of motion $$m v \frac { \mathrm {~d} v } { \mathrm {~d} x } + v ^ { 2 } \frac { \mathrm {~d} m } { \mathrm {~d} x } = m g .$$ Initially the mass of the raindrop is \(m _ { 0 }\). Two different models for the mass of the raindrop are suggested.
   In the first model \(m = m _ { 0 } \mathrm { e } ^ { k _ { 1 } x }\), where \(k _ { 1 }\) is a positive constant.
2. Show that $$v ^ { 2 } = \frac { g } { k _ { 1 } } \left( 1 - \mathrm { e } ^ { - 2 k _ { 1 } x } \right) ,$$ and hence state, in terms of \(g\) and \(k _ { 1 }\), the terminal velocity of the raindrop according to this first model. In the second model \(m = m _ { 0 } \left( 1 + k _ { 2 } x \right)\), where \(k _ { 2 }\) is a positive constant.
3. By considering the expression obtained from differentiating \(v ^ { 2 } \left( 1 + k _ { 2 } x \right) ^ { 2 }\) with respect to \(x\), show that, for the second model, the equation of motion in part (i) may be written as $$\frac { d } { d x } \left[ v ^ { 2 } \left( 1 + k _ { 2 } x \right) ^ { 2 } \right] = 2 g \left( 1 + k _ { 2 } x \right) ^ { 2 } .$$ Hence find an expression for \(v ^ { 2 }\) in terms of \(g , k _ { 2 }\) and \(x\).
4. Suppose that the models give the same value for the speed of the raindrop at the instant when it has doubled its initial mass. Find the exact value of \(\frac { k _ { 1 } } { k _ { 2 } }\), giving your answer in the form \(\frac { a } { b }\) where \(a\) and \(b\)
   are integers. are integers. \section*{END OF QUESTION PAPER}