Edexcel M3 2014 June — Question 5

Exam BoardEdexcel
ModuleM3 (Mechanics 3)
Year2014
SessionJune
TopicMomentum and Collisions 2

5. \begin{figure}[h]
\includegraphics[alt={},max width=\textwidth]{e5b08946-7311-4cf7-9c5f-5f309a1feed7-09_485_442_221_758} \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Figure 3}
\end{figure} A particle \(P\) of mass \(2 m\) is attached to one end of a light inextensible string of length \(a\). The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point \(O\). Initially the particle is at the point \(A\) where \(O A = a\) and \(O A\) makes an angle \(60 ^ { \circ }\) with the downward vertical. The particle is projected downwards from \(A\) with speed \(u\) in a direction perpendicular to the string, as shown in Figure 3. The point \(B\) is vertically below \(O\) and \(O B = a\). As \(P\) passes through \(B\) it strikes and adheres to another particle \(Q\) of mass \(m\) which is at rest at \(B\).
  1. Show that the speed of the combined particle immediately after the impact is $$\frac { 2 } { 3 } \sqrt { u ^ { 2 } + a g } .$$
  2. Find, in terms of \(a , g , m\) and \(u\), the tension in the string immediately after the impact. The combined particle moves in a complete circle.
  3. Show that \(u ^ { 2 } \geqslant \frac { 41 a g } { 4 }\).