String becomes taut problem

Two particles connected by a slack string; one is projected and the string becomes taut, causing an impulsive tension; find velocities after string tautens.

5 questions · Standard +0.6

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Edexcel M1 2024 June Q1
5 marks Moderate -0.3
  1. Two particles, \(A\) and \(B\), have masses \(m\) and \(3 m\) respectively. The particles are connected by a light inextensible string. Initially \(A\) and \(B\) are at rest on a smooth horizontal plane with the string slack.
Particle \(A\) is then projected along the plane away from \(B\) with speed \(U\).
Given that the common speed of the particles immediately after the string becomes taut is \(S\)
  1. find \(S\) in terms of \(U\).
  2. Find, in terms of \(m\) and \(U\), the magnitude of the impulse exerted on \(A\) immediately after the string becomes taut.
OCR Further Mechanics AS 2019 June Q2
7 marks Standard +0.3
2 A particle \(A\) of mass 3.6 kg is attached by a light inextensible string to a particle \(B\) of mass 2.4 kg .
\(A\) and \(B\) are initially at rest, with the string slack, on a smooth horizontal surface. \(A\) is projected directly away from \(B\) with a speed of \(7.2 \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 1 }\).
  1. Calculate the speed of \(A\) after the string becomes taut.
  2. Find the impulse exerted on \(A\) at the instant that the string becomes taut.
  3. Find the loss in kinetic energy as a result of the string becoming taut.
Edexcel M1 Q3
10 marks Standard +0.8
3. A small van of mass 1500 kg is used to tow a car of mass 750 kg by means of a rope of length 9 m joined to both vehicles. The van sets off with the rope slack and reaches a speed of \(2 \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 1 }\) just before the rope becomes taut and jerks the car into motion. Immediately after the rope becomes taut, the van and car travel with common speed \(V \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 1 }\).
  1. Show that \(V = \frac { 4 } { 3 }\).
  2. Calculate the magnitude of the impulse on the car when the rope tightens. The van and car eventually reach a steady speed of \(18 \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 1 }\) with the rope taut when a child runs out into the road, 30 m in front of the van. The van driver brakes sharply and decelerates uniformly to rest in a distance of 27 m . It takes the driver of the car 1 second to react to the van starting to brake. He then brakes and the car decelerates uniformly at \(f \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 2 }\), coming to rest before colliding with the van.
  3. Find the set of possible values of \(f\).
    (5 marks)
OCR FM1 AS 2021 June Q1
7 marks Standard +0.3
1 A particle \(A\) of mass 3.6 kg is attached by a light inextensible string to a particle \(B\) of mass 2.4 kg .
\(A\) and \(B\) are initially at rest, with the string slack, on a smooth horizontal surface. \(A\) is projected directly away from \(B\) with a speed of \(7.2 \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 1 }\).
  1. Calculate the speed of \(A\) after the string becomes taut.
  2. Find the impulse exerted on \(A\) at the instant that the string becomes taut.
  3. Find the loss in kinetic energy as a result of the string becoming taut.
OCR Further Mechanics 2021 June Q4
9 marks Challenging +1.8
4 Two particles \(A\) and \(B\), of masses \(m \mathrm {~kg}\) and 1 kg respectively, are connected by a light inextensible string of length \(d \mathrm {~m}\) and placed at rest on a smooth horizontal plane a distance of \(\frac { 1 } { 2 } d \mathrm {~m}\) apart. \(B\) is then projected horizontally with speed \(v \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 1 }\) in a direction perpendicular to \(A B\).
  1. Show that, at the instant that the string becomes taut, the magnitude of the instantaneous impulse in the string, \(I \mathrm { Ns }\), is given by \(I = \frac { \sqrt { 3 } m v } { 2 ( 1 + m ) }\).
  2. Find, in terms of \(m\) and \(v\), the kinetic energy of \(B\) at the instant after the string becomes taut. Give your answer as a single algebraic fraction.
  3. In the case where \(m\) is very large, describe, with justification, the approximate motion of \(B\) after the string becomes taut.