Faculty of Physics, USTHB Academic Year 2024/2025

1st year SM
Physics 1: Mechanics

Problem set 1
Kinematics

Rectilinear motion

Exercise 1:
An object moves along the (𝑥 ′ 𝑂𝑥) axis. Its velocity-time graph is given below. At time
t = 0s, the object is located at x = 0 m.
1- Plot the acceleration- versus- time graph.
2- Specify the different phases of the motion.
Justify your answer.
3- Determine the distance traveled between the
instants t = 0s and t = 9s.
4- Determine the positions of the object at the
instants t = 6s and t = 9s.
5- Draw the velocity and the acceleration vectors at
these same instants.
Scale : 1cm → 4m/s and 1cm → 2m/s2.

Exercise 2:
The following figure shows the acceleration-time graph (acceleration diagram) of a body
moving along a straight line.

a(m/s²)

0 10 20 30 t(s)

-1

1- Given that its initial velocity is V(0)=15m/s, make a velocity-versus-time graph V(t)
between t=0 and t=30s. Specify the different phases of the motion.
2- Draw on the trajectory the position, the velocity, and the acceleration vectors at the times
t1 = 5s and t2 = 15s, given that at t = 0s, x = 0m.
Scale : 4cm → 25m ; 2cm → 5m/s ; 1cm → 1m/s².
Exercise3:
The position of an object moving along (𝑂𝑥) axis is : 𝑿𝑨 (𝒕) = 𝑹 𝒄𝒐𝒔(𝝎𝒕 + 𝝋), where 𝑅 = 0.5𝑚.
Let’s assume that at t =0s, XA=R, and at t = (/2𝜔) s, the velocity is VA = - (/2) m/s.
1- Calculate the argument  at the origin of time, and the angular frequency 𝜔. Deduce
the period T = 2/𝜔 and the frequency f =1/T. Briefly explain what do T and f refer to.
2- Establish a relationship between XA(t) and the acceleration 𝑎𝐴 (𝑡).
3- Plot the graphs of 𝑋𝐴 (𝑡) , 𝑉𝐴 (𝑡) and 𝑎𝐴 (𝑡) within one period T.

Curvilinear motion

Exercise 4:
The diagrams below represent the graphs of velocity components 𝑉𝑥(𝑡) and 𝑉𝑦(𝑡) of a moving
object M on a plane (𝑥𝑂𝑦). We give at 𝑡 = 0𝑠, 𝑥 = 𝑦 = 0𝑚.

1- Draw the trajectory that describes the motion of M between t=0s and t=20s.
Scale: 1cm ➔ 2.5m.
2- What is the distance traveled between t = 0s and t =10s?
3- Plot the graphs of the accelerations ax(t) and ay(t). Specify your scales.
4- Draw, on the trajectory, the velocity and acceleration at t = 5s and t = 20s.
Scale : 1cm ➔ 1m/s, 1cm ➔ 0.1m/s².

Exercise 5
The following figure shows an object moving along a circular path of center O and radius
R = 0.5m. It’s angular velocity is ω= dθ/dt = π(t – 1) and
y
θ = 0 rad at t = 0s.
1- Calculate the angular acceleration α = dω/dt, the velocity v(t),
and the tangential acceleration at.
M
2- Deduce the phases of the motion and their types.
3- Determine the angle θ(t) and the curvilinear abscissa s(t)  x
measured from the point M0 (R; θ=0). 0
4- Draw the following vectors: position ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑀, velocity 𝑣𝑀 , and
acceleration 𝑎𝑀 at t = 0.5s, t= 1s, and t = 1.5s.
Scales: 1cm ➔ 0.1 m; 1cm ➔ (/8) m/s; 1cm ➔ (/4) m/s².
Exercise 6:
A point P is moving in the (xOy) plane, its x and y coordinates vary with time t according to
the equations:
𝒙 = 𝟐𝟎𝜶(𝒕 − 𝝉)
{ 𝜶 with  = 1 m/s and  = 1 s.
𝒚 = 𝟏𝟎 𝝉 (𝒕 − 𝝉)𝟐

1- Write the Cartesian equation of the trajectory and plot the corresponding curve between 0
and 4 s.
2- Determine the Cartesian components of 𝒗 ⃗ and 𝒂
⃗ as functions of time as well as their
magnitude.
3- Determine the intrinsic components ( 𝑎𝑡 and 𝑎𝑛 ) of 𝒂
⃗ .
1- Determine the phases of the motion according to the table of variations of ‖𝒗
⃗ ‖ and 𝑎𝑡 .
2- Calculate the radius of curvature at t = 3s .

Exercise 7:
A particle moves in a circular trajectory of radius R = 110/π m. Its tangential acceleration is
given in the figure below. At t0 = 0s, the particle is located at M0 with a curvilinear abscissa
S0 = 0m, and its velocity is V0 = 4.5 m/s.
1- Represent the velocity and acceleration vectors at the moments t1 = 10s and t2 = 20s
corresponding to the positions M1 and M2.
Scale: 1cm → R/4m, 1cm → 1m/s, and 1cm → 0.25m/s².
2- Determine the moment when the particle changes direction. Then deduce its curvilinear
abscissa at that moment.

y
M1
at (m/s²)
0.3
t (s) M0
M2
10 20 x

-0.3

Exercise 8:
The curvilinear motion of a particle is described by the polar coordinates, as a function of time,
given by:
r(t) = t/2 et  (t) = t²/4, (t in seconds, r in meters et  in radians).
1- Represent, at t = 1s, in the Cartesian coordinate system, the position vector 𝑂𝑀⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ .
Scale: 1cm → 0.1m.
2- Calculate the radial and transverse components of the velocity vector, Vr and V, and
represent it in the Cartesian coordinate system at t = 1s.
Scale: 1cm → 0.25m/s.
3- a) Determine the expression of ‖𝑽 ⃗⃗ ‖ at time t.
b) Calculate the modulus of the tangential component,at, of the acceleration vector at
t=1s.
c) Deduce the radius of curvature at t =1s given that ar = - 1.23m/s² and a = 2.36m/s².

Exercise 9:
A particle M is identified by its polar coordinates r(t) and (t) as a function of time given by
the graphs below:

r(m) (rad)

5 /2

3
/4

1 t(s)
t(s)
0 2 4 6 0 2 4 6

1- Sketch the trajectory of the particle.

2- Represent the velocities and accelerations at times: t=1s and t=4s.
Scale: 2cm →1m/s ; 1cm → 0.1m/s².
3- What are the different phases of the motion and what is the nature of each of them between
t=0s and t=6s? Justify.

Exercise 10:
The trajectory of a particle is divided into two paths.
A straight segment with an angle  = /4 rad and an Figure 1
2,0
arc of a circle with radius R = 2 m (Figure 1).
Y (m)
The variations in the radial velocities dr/dt and
angular velocities d/dt are given in Figures 2 and 3. 1,5

At t = 1s, the particle is a t = 1.5 m and  = /4 rad.

1- Find the values of r and  at time t = 2.5 s 1,0

2- Calculate the velocity vector at time t = 2.5 s

3- Calculate the acceleration vector at t = 2.5 s. 0,5

We give:
𝒅𝟐 𝒓 𝒅𝜽 𝟐 𝒅𝒓 𝒅𝜽 𝒅𝟐 𝜽
𝒂𝒓 = − 𝒓 ( 𝒅𝒕 ) , 𝒂𝜽 = 𝟐 ( 𝒅𝒕 ) ( 𝒅𝒕 ) + 𝒓 ( 𝒅𝒕𝟐 ) and 0,0
x (m)
𝒅𝒕𝟐
0 0,5 1 1,5 2
2 = 10.
 4- Determine the intrinsic components 𝑎𝑛 and 𝑎𝑡 of the acceleration at t = 2.5s.

2,5 4,5

dr/dt (m/s) 4,0 d/dt (rd/s)

2,0 Figure 2 3,5

3,0
1,5
2,5

1,0 2,0

1,5

0,5 1,0

t(s) 0,5
0,0 t (s)
0,0
0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0

Relative motion

Exercise 11:
A particle A moves within a plane (Ox, Oy). The Cartesian components of its velocity are
depicted in the figure below.

Vx(m/s )
5 Vy(m/s )

2 10 t (s) 2
0
2 10 t (s)
0

-5

1- At time t = 0s, we have x(0) = 4m and y(0) = 1m. Calculate the components of the position,
velocity, and acceleration vectors at times t = 5s and t = 10s.
2- Another particle B is moving in the same plane with 𝒗 ⃗ 𝑩 = 𝟐𝒊 + 𝟒𝒋.
a) Calculate the components of the velocity vector of A relative to B as:
⃗ 𝑨/𝑩 = 𝒗′𝒙 (𝒕)𝒊 + 𝒗′𝒚 (𝒕)𝒋.
𝒗
b) Represent the graphs 𝒗′𝒙 (𝒕) and 𝒗′𝒚 (𝒕).
y y
Exercise 12:
A dog needs to cross a river of 50 meters wide to reach its O x
owner on the other bank (see figure). At time t = 0s, the ' 
dog is at point O. The current speed is VE/S = 3km/h in Wate
the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure. The r
dog swims perpendicular to the banks at a speed of O x
Vdog/water = VD/W = 4km/h, relative to the water.
Ground
1- Draw at point O the velocity vectors ⃗𝑽
⃗ 𝑾/𝑮 of the current relative to the ground, ⃗𝑽𝑫/𝑾 of the
dog relative to the water, and ⃗𝑽𝑫/𝑮 of the dog relative to the ground. Scale: 1cm → 2km/h.
2- In the (xOy) coordinate system, what are the coordinates of the point B that the dog
reaches on the opposite bank?
3- In fact, at time t=0s, the man starts walking to reach point B with a speed VM = 6 km/h.
Draw the trajectory of the dog in the (x'O'y') coordinate system attached to the man.

Exercise13
A swimmer N and a pedestrian P make a round-trip over a
distance of 2L parallel to the x-axis.
At t = 0s, they both depart from the same position at x = O i x
0m.
In magnitude, the velocity of N relative to the water is ⃗𝑪
𝑽
equal to the velocity of P relative to the ground throughout
the journey, ‖𝑽
⃗⃗ 𝑵/𝑾 ‖ = ‖𝑽
⃗ 𝑷/𝑮 ‖.
The velocity 𝑉 ⃗ 𝐶 of the current is directed towards the L
positive x-axis with ‖𝑽⃗⃗ 𝑪 ‖ < ‖𝑽
⃗⃗ 𝑵/𝑾 ‖.
1- Which of the two, the pedestrian or the swimmer, will reach point O first? Justify your
answer.
2- Represent the graph of the velocity ‖𝑽
⃗ 𝑵/𝑷 ‖ of N relative to P between t=0s and t=300s. We
have ‖𝑽
⃗⃗ 𝑵/𝑾 ‖ = ‖𝑽 ⃗ 𝑪 ‖ = 𝟎. 𝟓𝒎/𝒔 and L=150m. Specify your scale. Deduce
⃗ 𝑷/𝑮 ‖ = 𝟏𝒎/𝒔, ‖𝑽
from the graph the moments when they are side by side.

Exercise14:

In a river, three swimmers, R, S, and T, start swimming towards a buoy B at t = 0s. At t = 0s,
the coordinates of R, S, T, and B are as follows: (XR = -20m, YR = 0m), (XS = 100m, YS = 0m),
(XT = 0m, YT = -30m), and (XB = 40m, YB = 0).
The velocity of the current relative to the ground is ⃗𝑽𝑪 = 𝟎. 𝟒 𝒊 m/s. We assume that the velocity
vectors of R, S, and T remain constant over time, and that ‖𝑽
⃗ 𝑹/𝑾 ‖ = ‖𝑽
⃗⃗ 𝑺/𝑾 ‖ = ‖𝑽
⃗ 𝑻/𝑾 ‖ = 𝟏𝒎/𝒔,
where W stands for water.

1- Which of the swimmers will reach the buoy first? Justify your answer and calculate the
instant of arrival at the buoy.

2- Illustrate T's trajectory with respect to an observer attached to a coordinate system xOy
moving with water. At t = 0s, (xOy) coincides with a system of reference (x'O'y') attached to
the ground. Calculate the distance traveled by T in each of the two reference systems.
3- Sketch the velocity vectors of T relative to the water, ⃗𝑽𝑻/𝑾 , and relative to the ground,
⃗⃗ 𝑻/𝑮 ‖. Find the latter result using a second method.
‖𝑽

Exercise 15
Two particles, denoted as A and B, move within a horizontal plane along the trajectories
marked as D1 and D2, respectively (as illustrated in Figure 1).
At time t = 0s, the particles traverse the origin O, and the time-dependent variations in velocity
are presented in the diagram depicted in Figure 2.

v(m/s)
(D1) vB
A vA
2
y’
t(s)
O 0 Figure 2
2 4 6
Figure 1 -2

B
-4
(D2)
x’

1- Provide the positions of the particles relative to point O at t = 4s.

2- Formulate the temporal equations of motion for each particle with respect to O.
3- Determine and construct the velocity 𝑣𝐵/𝐴 and acceleration 𝑎𝐵/𝐴 of B relative to A at t= 4s.
Scale: 1cm → 1m/s and 1cm → 2m/s2.
4- Establish the equation of A's trajectory in the (Bx', By') frame attached to B. Note: Bx'
always remains parallel to D2.