Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Physics Department
Physics - 8.01 Assignment #2 September 15, 1999.
It is strongly recommended that you read about a subject before it is covered in lectures.
Lecture Date Material Covered Reading from Ohanian
#5 Fri 9/17 Circular Motion - Centrifuges Page 84 – 86
Perceived Gravity
Watch Videos on PIVoT (reference frames)
#6 Mon 9/20 Newton’s Laws Page 99 – 112
#7 Wed 9/22 Weight - Perceived Gravity - Weightlessness Page 123 – 134
Free Fall - Zero-Gravity in Orbit (misnomer)
Watch Videos on PIVoT (weightlessness)
#8 Fri 9/24 Friction —There is an interesting article on Page 134 – 140
Friction in Scientific American, Oct, 1996.
Watch Videos on PIVoT (friction)
#9 Mon 9/27 Exam Review Lectures #1 – #5
Wed 9/29 Exam #1 Handout of 9/22
Due Friday, Sept 24, before 4 PM in 4-339B. Solutions will be posted on the Web Sat 9/25.
2.1 Throwing Stones – page 51, problem 51.
2.2 Measurements of Gravitational Acceleration, g.
Use the measurements made during your first lecture of the two falling apples to calculate two
values for gand their associated uncertainties. Do the two values agree within the accuracy
of the measurements? Use the measurements obtained in the lecture that you attended.
2.3 Vector Addition – page 70, problem 8.
Watch videos on PIVoT (under vector and look at the simulations).
2.4 Vectors – page 71, problem 26.
2.5 Vector Scaling – page 71, problem 27.
2.6 Keep in Touch with the Dutch.
Recently I drove in The Netherlands and I saw a road sign that indicated: Venlo 31 km,
Eindhoven 39 km. Not knowing anything else, what is the minimum and what is the maximum
distance (approximately) between these two towns.
2.7 Perpendicular Vectors.
The vectors A= 2ˆ
x−3ˆ
yand B=−ˆ
x+aˆ
y−5ˆ
zare perpendicular to each other. What is
the value of a?
2.8 Adding, Subtracting, and Multiplication of Vectors – page 71, problem 25.
Watch videos on PIVoT (under vector and look at the simulations).
Calculate also:
d) A·Band B·A
e) A×Band B×A
