A person of mass is, sitting on a swing of length and swinging with an angular amplitude . If the person stands up when the swing passes through its lowest point, the work done by him, assuming that his centre of mass moves by a distance , is close to :
- (A)✓ Correct
- (B)
- (C)
- (D)
Answer: (A)
Solution
The moment the person stands up, the only quick change is in the distance of the centre of mass from the pivot, and the push is along the string, so angular momentum about the pivot is conserved. Writing before standing and after, we get . Now apply the work-energy theorem, , where gravity does as the centre of mass rises. Hence the person's work is . Using the binomial approximation for , the kinetic part becomes . At the lowest point of a swing of angular amplitude the speed is , so . Collecting terms, .
JEE Main · 2019 · 12 Apr 2019 · Shift 1 · Single correct option