| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[\vec{F}_{\text{horizontal}} = 0\] | On the frictionless bed, the box experiences no horizontal contact force; gravity and the normal act vertically, so their horizontal components are zero. |
| \[\Sigma \vec{F}_x = 0 \Rightarrow m\vec{a}_{\text{box}} = 0\] | From Newton’s second law, zero net horizontal force implies the horizontal acceleration of the box is zero. |
| \[\vec{a}_{\text{box, ground}} = 0\] | Thus the box maintains its initial horizontal velocity, which is zero relative to the ground. |
| \[\vec{v}_{\text{box, ground}} = \text{constant}\] | The box remains essentially “in place” while the truck accelerates forward underneath it, making the box appear to slide toward the rear of the truck bed. |
| \[\text{Truck rear reaches box} \Rightarrow \text{box leaves bed}\] | When the truck’s rear edge reaches the stationary box, the box loses support and then falls straight downward under gravity. |
| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[\vec{a}_t = \text{truck’s forward acceleration}\] | Chris is in a non-inertial frame accelerating forward with the truck. |
| \[\vec{F}_{\text{pseudo}} = -m\vec{a}_t\] | To apply Newton’s laws in the accelerating frame, Chris must introduce a backward inertial (pseudo) force of magnitude \(m a_t\) on every mass, including the box. |
| \[\Sigma \vec{F}’_x = \vec{F}_{\text{pseudo}}\] | With no real horizontal forces, the only horizontal force in Chris’s frame is the pseudo force. |
| \[m\vec{a}’ = -m\vec{a}_t\] | Applying Newton’s second law in the truck frame (primed quantities) gives the box a backward acceleration. |
| \[\vec{a}’_{\text{box, truck}} = -\vec{a}_t\] | Chris therefore observes the box accelerate toward the rear of the truck with magnitude equal to the truck’s forward acceleration. Once it reaches the edge, it appears to “fly off” and then fall. |
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What is the weight of a person who has a mass of \(75 \, \text{kg}\)?
Friction provides the force needed for a car to travel around a flat, circular race track. Answer the following:
Three blocks of masses \(5 \, \text{kg}\), \(4 \, \text{kg}\), and \(3 \, \text{kg}\) are placed side by side in that order. A \(25 \, \text{N}\) force applied on the \(5 \, \text{kg}\) block accelerates all three blocks together to the right. Find the acceleration of the blocks and the normal force the \(4 \, \text{kg}\) block exerts on the \(3 \, \text{kg}\) block.
Two objects, \( A \) and \( B \), move toward one another. Object \( A \) has twice the mass and half the speed of object \( B \). Which of the following describes the forces the objects exert on each other when they collide and provides the best explanation?
A skateboarder coasts to a stop on a flat sidewalk. The net force acting on the skateboarder must be ____.
A spring in a pogo-stick is compressed \( 12 \) \( \text{cm} \) when a \( 40. \) \( \text{kg} \) girl stands on it. What is the spring constant for the pogo-stick spring?
What is the mass of a dog that weighs \(58 \, \text{N}\) on Earth?
A car is going through a dip in the road whose curvature approximates a circle of radius \( 200 \) \( \text{m} \). At what velocity will the occupants of the car appear to weigh \( 20\% \) more than their normal weight \( (1.2\,W) \)?
Late one morning, a mosquito collides with the windshield of a speeding truck. The force of the truck on the mosquito is ____ the force of the mosquito on the truck; the resulting acceleration of the mosquito is ____ the acceleration of the truck.
Two objects attract each other gravitationally with a force of \( 2.5 \times 10^{-10} \) \( \text{N} \) when they are \( 0.25 \) \( \text{m} \) apart. Their total mass is \( 4.00 \) \( \text{kg} \). Find their individual masses.
Mary: The box remains essentially “in place” while the truck accelerates forward underneath it, making the box appear to slide toward the rear of the truck bed. When the truck’s rear edge reaches the stationary box, the box loses support and then falls straight downward under gravity.
Chris: Observes the box accelerate toward the rear of the truck with magnitude equal to the truck’s forward acceleration. Once it reaches the edge, it appears to “fly off” and then fall.
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| Kinematics | Forces |
|---|---|
| \(\Delta x = v_i t + \frac{1}{2} at^2\) | \(F = ma\) |
| \(v = v_i + at\) | \(F_g = \frac{G m_1 m_2}{r^2}\) |
| \(v^2 = v_i^2 + 2a \Delta x\) | \(f = \mu N\) |
| \(\Delta x = \frac{v_i + v}{2} t\) | \(F_s =-kx\) |
| \(v^2 = v_f^2 \,-\, 2a \Delta x\) |
| Circular Motion | Energy |
|---|---|
| \(F_c = \frac{mv^2}{r}\) | \(KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2\) |
| \(a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}\) | \(PE = mgh\) |
| \(T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{r}{g}}\) | \(KE_i + PE_i = KE_f + PE_f\) |
| \(W = Fd \cos\theta\) |
| Momentum | Torque and Rotations |
|---|---|
| \(p = mv\) | \(\tau = r \cdot F \cdot \sin(\theta)\) |
| \(J = \Delta p\) | \(I = \sum mr^2\) |
| \(p_i = p_f\) | \(L = I \cdot \omega\) |
| Simple Harmonic Motion | Fluids |
|---|---|
| \(F = -kx\) | \(P = \frac{F}{A}\) |
| \(T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{l}{g}}\) | \(P_{\text{total}} = P_{\text{atm}} + \rho gh\) |
| \(T = 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}\) | \(Q = Av\) |
| \(x(t) = A \cos(\omega t + \phi)\) | \(F_b = \rho V g\) |
| \(a = -\omega^2 x\) | \(A_1v_1 = A_2v_2\) |
| Constant | Description |
|---|---|
| [katex]g[/katex] | Acceleration due to gravity, typically [katex]9.8 , \text{m/s}^2[/katex] on Earth’s surface |
| [katex]G[/katex] | Universal Gravitational Constant, [katex]6.674 \times 10^{-11} , \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{kg}^2[/katex] |
| [katex]\mu_k[/katex] and [katex]\mu_s[/katex] | Coefficients of kinetic ([katex]\mu_k[/katex]) and static ([katex]\mu_s[/katex]) friction, dimensionless. Static friction ([katex]\mu_s[/katex]) is usually greater than kinetic friction ([katex]\mu_k[/katex]) as it resists the start of motion. |
| [katex]k[/katex] | Spring constant, in [katex]\text{N/m}[/katex] |
| [katex] M_E = 5.972 \times 10^{24} , \text{kg} [/katex] | Mass of the Earth |
| [katex] M_M = 7.348 \times 10^{22} , \text{kg} [/katex] | Mass of the Moon |
| [katex] M_M = 1.989 \times 10^{30} , \text{kg} [/katex] | Mass of the Sun |
| Variable | SI Unit |
|---|---|
| [katex]s[/katex] (Displacement) | [katex]\text{meters (m)}[/katex] |
| [katex]v[/katex] (Velocity) | [katex]\text{meters per second (m/s)}[/katex] |
| [katex]a[/katex] (Acceleration) | [katex]\text{meters per second squared (m/s}^2\text{)}[/katex] |
| [katex]t[/katex] (Time) | [katex]\text{seconds (s)}[/katex] |
| [katex]m[/katex] (Mass) | [katex]\text{kilograms (kg)}[/katex] |
| Variable | Derived SI Unit |
|---|---|
| [katex]F[/katex] (Force) | [katex]\text{newtons (N)}[/katex] |
| [katex]E[/katex], [katex]PE[/katex], [katex]KE[/katex] (Energy, Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy) | [katex]\text{joules (J)}[/katex] |
| [katex]P[/katex] (Power) | [katex]\text{watts (W)}[/katex] |
| [katex]p[/katex] (Momentum) | [katex]\text{kilogram meters per second (kgm/s)}[/katex] |
| [katex]\omega[/katex] (Angular Velocity) | [katex]\text{radians per second (rad/s)}[/katex] |
| [katex]\tau[/katex] (Torque) | [katex]\text{newton meters (Nm)}[/katex] |
| [katex]I[/katex] (Moment of Inertia) | [katex]\text{kilogram meter squared (kgm}^2\text{)}[/katex] |
| [katex]f[/katex] (Frequency) | [katex]\text{hertz (Hz)}[/katex] |
Metric Prefixes
Example of using unit analysis: Convert 5 kilometers to millimeters.
Start with the given measurement: [katex]\text{5 km}[/katex]
Use the conversion factors for kilometers to meters and meters to millimeters: [katex]\text{5 km} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{m}}{1 \, \text{km}} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{mm}}{1 \, \text{m}}[/katex]
Perform the multiplication: [katex]\text{5 km} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{m}}{1 \, \text{km}} \times \frac{10^3 \, \text{mm}}{1 \, \text{m}} = 5 \times 10^3 \times 10^3 \, \text{mm}[/katex]
Simplify to get the final answer: [katex]\boxed{5 \times 10^6 \, \text{mm}}[/katex]
Prefix | Symbol | Power of Ten | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
Pico- | p | [katex]10^{-12}[/katex] | |
Nano- | n | [katex]10^{-9}[/katex] | |
Micro- | µ | [katex]10^{-6}[/katex] | |
Milli- | m | [katex]10^{-3}[/katex] | |
Centi- | c | [katex]10^{-2}[/katex] | |
Deci- | d | [katex]10^{-1}[/katex] | |
(Base unit) | – | [katex]10^{0}[/katex] | |
Deca- or Deka- | da | [katex]10^{1}[/katex] | |
Hecto- | h | [katex]10^{2}[/katex] | |
Kilo- | k | [katex]10^{3}[/katex] | |
Mega- | M | [katex]10^{6}[/katex] | |
Giga- | G | [katex]10^{9}[/katex] | |
Tera- | T | [katex]10^{12}[/katex] |
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