| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[F = k \Delta x\] | Hooke’s law states that the applied force \(F\) on a spring is proportional to its stretch \(\Delta x\) with proportionality constant \(k\). |
| 2 | \[k = \frac{F}{\Delta x}\] | Algebraically solve the Hooke’s law equation for the spring constant \(k\). |
| 3 | \[\Delta x = 0.25\ \text{m}\] | Convert the given stretch of \(25\ \text{cm}\) to meters because SI units are required. |
| 4 | \[k = \frac{80.0\ \text{N}}{0.25\ \text{m}}\] | Substitute \(F = 80.0\ \text{N}\) and \(\Delta x = 0.25\ \text{m}\) into the equation for \(k\). |
| 5 | \[k = 320\ \text{N/m}\] | Compute the value: \(80.0 \div 0.25 = 320\). |
| 6 | \[\boxed{k = 320\ \text{N/m}}\] | Present the final boxed spring constant. |
A Major Upgrade To Phy Is Coming Soon — Stay Tuned
We'll help clarify entire units in one hour or less — guaranteed.
A self paced course with videos, problems sets, and everything you need to get a 5. Trusted by over 15k students and over 200 schools.
A truck is traveling at \(35 \, \text{m/s}\) when the driver realizes the truck has no brakes. He sees a ramp off the road, inclined at \(20^\circ\), and decides to go up it to help the truck come to a stop. How far does the truck travel before coming to a stop (assume no friction)?
A block starts from rest at the top of a \(50^\circ\) incline. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the incline is \(0.4\). If the block reaches a velocity of \(7 \, \text{m/s}\) at the bottom of the incline, what is the length of the incline?
List at least 2 everyday forces that are not conservative, and explain why they aren’t.
On a harsh winter day, a \( 1500 \) \( \text{kg} \) vehicle takes a circular banked exit ramp (radius \( R = 150 \) \( \text{m} \); banking angle of \( 10^\circ \)) at a speed of \( 30 \) \( \text{mph} \), since the speed limit is \( 35 \) \( \text{mph} \). However, the exit ramp is completely iced up (frictionless). To make matters worse, a wind is blowing parallel to the ramp in a downward direction. The wind exerts a force of \( 3000 \) \( \text{N} \). Under these conditions, can the driver continue to follow a safe horizontal circle on the exit ramp and stay below the speed limit?
To convert \( \text{mph} \) into \( \text{m/s} \), use \( 1 \) \( \text{mi} = 1607 \) \( \text{m} \) and \( 1 \) \( \text{hr} = 3600 \) \( \text{s} \).
A \( 50 \) \( \text{g} \) ice cube can slide up and down a frictionless \( 30^{\circ}\) slope. At the bottom, a spring with spring constant \( 25 \) \( \text{N/m} \) is compressed \( 10 \) \( \text{cm} \) and is used to launch the ice cube up the slope. How high does it go above its starting point? Express your answer with the appropriate units.
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?
Traveling at a speed of 15.9 m/s, the driver of an automobile suddenly locks the wheels by slamming on the brakes. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the tires and the road is 0.659. What is the speed of the automobile after 1.59 s have elapsed? Ignore the effects of air resistance.
A 0.035 kg bullet moving horizontally at 350 m/s embeds itself into an initially stationary 0.55 kg block. Air resistance is negligible.

A piece of metal of weight \(W\) is suspended by two identical strings. Each string passes through a pulley and is attached to a block of mass \(m\) . The system is in equilibrium.What must be true for \(m\) such that the two strings attached to the piece of metal are almost horizontal.
Three identical blocks are being pulled or pushed across a rough horizontal surface by force of identical magnitude F, as shown in the drawing below. Rank the kinetic frictional forces that act on the blocks from smallest to greatest.

\(k = 320\ \text{N/m}\)
By continuing you (1) agree to our Terms of Use and Terms of Sale and (2) consent to sharing your IP and browser information used by this site’s security protocols as outlined in our Privacy Policy.
| 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] | 0.000000000001 |
Nano- | n | [katex]10^{-9}[/katex] | 0.000000001 |
Micro- | µ | [katex]10^{-6}[/katex] | 0.000001 |
Milli- | m | [katex]10^{-3}[/katex] | 0.001 |
Centi- | c | [katex]10^{-2}[/katex] | 0.01 |
Deci- | d | [katex]10^{-1}[/katex] | 0.1 |
(Base unit) | – | [katex]10^{0}[/katex] | 1 |
Deca- or Deka- | da | [katex]10^{1}[/katex] | 10 |
Hecto- | h | [katex]10^{2}[/katex] | 100 |
Kilo- | k | [katex]10^{3}[/katex] | 1,000 |
Mega- | M | [katex]10^{6}[/katex] | 1,000,000 |
Giga- | G | [katex]10^{9}[/katex] | 1,000,000,000 |
Tera- | T | [katex]10^{12}[/katex] | 1,000,000,000,000 |
One price to unlock most advanced version of Phy across all our tools.
per month
Billed Monthly. Cancel Anytime.
Try our free calculator to see what you need to get a 5 on the 2026 AP Physics 1 exam.
A quick explanation
Credits are used to grade your FRQs and GQs. Pro users get unlimited credits.
Submitting counts as 1 attempt.
Viewing answers or explanations count as a failed attempts.
Phy gives partial credit if needed
MCQs and GQs are are 1 point each. FRQs will state points for each part.
Phy customizes problem explanations based on what you struggle with. Just hit the explanation button to see.
Understand you mistakes quicker.
Phy automatically provides feedback so you can improve your responses.
10 Free Credits To Get You Started
By continuing you agree to nerd-notes.com Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and our usage of user data.
Feeling uneasy about your next physics test? We'll boost your grade in 3 lessons or less—guaranteed
NEW! PHY AI accurately solves all questions
🔥 Get up to 30% off Elite Physics Tutoring
🧠 NEW! Learn Physics From Scratch Self Paced Course
🎯 Need exam style practice questions?