| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[ W_{\parallel}=W\sin\alpha=40\,\text{N}\,\sin40^{\circ}=25.71\,\text{N} \] | Resolve the block’s weight into a component \(W_{\parallel}\) acting down the incline. |
| \[ N=W\cos\alpha=40\,\text{N}\,\cos40^{\circ}=30.64\,\text{N} \] | Normal force; the 15 N push is along the plane, so it does not alter \(N\). |
| \[ f_{s_{\max}}=\mu_sN=0.75\,(30.64\,\text{N})=22.98\,\text{N} \] | Maximum possible static friction opposing motion. |
| \[ F_{\text{down}}=W_{\parallel}+F_{\text{push}}=25.71\,\text{N}+15\,\text{N}=40.71\,\text{N} \] | Total force tending to make the block slide down the plane. |
| \[ F_{\text{down}}>f_{s_{\max}} \] | Since \(40.71\,\text{N}>22.98\,\text{N}\), static friction cannot hold; the block must slide. |
| \[ \boxed{\text{Block slides}} \] | Answer to part (a). |
| \[ \boxed{\text{Direction: down the plane}} \] | Answer to part (b); friction will act up the plane. |
| \[ f_k=\mu_kN=0.65\,(30.64\,\text{N})=19.91\,\text{N} \] | Magnitude of kinetic friction once sliding begins. |
| \[ \boxed{f_k\;=\;19.9\,\text{N}\;\text{(up the plane)}} \] | Answer to part (c). |
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A skateboarder, with an initial speed of \( 20.0 \, \text{m/s} \), rolls to the end of friction-free incline of length \( 25 \, \text{m} \). At what angle is the incline oriented above the horizontal?
What is the mass of a dog that weighs \(58 \, \text{N}\) on Earth?
If the coefficient of static friction is \( \mu_s = 0.5 \), how much force must be applied to a spring (spring constant of \( 0.8 \) \( \text{N/m} \)) which is attached to a block of wood (mass \( 4.0 \) \( \text{kg} \)) in order to just begin to move the block?
Friction provides the force needed for a car to travel around a flat, circular race track. Answer the following:

Two masses, \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \), are connected by a cord and arranged as shown in the diagram, with \( m_1 \) sliding along a frictionless surface and \( m_2 \) hanging from a light, frictionless pulley. What would be the mass of the falling mass, \( m_2 \), if both the sliding mass, \( m_1 \), and the tension, \( T \), in the cord were known?
Only \( 1 \) non-zero force acts on an object. Can the object have \( 0 \) acceleration? Can it have \( 0 \) velocity? Explain.
A spring with spring constant \( k = 2.3 \) \( \text{N/m} \) is attached to an object of mass \( 10 \) \( \text{kg} \). If the object is hung from the ceiling by this spring, how much would the spring be stretched?
A space probe far from the Earth is travelling at \( 14.8 \) \( \text{km s}^{-1} \). It has mass \( 1\,312 \) \( \text{kg} \). The probe fires its rockets to give a constant thrust of \( 156 \) \( \text{kN} \) for \( 220. \) \( \text{s} \). It accelerates in the same direction as its initial velocity. In this time it burns \( 150. \) \( \text{kg} \) of fuel.
Calculate the final speed of the space probe in \( \text{km s}^{-1} \).
In 2014, the European Space Agency placed a satellite in orbit around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and then landed a probe on the surface. The actual orbit was elliptical, but we can approximate it as a 50 km diameter circular orbit with a period of 11 days.

Shown above are three masses of \(6 \, \text{kg}\), \(3 \, \text{kg}\), and \(1 \, \text{kg}\) (in order from left to right). You pull on the 1kg mass with a force \(F\) of \(15 \, \text{N}\) along a frictionless surface.
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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] | 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 |
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