| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[\text{Forces:}\] | List all forces acting immediately after release. |
| \[\begin{aligned} &\text{(i) }\;\vec F_{\!\text{pivot}} \\ &\text{(ii) }\;\vec W = M g \;(\text{down}) \end{aligned}\] |
\(\vec F_{\!\text{pivot}}\) is the unknown reaction at the hinge; \(\vec W\) acts at the centre (mid-point \(L/2\) from pivot). | |
| 2 | \[\tau_\text{net}=W\left(\dfrac{L}{2}\right)\] | Only weight produces a moment about the pivot because the hinge force passes through the pivot. |
| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[\tau_\text{net}=I\alpha\] | Rotational analogue of Newtons second law. |
| 2 | \[Mg\left(\dfrac{L}{2}\right)=\left(\dfrac13 M L^2\right)\alpha\] | Substitute \(\tau_\text{net}\) from Part (a) and the given moment of inertia. |
| 3 | \[\alpha=\dfrac{3g}{2L}\] | Cancel \(M\) and solve algebraically for \(\alpha\). |
| 4 | \[a_t=\alpha\left(\dfrac{L}{2}\right)\] | Tangential acceleration of the centre of mass equals \(\alpha r\) with \(r=L/2\). |
| 5 | \[a_t=\dfrac{3g}{2L}\left(\dfrac{L}{2}\right)=\dfrac{3g}{4}\] | Simplify to obtain \(a_t\). |
| 6 | \[\boxed{\alpha=\dfrac{3g}{2L}},\;\boxed{\;a_t=\dfrac{3g}{4}\;}\] | Box the requested expressions. |
| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[\tau=Mg\left(\dfrac{L}{2}\right)\sin\theta\] | General expression when the rod makes angle \(\theta\) with vertical. (Pure algebra; \(\sin\theta\) is geometric.) |
| 2 | \[\alpha=\dfrac{\tau}{I}=\dfrac{3g}{2L}\sin\theta\] | Insert \(I=\tfrac13 ML^2\). Shows \(\alpha\propto\sin\theta\). |
| 3 | \[\alpha_{\text{max}}\text{ at }\theta=90^\circ,\;\alpha=0\text{ when }\theta=0^\circ\] | \(\sin90^\circ=1\) (horizontal start) gives maximum; \(\sin0=0\) (vertical) gives zero. Thus \(\alpha\) decreases monotonically. |
A Major Upgrade To Phy Is Coming Soon — Stay Tuned
We'll help clarify entire units in one hour or less — guaranteed.
A solid sphere of mass \( M \) and radius \( R \) rolls without slipping down an inclined plane starting from rest. Select all that would affect the angular velocity of the sphere at the bottom of the incline.

The diagram above shows a top view of a child of mass \(M\) on a circular platform of mass \(2M\) that is rotating counterclockwise. Assume the platform rotates without friction. Which of the following describes an action by the child that will increase the angular speed of the platform-child system and gives the correct reason why?

An isolated spherical star of radius \( R_o \), rotates about an axis that passes through its center with an angular velocity of \( \omega_o \). Gravitational forces within the star cause the star’s radius to collapse and decrease to a value \( r_o < R_o \), but the mass of the star remains constant. A graph of the star’s angular velocity as a function of time as it collapses is shown. Which of the following predictions is correct about the angular momentum \( L \) of the star immediately after the collapse?
At time \( t = 0 \), a disk starts from rest and begins spinning about its center with a constant angular acceleration of magnitude \( \alpha \). At time \( t_f \), the disk has angular speed \( \omega_f \). Which of the following expressions correctly compares the final angular displacement \( \theta_f \) of the disk at time \( t_f \) to the angular displacement \( \theta_{1/2} \) at time \( \frac{t_f}{2} \)?
A force of \(17 \, \text{N}\) is applied to the end of a \(0.63 \, \text{m}\) long torque wrench at an angle \(45^\circ\) from a line joining the pivot point to the handle. What is the magnitude of the torque about the pivot point produced by this force?

A sphere starts from rest and rolls down an incline of height \( H = 1.0 \) \( \text{m} \) at an angle of \( 25^\circ \) with the horizontal, as shown above. The radius of the sphere \( R = 15 \) \( \text{cm} \), and its mass \( m = 1.0 \) \( \text{kg} \). The moment of inertia for a sphere is \( \frac{2}{5}mR^2 \). What is the speed of the sphere when it reaches the bottom of the plane?

A point on the edge of a disk rotates around the center of the disk with an initial angular velocity of 3 rad/s clockwise. The graph shows the point’s angular acceleration as a function of time. The positive direction is considered to be counterclockwise. All frictional forces are considered to be negligible.
A solid disk has a mass \( M \) and radius \( R \). What is the moment of inertia about an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the disk and passes through its edge? Hint: the moment of inertia about the disk center is given as \(I_{center}=\frac{1}{2}M R^{2}\).
If a constant net torque is applied to an object it will (select all that applies):

A hungry bear weighing 700 N walks out on a beam in an attempt to retrieve a basket of goodies hanging at the end of the beam. The beam is uniform, weighs 200 N, and is 6.00 m long. The goodies weigh 80 N.
\(\alpha = \dfrac{3g}{2L}\)
\(a_t = \dfrac{3g}{4}\)
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.
We crafted THE Ultimate A.P Physics 1 Program so you can learn faster and score higher.
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?