| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[I = \frac{1}{2} M R^{2}\] | Moment of inertia of a uniform solid disk about its central axis depends on its mass \(M\) and radius \(R\). |
| \[I_{1} = \frac{1}{2} M R^{2}\] | Disk 1 has radius \(R\), so substitute directly into the formula. |
| \[I_{2} = \frac{1}{2} M (2R)^{2} = 2 M R^{2}\] | Disk 2 has radius \(2R\); squaring the radius gives \(4R^{2}\), and multiplying by \(\tfrac12\) yields \(2 M R^{2}\). |
| \[\displaystyle \frac{I_{1}}{I_{2}} = \frac{\tfrac12 M R^{2}}{2 M R^{2}} = \frac{1}{4}\] | Mass and the common factor \(R^{2}\) cancel, leaving the numerical ratio. |
| \[\boxed{1:4}\] | Thus option (a) is correct. Options (b), (c), and (d) ignore the \(R^{2}\) dependence or invert the ratio. |
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.
Which of the following situations will increase the moment of inertia of a solid cylinder \( I = \tfrac{1}{2} M R^{2} \) by the same amount?
A windmill blade with a rotational inertia of \( 6.0 \) \( \text{kg} \cdot \text{m}^2 \) has an initial angular velocity of \( 8 \) \( \text{rad/s} \) in the clockwise direction. It is then given an angular acceleration of \( 4 \) \( \text{rad/s}^2 \) in the clockwise direction for \( 10 \) seconds. What is the change in rotational kinetic energy of the blade over this time interval?
A uniform stick has length \( L \). The moment of inertia about the center of the stick is \( I_0 \). A particle of mass \( M \) is attached to one end of the stick. The moment of inertia of the combined system about the center of the stick is
A uniform copper disk of radius \( R \) has a moment of inertia \( I \) around an axis passing through the center of the disk perpendicular to its plane. If the radius of the disk were only \( \dfrac{R}{2} \), but the thickness were the same, what would be the moment of inertia in terms of \( I \)? Hint: The moment of inertia of a solid disk about its center is \(\frac{1}{2} M R^{2}\).
A spinning ice skater on extremely smooth ice is able to control the rate at which she rotates by pulling in her arms. Which of the following statements are true about the skater during this process?
A uniform, solid, \( 100 \) \( \text{kg} \) cylinder with a diameter of \( 1.0 \) \( \text{m} \) is mounted so it is free to rotate about a fixed, horizontal, frictionless axis that passes through the centers of its circular ends. A \( 10 \) \( \text{kg} \) block is hung from a very light, thin cord wrapped around the cylinder’s circumference. When the block is released, the cord unwinds and the block accelerates downward. What is the acceleration of the block?

A light string is attached to a massive pulley of known rotational inertia \( I_P \), as shown in the figure. A student must determine the relationship between the torque exerted on the pulley and the change in the pulley’s angular velocity when the torque is applied for \( 2.0 \) \( \text{s} \). In addition to a stopwatch to measure the time interval, what two measurements could the student make in order to determine the relationship? Select two answers.

A hoop with a mass [katex]m[/katex] and unknown radius is rolling without slipping on a flat surface with an angular speed [katex]\omega[/katex]. The hoop encounters a hill and continues to roll without slipping until it reaches a maximum height [katex]h[/katex].
Which of the following must be zero if an object is spinning at a constant rate? There may be more than one right answer.
A disk, a hoop, and a solid sphere are released at the same time at the top of an inclined plane. They are all uniform and roll without slipping. In what order do they reach the bottom?
\( \text{Solid sphere: } I = \frac{2}{5}mR^2, \quad \text{Solid disk: } I = \frac{1}{2}mR^2, \quad \text{Hoop: } I = mR^2 \)
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?