| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[F_B = \rho_{\text{water}} g V_{\text{sub}}\] | The buoyant force on the block equals the weight of the displaced water. Here \(F_B\) is the buoyant force, \(\rho_{\text{water}}\) is the density of water, and \(V_{\text{sub}}\) is the submerged volume of the block. |
| 2 | \[mg = \rho_{\text{water}} g \left(\frac{V}{2}\right)\] | Initially, the block floats with half its volume submerged because half is above water. Since it floats in equilibrium, the buoyant force equals the block’s weight \(mg\). |
| 3 | \[mg = \frac{1}{2}\rho_{\text{water}} g V\] | This shows the weight of the wooden block is equal to the weight of water displaced by half the block’s volume. |
| 4 | \[\rho_{\text{water}} g V = 2mg\] | Multiplying both sides by \(2\) gives the buoyant force when the entire block volume \(V\) is submerged. |
| 5 | \[F_{B,\text{now}} = \rho_{\text{water}} g V\] | After objects are stacked on top, the wooden block is completely submerged, but the objects are not submerged. Therefore, only the full volume of the wooden block displaces water. |
| 6 | \[\boxed{F_{B,\text{now}} = 2mg}\] | The buoyant force acting on the block is now twice the weight of the block alone. Therefore, the correct answer is choice \((c)\). |
| 7 | \[\boxed{\text{Choice }(c)}\] | Choice \((a)\) is incorrect because \(mg\) was the buoyant force only when half the block was submerged. Choice \((b)\) is incorrect because a fully submerged block displaces exactly twice as much water as before, not less than \(2mg\). Choice \((d)\) is incorrect because the buoyant force cannot exceed \(\rho_{\text{water}}gV\) while only the wooden block is submerged. |
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A diver descends from a salvage ship to the ocean floor at a depth of \(35 \text{ m}\) below the surface. The density of ocean water is \(1.025 \times 10^3 \text{ kg/m}^3\).
The difference in pressure between the atmosphere and the human lungs is \( 1.05 \times 10^5 \) \( \text{Pa} \). What is the longest straw you could use to draw up milk whose density is \( 1030 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \)?
An air mattress pump blows air above a beach ball at \( 8 \) \( \text{m/s} \). The air below the beach ball is moving at \( \approx 0 \) \( \text{m/s} \). Assuming the beach ball diameter is \( 0.1 \) \( \text{m} \), meaning the areas for the top \& bottom are each \( \approx 0.03 \) \( \text{m}^2 \), and the density of air is \( 1 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \), what is the lift force on the beach ball?
A geologist suspects that her rock specimen is hollow, so she weighs the specimen in both air and water. When completely submerged, the rock weighs twice as much in air as it does in water.
Marc’s favorite ride at Busch Gardens is the Flying Umbrella, which is lifted by a hydraulic jack. The operator activates the ride by applying a force of \( 72 \) \( \text{N} \) to a \( 30 \)\( \text{cm}^2 \) cylindrical piston, which holds the \( 20,000 \)\( \text{N} \) ride off the ground. What is the area of the piston that holds the ride?

A beaker weighing \( 2.0 \) \( \text{N} \) is filled with \( 5.0 \times 10^{-3} \) \( \text{m}^3 \) of water. A rubber ball weighing \( 3.0 \) \( \text{N} \) is held entirely underwater by a massless string attached to the bottom of the beaker, as represented in the figure above. The tension in the string is \( 4.0 \) \( \text{N} \). The water fills the beaker to a depth of \( 0.20 \) \( \text{m} \). Water has a density of \( 1000 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \). The effects of atmospheric pressure may be neglected.
Two objects labeled K and L have equal mass but densities \( 0.95D_o \) and \( D_o \), respectively. Each of these objects floats after being thrown into a deep swimming pool. Which is true about the buoyant forces acting on these objects?
Diamond has a density of \( 3500 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \). During a physics lab, a diamond drops out of Virginia’s necklace and falls into her graduated cylinder filled with \( 5.00 \times 10^{-5} \) \( \text{m}^3 \) of water. This causes the water level to rise to the \( 5.05 \times 10^{-5} \) \( \text{m}^3 \) mark. What is the mass of Virginia’s diamond?
A sample of an unknown material appears to weigh \( 285 \) \( \text{N} \) in air and \( 195 \) \( \text{N} \) when immersed in alcohol of specific gravity \( 0.700 \).
A block of weight \( W \) is floating in water, and one-third of the block is above the surface of the water. Which of the following correctly describes the magnitude \( F \) of the force that the block exerts on the water and explains why \( F \) has that value?
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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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