| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \( v = v_0 + at \) | Use the kinematic equation for vertical motion. Here, \(v\) is the final velocity at the max height (which is 0), \(v_0\) is the initial velocity, \(a\) is the acceleration (gravity, acting downward), and \(t\) is the time. |
| 2 | \( 0 = v_0 – g \times 0.586 \) | Set the final velocity \(v\) at the maximum height to 0, and solve for \(v_0\). The acceleration due to gravity \(g\) is \(9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2\). |
| 3 | \( v_0 = g \times 0.586 \) | Rearrange to solve for \(v_0\) |
| 4 | \( v_0 = 9.8 \times 0.586 \) | Substitute the values of \(g\) and \(t\) |
| 5 | \( v_0 = 5.74 \, \text{m/s} \) | Final answer for the initial speed. |
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \( v^2 = v_0^2 + 2a \Delta x \) | Use the kinematic equation to relate velocity, acceleration, and displacement. Here, \(v\) is the final velocity at the max height (0), \(v_0\) is the initial velocity, \(a\) is the acceleration (gravity), and \(\Delta x\) is the displacement. |
| 2 | \( 0 = (5.74)^2 – 2 \cdot 9.8 \cdot \Delta x \) | Substitute \(v = 0\), \(v_0 = 5.74 \, \text{m/s}\), and \(a = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2\) |
| 3 | \( 2 \cdot 9.8 \cdot \Delta x = (5.74)^2 \) | Rearrange to solve for \(\Delta x\). |
| 4 | \( \Delta x = \frac{(5.74)^2}{2 \cdot 9.8} \) | Solve for \(\Delta x\). |
| 5 | \( \Delta x = 1.68 \, \text{m} \) | Compute the displacement \(\Delta x\). |
| 6 | \(\text{Max height} = 3.25 + 1.68 = 4.93 \, \text{m} \) | Since the ice cube was initially 3.25 m above the ground, add this to \(\Delta x\) to get the maximum height. |
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \(\Delta y = v_0 t + \frac{1}{2} a t^2\) | Use the kinematic equation for vertical displacement, where \(\Delta y\) is the change in height, \(v_0\) is the initial velocity, \(a\) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \(t\) is the time. |
| 2 | \(\Delta y = 0\) at maximum height, then use \(y = 4.93 \, \text{m}\) | The maximum height the ice cube reaches is previously calculated as 4.93 m. |
| 3 | \( -4.93 \, \text{m} = – \frac{1}{2} \cdot 9.8 \cdot t^2\) | Solve for the time taken to fall from the maximum height to the ground. Note the displacement (\(\Delta y\)) is negative when falling down. |
| 4 | \(t = \sqrt{\frac{2 \cdot 4.93}{9.8}}\) | Substitute the values and solve for \(t\). |
| 5 | \(t = \sqrt{\frac{9.86}{9.8}} = \sqrt{1.01} \approx 1.005 \, \text{s}\) | Calculate the square root to find the fall time. |
| 6 | Total time = \(0.586 \, \text{s} (up) + 1.005\, \text{s} (down) \approx 1.59 \, \text{s}\) | Add the time going up (0.586 s) to the time coming down (1.005 s) to get the total time. |
| 7 | \( t_{\text{total}} = 1.59 \, \text{s} \) | Final time taken for the ice cube to reach the ground. |
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \(v_y^2 = v_{max}^2 + 2 a \Delta y\) | Use the kinematic equation relating velocity, acceleration, and displacement, where \(v_y\) is the final velocity, \(v_{max}\) is the velocity at maximum height (0 m/s), \(a\) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \(\Delta y\) is the displacement (4.93 m). |
| 2 | \(v_y^2 = 0 + 2 \cdot 9.8 \cdot 4.93\) | Substitute the values into the equation. |
| 3 | \( v_y^2 = 96.508 \) | Calculate the right side of the equation. |
| 4 | \( v_y = \sqrt{96.508}\) | Take the square root to solve for \(v_y\). |
| 5 | \( v_y \approx 9.82 \, \text{m/s}\) | Final speed of the ice cube when it reaches the ground. |
| 6 | \( v_{\text{final}} \approx 9.82 \, \text{m/s} \) | The boxed final answer for the speed of the ice cube when it hits the ground. |
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \(v_y^2 = v_{max}^2 + 2 a \Delta y\) | Use the kinematic equation relating velocity, acceleration, and displacement, where \(v_y\) is the final velocity (7.00 m/s), \(v_{max}\) is the velocity at maximum height (0 m/s), \(a\) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \(\Delta y\) is the displacement from the maximum height. |
| 2 | \( (7.00)^2 = 0 + 2 \cdot 9.8 \cdot \Delta y \) | Substitute the given speed and constants. |
| 3 | \( 49 = 19.6 \cdot \Delta y\) | Solve for \(\Delta y\) by isolating it on one side of the equation. |
| 4 | \( \Delta y = \frac{49}{19.6}\) | Rearrange to solve for \(\Delta y\). |
| 5 | \(\Delta y = 2.5 \, \text{m}\) | Final height change from the maximum height when the ice cube reaches a speed of 7.00 m/s downward. |
| 6 | \( \text{Height above ground} = 4.93 – 2.5 \) | Subtract the downwards displacement from the maximum height to get the current height above the ground. |
| 7 | \( \text{Height above ground} = 2.43 \, \text{m}\) | Final height of the ice cube above the ground when traveling at 7.00 m/s downward. |
| 8 | \( \text{Height} = 2.43 \, \text{m} \) | Boxed final answer. |
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A car increases its forward velocity uniformly from \(40 ~ \text{m/s}\) to \(80 ~ \text{m/s}\) while traveling a distance of \(200 ~ \text{m}\). What is its acceleration during this time?
A blue ball is thrown upward with a velocity of \( 9 \) \( \text{m/s} \) upward from the top of a high cliff. At the same time, a red ball is dropped from the same spot. The red ball is observed to hit the ground below exactly \( 1 \) \( \text{s} \) before the blue ball. How high is the cliff?
Can an object’s average velocity equal zero when object’s speed is greater than zero? Explain using the formula for average velocity vs speed.
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)?
The graph above shows velocity as a function of time for an object moving along a straight line. For which of the following sections of the graph is the acceleration constant and nonzero?

The graph above represents the motion of an object traveling in a straight line as a function of time. What is the average speed of the object during the first four seconds?
Two objects are dropped from rest from the same height. Object \( A \) falls through a distance \( d_A \) during a time \( t \), and object \( B \) falls through a distance \( d_B \) during a time \( 2t \). If air resistance is negligible, what is the relationship between \( d_A \) and \( d_B \)?
A 135.0 N force is applied to a 30.0 kg box at 42 degree angle to the horizontal. If the force of friction is 85.0, what is the net force and acceleration? If the object starts from rest, how far has it traveled in 3.3 sec?
Which pair of quantities will always have the same magnitude if motion is in a straight line and in one direction?
Note answers may vary by \( \pm 0.2 \).
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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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