| Step | Formula Derivation | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [katex] a_{\text{centripetal}} = \frac{v^2}{r} [/katex] | Centripetal acceleration formula, where [katex] v [/katex] is velocity and [katex] r [/katex] is the radius. |
| 2 | [katex] v = \frac{2\pi r}{T} [/katex] | Velocity formula for uniform circular motion, with [katex] T [/katex] as the period. |
| 3 | [katex] a_{\text{centripetal}} = \frac{\left(\frac{2\pi r}{T}\right)^2}{r} = \frac{4\pi^2 r}{T^2} [/katex] | Substituting the expression for [katex] v [/katex] from Step 2 into the centripetal acceleration formula. |
| 4 | [katex] a_{\text{centripetal, new}} = \frac{4\pi^2 (R/3)}{T^2} = \frac{4\pi^2 R}{3T^2} [/katex] | Applying the formula to the new radius [katex] R/3 [/katex]. |
| 5 | [katex] \text{Ratio} = \frac{a_{\text{centripetal, new}}}{a_{\text{centripetal, original}}} = \frac{\frac{4\pi^2 R}{3T^2}}{\frac{4\pi^2 R}{T^2}} = \frac{1}{3} [/katex] | Calculating the ratio of new acceleration to original acceleration. |
| 6 | [katex] \boxed{\text{The centripetal acceleration decreases by a factor of 3.}} [/katex] | Conclusion based on the ratio calculated in Step 5. |
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A 2.0 kg ball on the end of a 0.65 m long string is moving in a vertical circle. At the bottom of the circle, its speed is 4.0 m/s. Find the tension in the string.
A communications satellite orbits the Earth at an altitude of \(35{,}000 \, \text{km}\) above the Earth’s surface. Take the mass of Earth to be \(6 \times 10^{24} \, \text{kg}\) and the radius of Earth to be \(6.4 \times 10^6 \, \text{m}\). What is the satellite’s velocity?

In the figure above, the marble rolls down the track and around a loop-the-loop of radius \( R \). The marble has mass \( m \) and radius \( r \). What minimum height \( h_{min} \) must the track have for the marble to make it around the loop-the-loop without falling off? Express your answer in terms of the variables \( R \) and \( r \).
Young David experimented with slings before tackling Goliath. He found that he could develop an angular speed of \( 8.0 \) \( \text{rev/s} \) in a sling \( 0.60 \) \( \text{m} \) long. If he increased the length to \( 0.90 \) \( \text{m} \), he could revolve the sling only \( 6.0 \) times per second.

A roller coaster ride at an amusement park lifts a car of mass \( 700 \, \text{kg} \) to point \( A \) at a height of \( 90 \, \text{m} \) above the lowest point on the track, as shown above. The car starts from rest at \( A \), rolls with negligible friction down the incline and follows the track around a loop of radius \( 20 \, \text{m} \). Point \( B \), the highest point on the loop, is at a height of \( 50 \, \text{m} \) above the lowest point on the track.
A car is going over the top of a hill whose curvature approximates a circle of radius \( 350 \) \( \text{m} \). At what velocity will the occupants of the car appear to weigh \( 10\% \) less than their normal weight?
Why do pilots sometimes black out while pulling out at the bottom of a dive?
A \(1.00 \, \text{kg}\) mass is attached to a \(0.800 \, \text{m}\) long string and spun in a vertical circle. The mass completes \(2.00\) revolutions in \(1.00 \, \text{s}\).
A concrete highway curve of radius \(60.0 \, \text{m}\) is banked at a \(12.0^\circ\) angle. What is the maximum speed with which a \(1300 \, \text{kg}\) rubber-tired car can take this curve without sliding? (Take the static coefficient of friction of rubber on concrete to be \(1.0\).)
A car is going through a dip in the road whose curvature approximates a circle of radius \( 200 \) \( \text{m} \). At what velocity will the occupants of the car appear to weigh \( 20\% \) more than their normal weight \( (1.2\,W) \)?
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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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