| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[ v = 120 \; \text{km/hr} = \frac{120 \times 1000}{3600} \; \text{m/s} \approx 33.33 \; \text{m/s} \] | We first convert the speed from kilometers per hour to meters per second. |
| \[ a_{\text{c}} = \frac{v^2}{R} = \frac{(33.33)^2}{10} \approx 111.11 \; \text{m/s}^2 \] | Using the centripetal acceleration formula, we calculate the horizontal acceleration. Here \(R = 10.0\;\text{m}\). |
| \[ a_{\text{eff}} = \sqrt{g^2 + a_{\text{c}}^2} = \sqrt{(9.8)^2 + (111.11)^2} \approx 111.56 \; \text{m/s}^2 \] | The net acceleration felt by the crew is the vector sum of gravitational acceleration \(g\) and the centripetal acceleration \(a_{\text{c}}\). Although the motions are perpendicular, the crew perceives the combined effect as an increase in the effective acceleration. |
| \[ \frac{W_{\text{app}}}{mg} = \frac{a_{\text{eff}}}{g} = \sqrt{1+\left(\frac{a_{\text{c}}}{g}\right)^2} \]\[ \text{or} \]\[ W_{\text{app}} = mg\sqrt{1+\left(\frac{v^2}{gR}\right)^2} \] | This step expresses the crew’s apparent weight as a multiple of \(mg\) by normalizing the net effective acceleration with \(g\). |
| \[ \frac{W_{\text{app}}}{mg} = \sqrt{1+\left(\frac{111.11}{9.8}\right)^2} \approx \sqrt{1+128.6} \approx \sqrt{129.6} \approx 11.38 \] | Substituting the computed centripetal acceleration and gravitational acceleration, we determine the multiplicative factor. |
| \[ \boxed{W_{\text{app}} \approx 11.4 \; mg} \] | This final expression gives the crew’s apparent weight in terms of \(mg\); they feel approximately 11.4 times their normal weight. |
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A neighbor’s child wants to go to a carnival to experience the wild rides. The neighbor is worried about safety because one of the rides looks particularly dangerous. She knows that you have taken physics and so asks you for advice. The ride in question has a \(4 \, \text{kg}\) chair which hangs freely from a \(10 \, \text{m}\) long chain attached to a pivot on the top of a tall tower. When the child enters the ride, the chain is hanging straight down. The child is then attached to the chair with a seat belt and shoulder harness. When the ride starts up, the chain rotates about the tower. Soon the chain reaches its maximum speed and remains rotating at that speed, which corresponds to one rotation about the tower every \(3 \, \text{seconds}\). When you ask the operator, he says the ride is perfectly safe. He demonstrates this by sitting in the stationary chair. The chain creaks but holds, and he weighs \(90 \, \text{kg}\).
A child has a toy tied to the end of a string and whirls the toy at constant speed in a horizontal circular path of radius \(R\). The toy completes each revolution of its motion in a time period \(T\). What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the toy (in terms of \(T\), \(R\), and \(g\))?
Consider a neutron star with a mass equal to the sun, a radius of 10 km, and a rotation period of 1.0 s. What is the speed of a point on the equator of the star?
Friction provides the force needed for a car to travel around a flat, circular race track. Answer the following:
A speed skater goes around a turn that has a radius of \(31 \, \text{m}\). The skater has a speed of \(14 \, \text{m/s}\) and experiences a centripetal force of \(460 \, \text{N}\). What is the mass of the skater?
A 2.2 kg ball on the end of a 0.35 m long string is moving in a vertical circle. At the bottom of the circle, its speed is 5.3 m/s. Find the tension in the string.
Are astronauts really “weightless” while in orbit?
Two wires are tied to the \(500 \, \text{g}\) sphere as shown above. The sphere revolves in a horizontal circle at a constant speed of \(7.2 \, \text{m/s}\). What is the tension in the upper wire? What is the tension in the lower wire?
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 point P is at a distance \( R \) from the axis of rotation of a rigid body whose angular velocity and angular acceleration are \( \omega \) and \( \alpha \) respectively. The linear speed, centripetal acceleration, and tangential acceleration of the point can be expressed as:
| Linear speed | Centripetal acceleration | Tangential acceleration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| \( (a) \) | \( R\omega \) | \( R\omega^{2} \) | \( R\alpha \) |
| \( (b) \) | \( R\omega \) | \( R\alpha \) | \( R\omega^{2} \) |
| \( (c) \) | \( R\omega^{2} \) | \( R\alpha \) | \( R\omega \) |
| \( (d) \) | \( R\omega \) | \( R\omega^{2} \) | \( R\omega \) |
| \( (e) \) | \( R\omega^{2} \) | \( R\alpha \) | \( R\omega^{2} \) |
\(11.4mg\) (11.4 times their normal weight)
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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] | |
Nano- | n | [katex]10^{-9}[/katex] | |
Micro- | µ | [katex]10^{-6}[/katex] | |
Milli- | m | [katex]10^{-3}[/katex] | |
Centi- | c | [katex]10^{-2}[/katex] | |
Deci- | d | [katex]10^{-1}[/katex] | |
(Base unit) | – | [katex]10^{0}[/katex] | |
Deca- or Deka- | da | [katex]10^{1}[/katex] | |
Hecto- | h | [katex]10^{2}[/katex] | |
Kilo- | k | [katex]10^{3}[/katex] | |
Mega- | M | [katex]10^{6}[/katex] | |
Giga- | G | [katex]10^{9}[/katex] | |
Tera- | T | [katex]10^{12}[/katex] |
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