| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[h = \tfrac{1}{2} g t^{2}\] | The block leaves the table horizontally, so its initial vertical velocity is \(0\); it falls a vertical distance \(h\) under gravity. |
| \[t = \sqrt{\tfrac{2h}{g}}\] | Solve algebraically for \(t\). |
| \[\boxed{t = \sqrt{\tfrac{2h}{g}}}\] | Elapsed time from table edge to floor. |
| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[D = v_x\, t\] | Uniform horizontal motion: displacement \(D\) equals horizontal speed \(v_x\) multiplied by time. |
| \[v_x = \tfrac{D}{t}\] | Isolate \(v_x\). |
| \[v_x = D \sqrt{\tfrac{g}{2h}}\] | Substitute \(t = \sqrt{2h/g}\) from part (a). |
| \[\boxed{v_x = D \sqrt{\tfrac{g}{2h}}}\] | Horizontal component of velocity just before impact. |
| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[W = \tfrac{1}{2} M v_x^{2}\] | On the friction-free surface, spring work becomes the block’s kinetic energy at the table edge. |
| \[W = \tfrac{1}{2} M \left(D^{2}\tfrac{g}{2h}\right)\] | Insert \(v_x = D \sqrt{g/(2h)}\). |
| \[\boxed{W = \tfrac{M g D^{2}}{4h}}\] | Work done on the block by the spring. |
| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[\tfrac{1}{2} k x^{2} = \tfrac{1}{2} M v_x^{2}\] | Energy conservation between maximum compression and table edge. |
| \[k = \tfrac{M v_x^{2}}{x^{2}}\] | Solve for \(k\). |
| \[k = \tfrac{M g D^{2}}{2h x^{2}}\] | Substitute \(v_x = D \sqrt{g/(2h)}\). |
| \[\boxed{k = \tfrac{M g D^{2}}{2h x^{2}}}\] | Required spring constant. |
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A small block of mass \( M \) is released from rest at the top of the curved frictionless ramp shown above. The block slides down the ramp and is moving with a speed \( 3.5v_0 \) when it collides with a larger block of mass \( 1.5M \) at rest at the bottom of the incline. The larger block moves to the right at a speed \( 2v_0 \) immediately after the collision.
Express your answers to the following questions in terms of the given quantities and fundamental constants.
Why is more fuel required for a spacecraft to travel from the Earth to the Moon than to return from the Moon to the Earth?

A sphere starts from rest and rolls down an incline of height \( H = 1.0 \) \( \text{m} \) at an angle of \( 25^\circ \) with the horizontal, as shown above. The radius of the sphere \( R = 15 \) \( \text{cm} \), and its mass \( m = 1.0 \) \( \text{kg} \). The moment of inertia for a sphere is \( \frac{2}{5}mR^2 \). What is the speed of the sphere when it reaches the bottom of the plane?
A pendulum bob of mass m on a cord of length L is pulled sideways until the cord makes an angle \( \theta \) with the vertical. The change in potential energy of the bob during the displacement is:

The elliptical orbit of a comet is shown above. Positions 1 and 2 are, respectively, the farthest and nearest positions to the Sun, and at position 1 the distance from the comet to the Sun is 10 times that at position 2. At position 2, the comet’s kinetic energy is
A box having a mass of \( 1.5 \) \( \text{kg} \) is accelerated across a table at \( 1.5 \) \( \text{m/s}^2 \). The coefficient of kinetic friction on the box is \( 0.3 \).
A ball is shot from the top of a building with an initial velocity of \( 18 \) \( \text{m/s} \) at an angle \( \theta = 42^\circ \) above the horizontal.

A pump, submerged at the bottom of a well that is \( 35 \) \( \text{m} \) deep, is used to pump water uphill to a house that is \( 50 \) \( \text{m} \) above the top of the well, as shown to the right. The density of water is \( 1000 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \). All pressures are gauge pressures. Neglect the effects of friction, turbulence, and viscosity.

A small block moving with a constant speed \(v\) collides inelastically with a block \(M\) attached to one end of a spring \(k\). The other end of the spring is connected to a stationary wall. Ignore friction between the blocks and the surface.
A projectile of mass 0.750 kg is shot straight up with an initial speed of 18.0 m/s.
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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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