| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[F_c=\frac{mv_x^2}{r}\] | A car moving in a circle needs centripetal force \(F_c\). The variables are mass \(m\), maximum speed \(v_x\), and radius \(r\). |
| 2 | \[F_{s,\max}=\mu_s mg\] | For a car driving without skidding, the needed centripetal force comes from static friction, not kinetic friction. The maximum static friction depends on the coefficient of static friction \(\mu_s\), mass \(m\), and gravitational acceleration \(g\). |
| 3 | \[\frac{mv_x^2}{r}=\mu_s mg\] | At the maximum speed before slipping, the required centripetal force equals the maximum static friction force. |
| 4 | \[\frac{v_x^2}{r}=\mu_s g\] | The mass \(m\) cancels from both sides, so the car’s mass does not affect the maximum speed. |
| 5 | \[v_x=\sqrt{\mu_s gr}\] | The maximum speed depends on \(\mu_s\), \(g\), and \(r\). It does not depend on the coefficient of kinetic friction \(\mu_k\) or the mass \(m\). |
| 6 | \[\boxed{\text{B, D}}\] | Choice \(\text{B}\), the coefficient of kinetic friction, does not affect the maximum speed because the tires are not sliding during normal circular motion. Choice \(\text{D}\), the mass of the car, does not affect the maximum speed because \(m\) cancels. Choices \(\text{A}\), \(\text{C}\), and \(\text{E}\) are incorrect because \(g\), \(\mu_s\), and \(r\) appear in \(v_x=\sqrt{\mu_s gr}\). |
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A delivery truck is traveling north. It then turns along a leftward circular curve. The packages in the truck to slide to the RIGHT. Which of the following is true of the net force on the packages as they are sliding?
A race car travels in a circular track of radius \( 200 \) \( \text{m} \). If the car moves with a constant speed of \( 80 \) \( \text{m/s} \),
Why do you tend to slide across the car seat when the car makes a sharp turn?
Find the escape speed from a planet of mass \(6.89 \times 10^{25} \, \text{kg}\) and radius \(6.2 \times 10^{6} \, \text{m}\).
A race car traveling at a constant speed of \( 50 \) \( \text{m/s} \) drives around a circular track that is \( 500 \) \( \text{m} \) in diameter. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the car?
A ball is attached to the end of a string. It is swung in a vertical circle of radius \( 0.33 \) \( \text{m} \). What is the minimum velocity that the ball must have to make it around the circle?
A group of astronauts in a spaceship are attempting to land on Mars. As they approach the planet, they begin to plan their descent to the surface.
The Moon does not crash into the Earth because:

An object of mass \( m = 3.0 \) \( \text{kg} \) is attached to one end of a string with negligible mass and length \( L = 0.80 \) \( \text{m} \). The object is released from rest at time \( t = 0 \), when the string is horizontal. At time \( t = t_1 \) the object is at the location shown in the figure, where the string is vertical. Which of the following is most nearly the magnitude of the tension in the string at time \( t = t_1 \)?
An airplane can safely bank when subjected to a centripetal acceleration of 8 g’s. If the airplane flies at a constant speed of 400 m/s, how long does it take to make a 180° turn?
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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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