| Step | Formula Derivation | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \(m_1 v_1 = m_2 v_2\) | Conservation of momentum. Before and after snow accumulation, the system’s momentum remains constant because there are no external forces. |
| 2 | \( \cdot (8.60,m/s) = (3800,kg + \Delta m) \cdot v_2\) | Initial momentum equals final momentum. \(\Delta m\) is the change in mass due to snow. |
| 3 | \(\Delta m = 3.50,kg/min \times 90,min\) | Calculating total mass of snow accumulated. |
| 4 | \(\Delta m = 315,kg\) | Total mass of snow accumulated. |
| 5 | \(32660 = (4115,kg) \cdot v_2\) | Plugging in the total mass after snow accumulation. |
| 6 | \(v_2 = \frac{32660}{4115}\) | Isolating \(v_2\) to solve for the final speed. |
| 7 | \(v_2 \approx 7.94,m/s\) | Calculating the final speed. |
A Major Upgrade To Phy Is Coming Soon — Stay Tuned
We'll help clarify entire units in one hour or less — guaranteed.
A self paced course with videos, problems sets, and everything you need to get a 5. Trusted by over 15k students and over 200 schools.
A \( 0.0350 \) \( \text{kg} \) bullet moving horizontally at \( 425 \) \( \text{m/s} \) embeds itself into an initially stationary \( 0.550 \) \( \text{kg} \) block.
A block of mass \(M_1\) travels horizontally with a constant speed \(v_0\) on a plateau of height \(H\) until it comes to a cliff. A toboggan of mass \(M_2\) is positioned on level ground below the cliff. The center of the toboggan is a distance \(D\) from the base of the cliff.
Two blocks are on a horizontal, frictionless surface. Block \( A \) is moving with an initial velocity of \( v_0 \) toward block \( B \), which is stationary. The two blocks collide, stick together, and move off with a velocity of \( \frac{v_0}{3} \). Which block, if either, has the greater mass?
A man weighing \( 700 \) \( \text{N} \) and a woman weighing \( 400 \) \( \text{N} \) have the same momentum. What is the ratio of the man’s kinetic energy \( K_m \) to that of the woman \( K_w \)?
A bullet (mass: \(0.05 \, \text{kg}\)) is fired horizontally (\(v = 200 \, \text{m/s}\)) at a block (mass: \(1.3 \, \text{kg}\)) initially at rest on a frictionless surface. The block is attached to a spring (\(k = 2500 \, \text{N/m}\)). The bullet becomes embedded. Calculate:
A \(70 \, \text{kg}\) woman and her \(35 \, \text{kg}\) son are standing at rest on an ice rink. They push against each other for a time of \(0.60 \, \text{s}\), causing them to glide apart. The speed of the woman immediately after they separate is \(0.55 \, \text{m/s}\). Assume that during the push, friction is negligible compared with the forces the people exert on each other.
A pool cue ball, mass \(0.7 \, \text{kg}\), is traveling at \(2 \, \text{m/s}\) when it collides head-on with another ball, mass \(0.5 \, \text{kg}\), traveling in the opposite direction with a speed of \(1.2 \, \text{m/s}\). After the collision, the cue ball travels in the opposite direction at \(0.3 \, \text{m/s}\). What is the velocity of the other ball?
A \(20 \, \text{g}\) piece of clay moving at a speed of \(50 \, \text{m/s}\) strikes a \(500 \, \text{g}\) pendulum bob at rest. The length of a string is \(0.8 \, \text{m}\). After the collision, the clay-bob system starts to oscillate as a simple pendulum.
| Experiment | Initial Velocity of Cart X \( (\text{m/s}) \) | Initial Velocity of Cart Y \( (\text{m/s}) \) | Final Velocity of Cart X \( (\text{m/s}) \) | Final Velocity of Cart Y \( (\text{m/s}) \) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| \( 1 \) | \( 1 \) | \( 0 \) | \( 0 \) | \( 1 \) |
| \( 2 \) | \( 1 \) | \( -1 \) | \( -1 \) | \( 1 \) |
| \( 3 \) | \( 2 \) | \( 1 \) | \( 1 \) | \( 2 \) |
A student performs several experiments in which two carts collide as they travel along a horizontal surface. Cart X and Cart Y both have a mass of \( 1 \) \( \text{kg} \). Data collected from the three experiments are shown in the table above. During which experiment does the center of mass of the system of two carts have the greatest change in its momentum?
A 0.035 kg bullet moving horizontally at 350 m/s embeds itself into an initially stationary 0.55 kg block. Air resistance is negligible.
7.94 m/s
By continuing you (1) agree to our Terms of Use and Terms of Sale and (2) consent to sharing your IP and browser information used by this site’s security protocols as outlined in our Privacy Policy.
| 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] |
One price to unlock most advanced version of Phy across all our tools.
per month
Billed Monthly. Cancel Anytime.
We crafted THE Ultimate A.P Physics 1 Program so you can learn faster and score higher.
Try our free calculator to see what you need to get a 5 on the 2026 AP Physics 1 exam.
Understand you mistakes quicker.
Phy automatically provides feedback so you can improve your responses.
10 Free Credits To Get You Started
By continuing you agree to nerd-notes.com Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and our usage of user data.
Feeling uneasy about your next physics test? We'll boost your grade in 3 lessons or less—guaranteed
