| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \(L_i = I_i \omega_i\) | Calculate the initial angular momentum using the initial rotational inertia \((I_i)\) and initial angular velocity \((\omega_i)\). |
| 2 | \(L_f = I_f \omega_f\) | Angular momentum after the skater extends her arms. The final rotational inertia \((I_f)\) and final angular velocity \((\omega_f)\) are denoted. |
| 3 | Conservation of Angular Momentum: \(L_i = L_f\) | According to the conservation of angular momentum, the total angular momentum before and after the change must be equal because there are no external torques. |
| 4 | \(I_i \omega_i = I_f \omega_f\) | Substitute the initial and final expressions of angular momentum. |
| 5 | \(I_f = I_i \cdot x\), \(\omega_f = \omega_i \cdot y\) | Introducing the factors \(x\) and \(y\) by which the rotational inertia and angular velocity change, respectively. |
| 6 | \(I_i \omega_i = (I_i \cdot x)(\omega_i \cdot y)\) | Substitute the values of \(I_f\) and \(\omega_f\). |
| 7 | \(I_i \omega_i = I_i \omega_i \cdot x \cdot y\) | Multiply out the expressions. |
| 8 | \(1 = xy\) | Divide both sides of the equation by \(I_i \omega_i\) to isolate \(x\) and \(y\). |
| 9 | Answer is (c) \( x > 1; y < 1\) | As the skater extends her arms, her rotational inertia increases as her mass distribution is further from the axis (\(x > 1\)). Consequently, because \(xy = 1\), \(y\) must decrease (\(y < 1\)) to conserve angular momentum. |
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.
Two masses, \( m_y = 32 \) \( \text{kg} \) and \( m_z = 38 \) \( \text{kg} \), are connected by a rope that hangs over a pulley. The pulley is a uniform cylinder of radius \( R = 0.311 \) \( \text{m} \) and mass \( 3.1 \) \( \text{kg} \). Initially, \( m_y \) is on the ground and \( m_z \) rests \( 2.5 \) \( \text{m} \) above the ground.
A meter stick of mass 200 grams is balanced at the 40-cm mark when a 100-gram mass is suspended from the 10-cm mark. What is the distance from the pivot point to the center of mass of the meter stick? Give your answer in centimeters.
A solid sphere \( \left( I = \frac{2}{5}MR^2 \right) \) and a solid cylinder \( \left( I = \frac{1}{2}MR^2 \right) \), both uniform and of the same mass and radius, roll without slipping at the same forward speed. It is correct to say that the total kinetic energy of the solid sphere is
The downward motion of an elevator is controlled by a cable that unwinds from a cylinder of radius \( 0.20 \) \( \text{m} \). What is the angular velocity of the cylinder when the downward speed of the elevator is \( 1.2 \) \( \text{m/s} \)?
Four systems are in rotational motion. Which of the following combinations of rotational inertia and angular speed for each of the systems corresponds to the greatest rotational kinetic energy?
| System | Rotational Inertia | Angular Speed |
|---|---|---|
| A | \( I_0 \) | \( \omega_0 \) |
| B | \( I_0 \) | \( 4\, \omega_0 \) |
| C | \( 2 I_0 \) | \( 2\, \omega_0 \) |
| D | \( 6 I_0 \) | \( \omega_0 \) |
A solid sphere of mass \( 1.5 \, \text{kg} \) and radius \( 15 \, \text{cm} \) rolls without slipping down a \( 35^\circ\) incline that is \( 7 \, \text{m} \) long. Assume it started from rest. The moment of inertia of a sphere is \( I= \frac{2}{5}MR^2 \).
A merry-go-round spins freely when Diego moves quickly to the center along a radius of the merry-go-round. As he does this, it is true to say that
When a fan is turned off, its angular speed decreases from \( 10 \) \( \text{rad/s} \) to \( 6.3 \) \( \text{rad/s} \) in \( 5.0 \) \( \text{s} \). What is the magnitude of the average angular acceleration of the fan?
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 \( r \).
The driver of a car traveling at \( 30.0 \) \( \text{m/s} \) applies the brakes and undergoes a constant negative acceleration of \( 2.00 \) \( \text{m/s}^2 \). How many revolutions does each tire make before the car comes to a stop, assuming that the car does not skid and that the tires have radii of \( 0.300 \) \( \text{m} \)?
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
