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| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[L=5\,\text{m},\quad \Delta x_{\text{bottom}}=3\,\text{m}\] | Given ladder length and the horizontal distance of the bottom from the wall. |
| 2 | \[\cos\theta=\frac{3}{5}\Rightarrow \sin\theta=\frac{4}{5}\] | Use the right triangle formed by the wall, floor, and ladder to get the ladder angle \(\theta\) above the floor. |
| 3 | \[y_{\text{top}}=L\sin\theta=5\left(\frac{4}{5}\right)=4\,\text{m}\] | The top of the ladder is \(4\,\text{m}\) up the wall; this is the vertical lever arm for the wall’s horizontal force. |
| 4 | \[m_L=20\,\text{kg},\quad m_P=80\,\text{kg},\quad g=9.8\,\text{m/s}^2\] | List masses and gravitational acceleration for torque balance. |
| 5 | \[W_L=m_L g=20(9.8)=196\,\text{N}\] | Weight of the uniform ladder acts at its center (midpoint). |
| 6 | \[W_P=m_P g=80(9.8)=784\,\text{N}\] | Weight of the person acts at their location on the ladder. |
| 7 | \[x_L=\left(\frac{L}{2}\right)\cos\theta=2.5\left(\frac{3}{5}\right)=1.5\,\text{m}\] | Horizontal distance from the bottom to the ladder’s center of mass (needed for torque from \(W_L\) about the bottom). |
| 8 | \[x_P=(4)\cos\theta=4\left(\frac{3}{5}\right)=2.4\,\text{m}\] | Horizontal distance from the bottom to the person’s line of action (torque arm for \(W_P\) about the bottom). |
| 9 | \[\sum \tau_{\text{bottom}}=0:\quad F_W(y_{\text{top}})-W_L x_L-W_P x_P=0\] | Take torques about the bottom contact point so unknown floor forces produce no torque. The wall force \(F_W\) is horizontal at the top, giving lever arm \(y_{\text{top}}\). |
| 10 | \[F_W(4)-196(1.5)-784(2.4)=0\] | Substitute \(y_{\text{top}}=4\,\text{m}\), \(W_L\), \(x_L\), \(W_P\), and \(x_P\) into the torque equation. |
| 11 | \[F_W(4)=294+1881.6=2175.6\] | Compute the total clockwise torque from the ladder and person weights. |
| 12 | \[F_W=\frac{2175.6}{4}=543.9\,\text{N}\] | Solve for the wall’s horizontal force on the ladder. |
| 13 | \[\boxed{F_W\approx 5.44\times 10^2\,\text{N}}\] | Final force exerted by the wall on the ladder (horizontal reaction at the top). |
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A student is asked to design an experiment to determine the change in angular momentum of a disk that rotates about its center and the product of the average torque applied to the disk and the time interval in which the torque is exerted. A net force is applied tangentially to the surface of the disk. The rotational inertia of the disk about its center is [katex]I = MR^2[/katex]. Which two of the following quantities should the student measure to determine the change in angular momentum of the disk after 10 s? Select two answers.
A solid metal bar is at rest on a horizontal frictionless surface. It is free to rotate about a vertical axis at the left end. The figures below show forces of different magnitudes that are exerted on the bar at different locations. In which case does the bar’s angular speed about the axis increase at the fastest rate?
A 6.0-cm-diameter gear rotates with angular velocity \( \omega = \left(20-\frac {1}{2} t^2 \right) \, \text {rad/s} \), where \(t\) is in seconds. At \(t = 4.0 \, \text{s}\), what are
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 net torque is applied to the edge of a spinning object as it rotates about its internal axis. The table shows the net torque exerted on the object at different instants in time. How can a student use the data table to determine the change in angular momentum of the object from \( 0 \) to \( 6 \) \( \text{s} \)? Justify your selection.
| Time \( (\text{s}) \) | Net Torque \( (\text{N} \cdot \text{m}) \) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 1.5 |
| 4 | 3.0 |
| 6 | 4.5 |
Young David experimented with slings before tackling Goliath. He found that he could develop an angular speed of \( 8.0 \) \( \text{rev/s} \) in a sling \( 0.60 \) \( \text{m} \) long. If he increased the length to \( 0.90 \) \( \text{m} \), he could revolve the sling only \( 6.0 \) times per second.
The figure shows a person’s foot. In that figure, the Achilles tendon exerts a force of magnitude F = 720 N. What is the magnitude of the torque that this force produces about the ankle joint?
A uniform, solid, \( 100 \) \( \text{kg} \) cylinder with a diameter of \( 1.0 \) \( \text{m} \) is mounted so it is free to rotate about a fixed, horizontal, frictionless axis that passes through the centers of its circular ends. A \( 10 \) \( \text{kg} \) block is hung from a very light, thin cord wrapped around the cylinder’s circumference. When the block is released, the cord unwinds and the block accelerates downward. What is the acceleration of the block?
A seesaw is balanced on a fulcrum, with a boy of mass \( M_1 \) sitting on one end and a girl of mass \( M_2 \) sitting on the other end. The seesaw is a uniform plank of length \( L \) and mass \( M \). The fulcrum is located at the midpoint of the plank. Does \( M_1 = M_2 \)? Justify your working.
Angular momentum cannot be conserved if
\(5.44\times 10^2\,\text{N}\)
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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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