| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [katex]PE_{\text{initial}} = KE_{\text{final}} + PE_{\text{spring, final}}[/katex] | Apply the law of conservation of energy. Initially, the climber has potential energy due to gravity, which gets converted into kinetic energy and the potential energy of the spring (the rope) when the climber is momentarily at rest. |
| 2 | [katex]mg(h + x) = \frac{1}{2}kx^2[/katex] | Express the potential energy due to height ([katex]mgh[/katex]) and potential energy stored in the stretched spring ([katex]\frac{1}{2}kx^2[/katex]), where [katex]m[/katex] is mass, [katex]g[/katex] is acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2), [katex]h[/katex] is the original fall distance, and [katex]x[/katex] is the additional stretch in the rope. |
| 3 | [katex]84.4 \times 9.8 \times (0.627 + x) = \frac{1}{2} \times 1340 \times x^2[/katex] | Substitute the values [katex]m = 84.4\,kg[/katex], [katex]g = 9.8\,m/s^2[/katex], [katex]k = 1340\,N/m[/katex], and [katex]h = 0.627\,m[/katex] into the energy equation. |
| 4 | Solve for [katex]x[/katex] | Simplify and rearrange the equation introduced in Step 3 to form a quadratic equation in the standard form [katex]ax^2 + bx + c = 0[/katex]. Solve the quadratic using the formula [katex]x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 – 4ac}}{2a}[/katex]. |
| 5 | [katex]670x^2 – 825.712x – 515.7308 = 0[/katex] | Perform the calculation to get the quadratic equation: [katex]670x^2 – 825.712x – 515.7308 = 0[/katex]. |
| 7 | [katex]x \approx 1.688\,m[/katex] or [katex]x \approx -0.456\,m[/katex] | Calculate the roots, by graphing or using the quadratic formula. Note the negative root (approximately -0.456 m) is not physically meaningful since stretch can’t be negative. |
| 8 | [katex]x \approx \boxed{ 1.688\,m} [/katex] | The feasible physical solution is that the rope stretches about 1.688 meters when it brings the climber to rest. |
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A rescue helicopter lifts a 79 kg person straight up by means of a cable. The person has an upward acceleration of 0.70 m/s2 and is lifted through a distance of 11 m.
List at least 2 everyday forces that are not conservative, and explain why they aren’t.
The efficiency of a pulley system is 55%. The
pulleys are used to raise a mass of 90.0 kg to a height of
5.60 m. What force is exerted on the rope of the pulley
system if the rope is pulled for 22 m in order to raise
the mass to the required height?

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 \( r \).
An apple is released from rest \(500 \, \text{m}\) above the ground. Due to the combined forces of air resistance and gravity, it has a speed of \(40 \, \text{m/s}\) when it reaches the ground. What percentage of the initial mechanical energy of the apple–Earth system was dissipated due to air resistance? Take the potential energy of the apple–Earth system to be zero when the apple reaches the ground.
A student is designing an experiment to find the spring constant \( k \) of a spring using only a set of known masses and a stopwatch. Which procedure would work?
Two masses \(m_1\) and \(4m_1\) are on an incline. Both surfaces have the same coefficient of kinetic friction. Both objects start from rest at the same height. Which mass has the largest speed at the bottom?
A block of mass [katex] m [/katex] is moving on a horizontal frictionless surface with a speed [katex] v_0 [/katex] as it approaches a block of mass [katex] 2m [/katex] which is at rest and has an ideal spring attached to one side.
When the two blocks collide, the spring is completely compressed and the two blocks momentarily move at the same speed, and then separate again, each continuing to move.

Using only work and energy, find the velocity of the masses after they have traveled \(0.8 \, \text{m}\). Refer to the image above.
How does the speed \(v_1\) of a block \(m\) reaching the bottom of slide 1 compare with \(v_2\), the speed of a block \(2m\) reaching the end of slide 2? The blocks are released from the same height.
1.688 m
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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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