| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \( \Delta x = 100 \, \text{m} \) | The total distance from the car’s position when the light turns red to the stop point is 100 meters. |
| 2 | \( v_i = 25 \, \text{m/s} \) | The initial velocity of the car is 25 meters per second. |
| 3 | \( v_x = 0 \, \text{m/s} \) | The final velocity of the car is 0 meters per second (the car comes to a halt). |
| 4 | \( \mu_k = 0.65 \) | The coefficient of kinetic friction between the car’s tires and the road is 0.65. |
| 5 | \( f_k = \mu_k \cdot m \cdot g \) | The kinetic friction force is equal to the coefficient of kinetic friction multiplied by the car’s mass and gravitational acceleration. |
| 6 | \( a = -\mu_k \cdot g \) | The acceleration due to friction is the friction force divided by mass (mass cancels out). Here \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity. Using \( g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \). |
| 7 | \( a = -0.65 \cdot 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 = -6.37 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) | Substitute the values into the acceleration formula to find the deceleration. |
| 8 | \( v_x^2 = v_i^2 + 2a \Delta x_{braking} \) | Use the kinematic equation to relate the distances and velocities during braking. |
| 9 | \( 0 = (25 \, \text{m/s})^2 + 2(-6.37 \, \text{m/s}^2) \Delta x_{braking} \) | Set the final velocity to zero and substitute the initial velocity and acceleration to solve for \(\Delta x_{braking}\). |
| 10 | \( 0 = 625 \, \text{m}^2/\text{s}^2 – 12.74 \, \text{m/s}^2 \Delta x_{braking} \) | Simplify the equation. |
| 11 | \( \Delta x_{braking} = \frac{625}{12.74} \approx 49.06 \, \text{m} \) | Solve for the braking distance \(\Delta x_{braking}\). |
| 12 | \( \Delta x_{reaction} = 100 \, \text{m} – 49.06 \, \text{m} = 50.94 \, \text{m} \) | Subtract the braking distance from the total distance to find the distance covered during reaction time. |
| 13 | \( \Delta x_{reaction} = v_i t_{reaction} \) | During the reaction time, the car travels with a constant velocity of 25 m/s. |
| 14 | \( 50.94 \, \text{m} = 25 \, \text{m/s} \cdot t_{reaction} \) | Substitute the known values into the reaction time equation. |
| 15 | \( t_{reaction} = \frac{50.94 \, \text{m}}{25 \, \text{m/s}} \approx 2.04 \, \text{s} \) | Solve for the reaction time. |
| 16 | \( t_{reaction} \approx 2.04 \, \text{s} \) | The reaction time of the driver is approximately \(\boxed{2.04 \, \text{s}}\). |
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A car is traveling 20 m/s when the driver sees a child standing on the road. She takes 0.8 s to react then steps on the brakes and slows at 7.0 m/s2. How far does the car go before it stops?
The distance from earth to sun is \(1 \, \text{AU}\). The distance from Saturn to sun is \(9 \, \text{AU}\). Find the period of Saturn’s orbit in years. You can assume that the orbits are circular.
The alarm at a fire station rings and a 79.34-kg fireman, starting from rest, slides down a pole to the floor below (a distance of 4.20 m). Just before landing, his speed is 1.36 m/s. What is the magnitude of the kinetic frictional force exerted on the fireman as he slides down the pole?

The graph above shows velocity \( v \) versus time \( t \) for an object in linear motion. Which of the following is a possible graph of position (\( x \)) versus time (\( t \)) for this object?

A linear spring of negligible mass requires a force of \( 18.0 \, \text{N} \) to cause its length to increase by \( 1.0 \, \text{cm} \). A sphere of mass \( 75.0 \, \text{g} \) is then attached to one end of the spring. The distance between the center of the sphere \( M \) and the other end \( P \) of the un-stretched spring is \( 25.0 \, \text{cm} \). Then the sphere begins rotating at constant speed in a horizontal circle around the center \( P \). The distance \( P \) and \( M \) increases to \( 26.5 \, \text{cm} \).
Two students are on a balcony 19.6 m above the street. One student throws a ball vertically downward at 14.7 m/s. At the same instant, the other student throws a ball vertically upward at the same speed. The second ball just misses the balcony on the way down.
An object is moving at constant velocity. Which of the following could be the free-body diagram representing the forces acting on the object?
What is the mass of a dog that weighs \(58 \, \text{N}\) on Earth?
An \( 80 \, \text{kg} \) block is placed \( 2 \, \text{m} \) away from the endpoint of a horizontal steel beam of length \( 6.6 \, \text{m} \) and mass \( 1,450 \, \text{kg} \). The plank makes contact with a vertical wall on one end (assume it does not slip). The other end of the beam is attached to a massless cable that makes an angle of \( 30^\circ \) with the horizontal and ties into the vertical wall as well. Calculate the (1) tension force in the cable and (2) the total force the wall exerts on the beam.
2.04 s
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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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