| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[J = F\, \Delta t\] | Impulse \(J\) equals the average force \(F\) applied over the contact time \(\Delta t\). |
| 2 | \[J = 1000\,\text{N}\times0.0018\,\text{s} = 1.8\,\text{N·s}\] | Substitute \(F = 1000\,\text{N}\) and \(\Delta t = 1.8\,\text{ms} = 0.0018\,\text{s}\) to compute the impulse. |
| 3 | \[J = m v_x – m v_i\] | Impulse equals change in momentum, where initial velocity \(v_i = 0\) (ball is at rest). |
| 4 | \[1.8 = 0.045\, v_x\] | Insert \(m = 0.045\,\text{kg}\) and \(J = 1.8\,\text{N·s}\) while noting \(v_i = 0\). |
| 5 | \[v_x = \frac{1.8}{0.045} = 40\,\text{m/s}\] | Solve algebraically for the final speed \(v_x\). |
| 6 | \[\boxed{v_x = 40\,\text{m/s}}\] | Final numerical answer. |
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A \(1200 \, \text{kg}\) car moving at \(15.6 \, \text{m/s}\) suddenly collides with a stationary car of mass \(1500 \, \text{kg}\). If the two vehicles lock together, what is their combined velocity immediately after the collision?

A super dart of mass \(20 \, \text{g}\), traveling at \(350 \, \text{m/s}\), strikes a steel plate at an angle of \(30^\circ\) with the plane of the plate, as shown in the figure. It bounces off the plate at the same angle but at a speed of \(320 \, \text{m/s}\). What is the magnitude of the impulse that the plate gives to the bullet?
A rubber ball and a lump of clay have equal mass. They are thrown with equal speed against a wall. The ball bounces back with nearly the same speed with which it hit. The clay sticks to the wall. Which one of these objects experiences the greater impulse?
A \( 1000 \) \( \text{kg} \) car is traveling east at \( 20 \) \( \text{m/s} \) when it collides perfectly inelastically with a northbound \( 2000 \) \( \text{kg} \) car traveling at \( 15 \) \( \text{m/s} \). If the coefficient of kinetic friction is \( 0.9 \), how far, and at what angle do the two cars skid before coming to a stop?
An astronaut initially at rest in space throws a wrench, and recoils in the opposite direction. Select all that is true.
A rubber ball with a mass of \(0.25 \, \text{kg}\) and a speed of \(19.0 \, \text{m/s}\) collides perpendicularly with a wall and bounces off with a speed of \(21 \, \text{m/s}\) in the opposite direction. What is the magnitude of the impulse acting on the rubber ball?
A pendulum consists of a mass \( M \) hanging at the bottom end of a massless rod of length \( \ell \) which has a frictionless pivot at its top end. A mass \( m \), moving with velocity \( v \), impacts \( M \) and becomes embedded. In terms of the given variables and constants, what is the smallest value of \( v \) sufficient to cause the pendulum (with embedded mass \( m \)) to swing clear over the top of its arc?
A bullet moving with an initial speed of \( v_o \) strikes and embeds itself in a block of wood which is suspended by a string, causing the bullet and block to rise to a maximum height \( h \). Which of the following statements is true of the collision.
You are lying in bed and want to shut your bedroom door. You have a bouncy “superball” and a blob of clay, both with the same mass \( m \). Which one would be more effective to throw at your door to close it?
A \(4 \, \text{kg}\) mass is traveling at \(10 \, \text{m/s}\) to the right when it collides inelastically with a stationary \(7 \, \text{kg}\) mass. The \(7 \, \text{kg}\) mass then travels at \(2 \, \text{m/s}\) at an angle of \(22^\circ\) below the horizontal. What are the velocity and the angle of the \(4 \, \text{kg}\) mass?
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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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