| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[E = K + U\] | Total mechanical energy \(E\) of the isolated Mars–Sun system is conserved. |
| 2 | \[U = -\frac{G M_{\odot} m}{r}\] | Gravitational potential energy \(U\) between the Sun (mass \(M_{\odot}\)) and Mars (mass \(m\)) is negative and becomes more negative as the separation \(r\) decreases. |
| 3 | \[\Delta U = U_2 – U_1 = -\frac{G M_{\odot} m}{r_2} + \frac{G M_{\odot} m}{r_1}\] | Choose points with \(r_2 < r_1\). Because \(-\tfrac{1}{r_2}\) is more negative than \(-\tfrac{1}{r_1}\), \(\Delta U < 0\); the system loses potential energy. |
| 4 | \[\Delta K = -\Delta U\] | With \(E\) constant, a decrease in potential energy must produce an equal increase in kinetic energy. |
| 5 | \[\tfrac12 m (v_2^{2}-v_1^{2}) = -\Delta U \; \Longrightarrow \; v_2 > v_1\] | The rise in kinetic energy means Mars’s speed \(v\) grows as it moves closer to the Sun. |
| 6 | \[U \downarrow \Rightarrow K \uparrow\] | This is precisely statement (a); thus (a) is correct. |
| 7 | \[\mathbf{F}_g \perp \mathbf{v}\;?\] | Statement (b) says the gravitational force is perpendicular to Mars’s velocity; if that were true it would do no work, so speed could not change. Hence (b) is false. |
| 8 | \[\boldsymbol{\tau} = \mathbf{r} \times \mathbf{F}_g = 0\] | The force acts along \(\mathbf{r}\), so torque about the Sun is zero and angular momentum stays constant, not increasing; statement (c) is false. |
| 9 | \[F_c = F_g\] | The required centripetal force is exactly the gravitational force; there is no situation where \(F_c > F_g\). Statement (d) is false. |
| 10 | \[L = I \omega, \quad I \propto r^{2}\] | As \(r\) decreases, rotational inertia \(I\) decreases—not increases—and angular momentum \(L\) remains constant, so statement (e) is false. |
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.
The two blocks of masses \( M \) and \( 2M \) travel at the same speed \( v \) but in opposite directions. They collide and stick together. How much mechanical energy is lost to other forms of energy during the collision?
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 \( 26.5 \, \text{cm} \).
Imagine a hypothetical planet that has two moons. Moon \(\#1\) is in a circular orbit of radius \(R\) and has a mass \(M\).
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
Find the net gravitational force on a \(2.0 \, \text{kg}\) sphere midway between a \(4.0 \, \text{kg}\) sphere and a \(7.0 \, \text{kg}\) sphere that are \(1.2 \, \text{m}\) apart.
A bullet (mass: \(0.05 \, \text{kg}\)) is fired horizontally (\(v = 200 \, \text{m/s}\)) at a block (mass: \(1.3 \, \text{kg}\)) initially at rest on a frictionless surface. The block is attached to a spring (\(k = 2500 \, \text{N/m}\)). The bullet becomes embedded. Calculate:
A 0.72-m-diameter solid sphere can be rotated about an axis through its center by a torque of 10.8 N·m which accelerates it uniformly from rest through a total of 160 revolutions in 15.0 s. What is the mass of the sphere?
A spring with a spring constant of \( 50. \) \( \text{N/m} \) is hanging from a stand. A second spring with a spring constant of \( 100. \) \( \text{N/m} \) is hanging from the first spring. How far do they stretch if a \( 0.50 \) \( \text{kg} \) mass is hung from the bottom spring?
A solid sphere \( I = 0.06 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m}^2 \) spins freely around an axis through its center at an angular speed of \( 20 \, \text{rad/s} \). It is desired to bring the sphere to rest by applying a friction force of magnitude \( 2.0 \, \text{N} \) to the sphere’s outer surface, a distance of \( 0.30 \, \text{m} \) from the sphere’s center. How much time will it take the sphere to come to rest?
A stone is falling at a constant velocity vertically down a tube filled with oil. Which of the following statements about the energy changes of the stone during its motion are correct?
I. The gain in kinetic energy is less than the loss in gravitational potential energy.
II. The sum of kinetic and gravitational potential energy of the stone is constant.
III. The work done by the force of gravity has the same magnitude as the work done by friction.
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
