# (a) Determine the time it takes for the object to hit the ground.
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \(d = v_0t + \frac{1}{2}gt^2\) | Use the kinematic equation for distance fallen under gravity. Note initial velocity is 0 and therefore is removed in the next step. |
| 2 | \(t = \sqrt{\frac{2d}{g}}\) | Rearrange the formula to solve for time (\( t \)). |
| 3 | \(t = \sqrt{\frac{2 \times 45}{9.8}}\) | Substitute \( d = 45 \, \text{m} \) and \( g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) into the equation. |
| 4 | \(t = \sqrt{\frac{90}{9.8}}\) | Simplify the division inside the square root. |
| 5 | \(t \approx 3.03 \, \text{s}\) | Take the square root to find the time. This is the final result. |
# (b) Determine the velocity of the object when it hits the ground.
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \(v_f = v_i + at \rightarrow v_f = gt\) | Use the kinematic equation for final velocity. Note that initial velocity is 0 and acceleration is due to gravity. |
| 2 | \(v = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \times 3.03 \, \text{s}\) | Substitute \( g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) and the time from part (a) \( t \approx 3.03 \, \text{s} \). |
| 3 | \(v \approx 29.7 \, \text{m/s}\) | Multiply to find the final velocity. This is the final result. |
# (c) How long does it take for the object to fall 30 m?
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \(d = \frac{1}{2}gt^2\) | Use the kinematic equation for distance fallen under gravity (0 initial velocity) as done in part (a). |
| 2 | \(t = \sqrt{\frac{2d}{g}}\) | Rearrange the formula to solve for time (\( t \)). |
| 3 | \(t = \sqrt{\frac{2 \times 30}{9.8}}\) | Substitute \( d = 30 \, \text{m} \) and \( g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) into the equation. |
| 4 | \(t \approx 2.47 \, \text{s}\) | Final result. |
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On a strange, airless planet, a ball is thrown downward from a height of \( 17 \, \text{m} \). The ball initially travels at \( 15 \, \text{m/s} \). If the ball hits the ground in \( 1 \, \text{s} \), what is this planet’s gravitational acceleration?
A girl, standing still, tosses a ball vertically upwards. One second later, she tosses up another ball at the same velocity. The balls collide \( 0.5 \) \( \text{s} \) after the second ball is tossed. With what velocity were they tossed? The acceleration due to gravity is \( 9.8 \) \( \text{m/s}^2 \).
A Corvette is traveling at a constant velocity \( 30 \, \text{m/s} \) when it passes a stationary supped up Civic. At that moment, the Civic puts the pedal to the floor and accelerates at \( 6 \, \text{m/s}^2 \). The Civic eventually catches up to the Corvette.
A car moves forward at a steady \( 10 \) \( \text{m/s} \) for \( 5 \) \( \text{s} \). The driver slams the brakes and brings it to rest in \( 2 \) \( \text{s} \). Without waiting, the driver immediately accelerates backward (negative velocity) for \( 3 \) \( \text{s} \) until reaching \( 8 \) \( \text{m/s} \) in reverse. Draw the velocity vs. time graph.

On Saturday, Ashley rode her bicycle to visit Maria. Maria’s house is directly east of Ashley’s. The graph shows how far Ashley was from her house after each minute of her trip. (Hint – Use the standard units of velocity \(\text{m/s}\) for all parts)
Above is the graph of the velocity vs. time of a duck flying due south for the winter. At what point might the duck begin reversing directions?
A car increases its forward velocity uniformly from \(40 ~ \text{m/s}\) to \(80 ~ \text{m/s}\) while traveling a distance of \(200 ~ \text{m}\). What is its acceleration during this time?

An object’s velocity \(v\) as a function of time \(t\) is given in the graph. Which of the following statements is true about the motion of the object?
A car decelerates from \( 25 \, \text{m/s} \) to \( 5 \, \text{m/s} \) at \( 10 \, \text{m/s}^2 \). How far does the car travel during this deceleration?
You are a bungee jumping fanatic and want to be the first bungee jumper on Jupiter. The length of your bungee cord is \( 45.0 \) \( \text{m} \). Free fall acceleration on Jupiter is \( 23.1 \) \( \text{m/s}^2 \). What is the ratio of your speed on Jupiter to your speed on Earth when you have dropped \( 45 \) \( \text{m} \)? Ignore the effects of air resistance and assume that you start at rest.
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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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