| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[\vec{F}_g = m_c\,\vec{g}\] | Weight acts downward; here \(m_c = 900\,\text{kg}\). |
| 2 | \[\vec{N}= -\vec{F}_g\] | Normal force from bed acts upward, balancing weight (level road, no vertical acceleration). |
| 3 | \[\vec{f}_s \text{ (leftward)}\] | Static friction on crate points left, supplying the horizontal deceleration so that the crate does not slide. |
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[\Delta x = \frac{v_i + v_x}{2}\,\Delta t\] | Constant–acceleration displacement relation. |
| 2 | \[55 = \frac{25 + v_x}{2}\,(3.0)\] | Substitute \(\Delta x = 55\,\text{m},\ v_i = 25\,\text{m/s},\ \Delta t = 3.0\,\text{s}.\) |
| 3 | \[v_x = 11.7\,\text{m/s}\] | Solve for final speed after braking distance. |
| 4 | \[v_x = v_i + a\,\Delta t\] | Linear velocity–time equation. |
| 5 | \[11.7 = 25 + a(3.0)\] | Insert known values. |
| 6 | \[a = -4.4\,\text{m/s}^2\] | Negative sign shows acceleration is opposite the motion (deceleration). |
| 7 | \[\boxed{\,|a| = 4.4\,\text{m/s}^2\,}\] | Requested magnitude. |
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[\vec{f}_s = m_c\,|a|\] | Static friction provides the horizontal net force \(m_c a\). |
| 2 | \[f_{s,\max}= \mu_s N = \mu_s m_c g\] | Maximum static friction formula with \(N = m_c g\). |
| 3 | \[\mu_s m_c g \ge m_c |a|\] | No sliding requires static friction capability to exceed demand. |
| 4 | \[\mu_{\min}= \frac{|a|}{g}= \frac{4.4}{9.8}=0.45\] | Mass cancels; compute numerical value. |
| 5 | \[\boxed{\,\mu_{\min}=0.45\;\text{(static)}\,}\] | The friction is static because no relative motion occurs. |
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[a = \frac{v_x – v_i}{\Delta t}= \frac{25 – 0}{10}=2.5\,\text{m/s}^2\] | Uniform acceleration from rest to \(25\,\text{m/s}\) in \(10\,\text{s}\). |
| 2 | \[F_s = m_c a\] | Spring force supplies crate’s required horizontal force. |
| 3 | \[F_s = kx\] | Hooke’s law for spring with constant \(k = 9200\,\text{N/m}\). |
| 4 | \[x = \frac{m_c a}{k}= \frac{900(2.5)}{9200}=0.24\,\text{m}\] | Solve for extension. |
| 5 | \[\boxed{\,x = 0.24\,\text{m}\,}\] | Numerical answer for maximum extension during acceleration. |
| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[a = 0\] | Constant speed implies zero acceleration. |
| 2 | \[F_s = m_c a = 0\Rightarrow x = 0\] | No net horizontal force required, so spring force and thus extension become zero. |
| 3 | \[\boxed{\,x_{\text{const}} < x_{\text{accel}}\,}\] | Extension is less (indeed zero) compared with part (d) when acceleration was present. |
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A block sliding down an frictionless inclined plane is experiencing both gravitational and normal forces; which force’s magnitude changes when the angle of the incline is increased?
An elevator carrying a person of mass \( m \) is moving upward and slowing down. How does the magnitude \( F \) of the force exerted on the person by the elevator floor compare with the magnitude \( mg \) of the gravitational force?
A car is going over the top of a hill whose curvature approximates a circle of radius \( 350 \) \( \text{m} \). At what velocity will the occupants of the car appear to weigh \( 10\% \) less than their normal weight?
A brick slides on a horizontal surface. Which of the following will increase the magnitude of the frictional force on it?
A comet of mass \( m_c = 3.2 \times 10^{14} \) \( \text{kg} \) is orbiting a star with mass \( m_s = 1.8 \times 10^{30} \) \( \text{kg} \). The comet’s orbit is elliptical. At its closest point, the comet is a distance \( r_1 = 8.3 \times 10^{10} \) \( \text{m} \) from the star, and at its farthest point, the comet is a distance \( r_2 = 4.9 \times 10^{11} \) \( \text{m} \) from the star. What is the change in the kinetic energy of the comet as it moves along its orbit from distance \( r_2 \) to distance \( r_1 \) from the star?
A skier with a mass of \(58 \, \text{kg}\) glides up a snowy incline that forms an angle of \(28^\circ\) with the horizontal. The skier initially moves at a speed of \(7.2 \, \text{m/s}\). After traveling a distance of \(2.3 \, \text{m}\) up the slope, the skier’s speed reduces to \(3.8 \, \text{m/s}\).

The figure above shows a cart of mass \( M \) accelerating to the right with acceleration \( a \). A block of mass \( m \) is pressed against the cart’s front vertical surface and is held there only by friction. The coefficient of friction between the block and the cart is \( \mu \). What is the minimum acceleration \( a \) of the cart such that the block will not fall?
When a falling meteoroid is at a distance above the Earth’s surface of \( 3.00 \) times the Earth’s radius, what is its acceleration due to the Earth’s gravitation?
A \( 200 \)\( \text{ lb} \) block is resting on a \( 30^{\circ} \) incline. The coefficient of static friction between the block and the plane is \( \mu_s = 0.8 \). Will the block remain at rest?
A \(1.5 \, \text{kg}\) object is located at a distance of \(1.7 \times 10^{6} \, \text{m}\) from the center of a larger object whose mass is \(7.4 \times 10^{22} \, \text{kg}\).
\(4.4\,\text{m/s}^2\)
\(\mu_{\min}=0.45,\,\text{static}\)
\(0.24\,\text{m}\)
\(\text{less than}\)
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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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