| MCQ Choice | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| a | Total energy is conserved. | Although total energy being conserved is a fundamental principle of physics, it does not specifically explain the balancing of a fork on a finger. Therefore, this is not a correct explanation for how the balance is achieved. |
| b | The fork’s moment of inertia is zero. | The moment of inertia cannot be zero unless the fork has no mass or a certain axis has no extended mass, which is not the case here. Thus, this is incorrect. |
| c | The fork’s center of mass is above his finger. | In order to balance an object, the pivot point (his finger) should be directly under the center of mass. This ensures that any disturbance moves the center of mass above the finger, allowing the object to return to balance. Thus, this is a correct explanation. |
| d | The fork’s clockwise torque is equal to its counterclockwise torque. | To maintain balance (static equilibrium), the net torque acting on the fork must be zero. Hence, the clockwise torque must equal the counterclockwise torque, making this a correct explanation. |
| e | The fork has a net angular momentum. | If there were a net angular momentum, the fork would be rotating. Since the fork is stationary and balanced, it does not have a net angular momentum. Therefore, this is incorrect. |
Correct Answers: (c) The fork’s center of mass is above his finger, and (d) The fork’s clockwise torque is equal to its counterclockwise torque.
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A uniform stick has length \( L \). The moment of inertia about the center of the stick is \( I_0 \). A particle of mass \( M \) is attached to one end of the stick. The moment of inertia of the combined system about the center of the stick is

A system of two wheels fixed to each other is free to rotate about a frictionless axis through the common center of the wheels and perpendicular to the page. Four forces are exerted tangentially to the rims of the wheels, as shown in the figure. The magnitude of the net torque on the system about the axis is
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?
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.
An object is moving in a horizontal circle at a constant speed. Which of the following correctly describes the linear and angular velocities of the object between any point along the circular path?
A high-speed flywheel in a motor is spinning at \( 500 \) \( \text{rpm} \) when a power failure suddenly occurs. The flywheel has a mass of \( 40 \) \( \text{kg} \) and a diameter of \( 75 \) \( \text{cm} \). The power is off for \( 30 \) \( \text{s} \) and during this time the flywheel slows due to friction in its axle bearings. During this time the flywheel makes \( 200 \) complete revolutions.

A uniform meter stick has a mass of \( 45.0 \) \( \text{g} \) placed at the \( 20 \) \( \text{cm} \) mark. If a pivot is placed at the \( 42.5 \) \( \text{cm} \) mark and the meter stick remains horizontal in static equilibrium, what is the mass of the meter stick?
The angular velocity of a rotating disk of radius \(20 \, \text{cm}\) increases from \(1 \, \text{rad/s}\) to \(3 \, \text{rad/s}\) in \(0.5 \, \text{s}\). What is the linear tangential acceleration of a point on the rim of the disk during this time interval?
A pulley has an initial angular speed of \( 12.5 \) \( \text{rad/s} \) and a constant angular acceleration of \( 3.41 \) \( \text{rad/s}^2 \). Through what angle does the pulley turn in \( 5.26 \) \( \text{s} \)?
A wheel of moment of inertia of \( 5.00 \) \( \text{kg} \cdot \text{m}^2 \) starts from rest and accelerates under a constant torque of \( 3.00 \) \( \text{N} \cdot \text{m} \) for \( 8.0 \) \( \text{s} \). What is the wheel’s rotational kinetic energy at the end of \( 8.0 \) \( \text{s} \)?
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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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