| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[\tau_w = r_w \, (m g)\] | The weight force acts downward at the beam’s center (\(r_w = 1\,\text{m}\)). Clockwise is taken as positive. |
| \[\tau_w = 1\,(10)(9.8)=98\,\text{N}\!\cdot\!\text{m}\] | Magnitude and sign: downward at mid-point produces clockwise rotation, so \(+98\,\text{N}\!\cdot\!\text{m}\). |
| \[F_x=-200\cos 30^{\circ},\;F_y=+200\sin 30^{\circ}\] | Resolve the applied \(200\,\text{N}\) into components at the free end (\(r_F = 2\,\text{m}\)). |
| \[F_x \parallel r \Rightarrow \tau_{F_x}=0\] | Any component along the beam produces no torque about the pivot. |
| \[\tau_{F_y}=r_F F_y = 2(100)=200\,\text{N}\!\cdot\!\text{m}\] | Only the vertical component is perpendicular to the beam. |
| Direction: \(r\) (right) cross \(F_y\) (up) points out of page (counter-clockwise), therefore negative: \(\tau_{F_y}=-200\,\text{N}\!\cdot\!\text{m}\). | |
| \[\tau_{\text{net}} = \tau_w + \tau_{F_y} = 98 – 200 = -102\,\text{N}\!\cdot\!\text{m}\] | Add torques algebraically; negative sign means net counter-clockwise torque. |
| \[\boxed{-102\,\text{N}\!\cdot\!\text{m}}\] | Net torque about the pivot. |
Incorrect option notes:
• (a) and (d) assume the applied force also turns the beam clockwise, overlooking its actual counter-clockwise moment.
• (b) includes the correct direction but double-counts the weight’s contribution, giving too large a magnitude.
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.
Which of the following must be zero if an object is spinning at a constant rate? There may be more than one right answer.
At time \( t = 0 \), a disk starts from rest and begins spinning about its center with a constant angular acceleration of magnitude \( \alpha \). At time \( t_f \), the disk has angular speed \( \omega_f \). Which of the following expressions correctly compares the final angular displacement \( \theta_f \) of the disk at time \( t_f \) to the angular displacement \( \theta_{1/2} \) at time \( \frac{t_f}{2} \)?

A system consists of a disk rotating on a frictionless axle and a piece of clay moving toward it, as shown in the figure above. The outside edge of the disk is moving at a linear speed \( v \), and the clay is moving at speed \( \frac{v}{2} \). The clay sticks to the outside edge of the disk. How does the angular momentum of the system after the clay sticks compare to the angular momentum of the system before the clay sticks, and what is an explanation for the comparison?
A solid sphere, solid cylinder, and a hollow pipe all have equal masses and radii. If the three of them are released simultaneously at the top of an inclined plane and do not slip, which one will reach the bottom first? \( I_{sphere} = \frac{2}{5}MR^2\), \( I_{cylinder} = \frac{1}{2}MR^2\), \( I_{pipe} = MR^2\)
An airliner arrives at the terminal, and the engines are shut off. The rotor of one of the engines has an initial clockwise angular velocity of \( 2000 \) \( \text{rad/s} \). The engine’s rotation slows with an angular acceleration of magnitude \( 80.0 \) \( \text{rad/s}^2 \).
A centrifuge accelerates uniformly from rest to 15,000 rpm in 240 s. Through how many revolutions did it turn in this time?
Consider a rigid body that is rotating. Which of the following is an accurate statement?
Consider a uniform hoop of radius \( R \) and mass \( M \) rolling without slipping. Which is larger, its translational kinetic energy or its rotational kinetic energy? Hint: The moment of inertia of a uniform hoop is \(I = M R^2\)
A uniform ladder with mass \( m_2 \) and length \( L \) rests against a smooth wall. A do-it-yourself enthusiast of mass \( m_1 \) stands on the ladder a distance \( d \) from the bottom (measured along the ladder). The ladder makes an angle \( \theta \) with the ground. There is no friction between the wall and the ladder, but there is a frictional force of magnitude \( f \) between the floor and the ladder. \( N_1 \) is the magnitude of the normal force exerted by the wall on the ladder, and \( N_2 \) is the magnitude of the normal force exerted by the ground on the ladder. Throughout the problem, consider counterclockwise torques to be positive.
A disk, a hoop, and a solid sphere are released at the same time at the top of an inclined plane. They are all uniform and roll without slipping. In what order do they reach the bottom?
\( \text{Solid sphere: } I = \frac{2}{5}mR^2, \quad \text{Solid disk: } I = \frac{1}{2}mR^2, \quad \text{Hoop: } I = mR^2 \)
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] | 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 |
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.
A quick explanation
Credits are used to grade your FRQs and GQs. Pro users get unlimited credits.
Submitting counts as 1 attempt.
Viewing answers or explanations count as a failed attempts.
Phy gives partial credit if needed
MCQs and GQs are are 1 point each. FRQs will state points for each part.
Phy customizes problem explanations based on what you struggle with. Just hit the explanation button to see.
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
NEW! PHY AI accurately solves all questions
🔥 Get up to 30% off Elite Physics Tutoring
🧠 NEW! Learn Physics From Scratch Self Paced Course
🎯 Need exam style practice questions?