| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[\tau = I \alpha\] | Torque needed to spin a disk scales with its moment of inertia \( I \) and angular acceleration \( \alpha \). The disks are the same size, so \( I \) is the same in both cases. |
| \[\alpha = \frac{\Delta \omega}{\Delta t}\] | Angular acceleration is change in angular speed \( \Delta \omega \) over spin-up time \( \Delta t \). Both start from rest \( \omega_i = 0 \), and the times are about equal. |
| \[\frac{\tau_{75}}{\tau_{45}} = \frac{I \alpha_{75}}{I \alpha_{45}} = \frac{\alpha_{75}}{\alpha_{45}}\] | With the same \( I \), the torque ratio equals the ratio of angular accelerations. |
| \[\frac{\alpha_{75}}{\alpha_{45}} = \frac{\omega_{x,75}/\Delta t}{\omega_{x,45}/\Delta t} = \frac{\omega_{x,75}}{\omega_{x,45}}\] | Since \( \omega_i = 0 \), \( \Delta \omega = \omega_x \). Similar \( \Delta t \) cancels. |
| \[\frac{\omega_{x,75}}{\omega_{x,45}} = \frac{75}{45} = \frac{5}{3}\] | The conversion from RPM to rad/s cancels in the ratio, so the numeric RPM ratio suffices. Thus \( \tau_{75} \) must exceed \( \tau_{45} \) by a factor \( \tfrac{5}{3} \). |
| \[\boxed{\tau_{75} = \tfrac{5}{3}\,\tau_{45}}\] | Therefore the torque is larger in the second case; correct choice is (c). |
| \[\tau = I \alpha\] | Why (a) is incorrect: Having the same \( I \) does not force the same \( \tau \); different \( \alpha \) values imply different \( \tau \). |
| \[L = I \omega\] | Why (b) is incorrect: Angular momentum \( L \) is not conserved while an external driving torque is applied; the system is not isolated. |
| \[\tau = rF\] | Why (d) is incorrect: The lever arm \( r \) (disk radius) is the same for both, so the difference does not come from a larger \( r \); the larger \( \tau \) arises from the larger required \( \alpha \). |
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Suppose a solid uniform sphere of mass M and radius R rolls without slipping down an inclined plane starting from rest. The angular velocity of the sphere at the bottom of the incline depends on
A \( 0.72 \) \( \text{m} \)-diameter solid sphere can be rotated about an axis through its center by a torque of \( 10.8 \) \( \text{Nm} \) which accelerates it uniformly from rest through a total of \( 160 \) revolutions in \( 15.0 \) \( \text{s} \). What is the mass of the sphere?
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 \( 8.0 \) \( \text{s} \)?

A rod may freely rotate about an axis that is perpendicular to the rod and is along the plane of the page. The rod is divided into four sections of equal length of 0.2 m each, and four forces are exerted on the rod, as shown in the figure. Frictional forces are considered negligible. Which of the following describes an additional torque that must be applied in order to keep the rod from rotating?
The downward motion of an elevator is controlled by a cable that unwinds from a cylinder of radius \( 0.20 \) \( \text{m} \). What is the angular velocity of the cylinder when the downward speed of the elevator is \( 1.2 \) \( \text{m/s} \)?
Two thin coins are made from identically the same metal, but one coin has triple the diameter of the other. What is the ratio of the moment of inertia of the large coin compared to the small coin? Take the axis of rotation to be perpendicular to the coin and through its center; assume that the coins have the same thickness. Hint: The moment of inertia of a solid disk about its center is \(\frac{1}{2} M R^{2}\).
The angular velocity of an electric motor is \(\omega = \left(20 – \frac{1}{2} t^2 \right) \, \text{rad/s}\), where \(t\) is in seconds.
A net torque is applied to the edge of a spinning object as it rotates about its internal axis. The table shows the net torque exerted on the object at different instants in time. How can a student use the data table to determine the change in angular momentum of the object from \( 0 \) to \( 6 \) \( \text{s} \)? Justify your selection.
| Time \( (\text{s}) \) | Net Torque \( (\text{N} \cdot \text{m}) \) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 1.5 |
| 4 | 3.0 |
| 6 | 4.5 |
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
You try to open a door, but you are unable to push at a right angle to the door. So, you push the door at an angle of \( 35^{\circ} \) from the horizontal. How much harder would you have to push to open the door just as fast as if you were to push it at \( 90^{\circ} \)?
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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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