| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[\vec v_{\text{sled}}=\vec v_{\text{Santa (air)}}+\vec v_{\text{wind}}\] | Ground (actual) velocity is the vector sum of Santa’s velocity relative to the air and the wind velocity. |
| \[\vec v_{\text{Santa (air)}}=\langle -78.0,\,0\rangle\,\text{m/s},\qquad \vec v_{\text{wind}}=\langle 0,\,-20.3\rangle\,\text{m/s}\] | Take \(\hat x\) positive east and \(\hat y\) positive north. West is negative \(x\), south is negative \(y\). |
| \[\vec v_{\text{sled}}=\langle -78.0,\,0\rangle+\langle 0,\,-20.3\rangle=\langle -78.0,\,-20.3\rangle\,\text{m/s}\] | Add components to get the actual velocity vector. |
| \[|\vec v_{\text{sled}}|=\sqrt{(-78.0)^2+(-20.3)^2}\] | The speed is the magnitude of the velocity vector using the Pythagorean theorem. |
| \[|\vec v_{\text{sled}}|=\sqrt{6084+412.09}=\sqrt{6496.09}=80.6\,\text{m/s}\] | Compute the numerical magnitude. |
| \[\theta=\tan^{-1}\left(\frac{|v_y|}{|v_x|}\right)=\tan^{-1}\left(\frac{20.3}{78.0}\right)=14.6^\circ\] | The direction relative to west is found from the ratio of southward to westward components. |
| \[\boxed{\vec v_{\text{sled}}=\langle -78.0,\,-20.3\rangle\,\text{m/s}}\] | Final actual velocity vector (west and south components). |
| \[\boxed{|\vec v_{\text{sled}}|=80.6\,\text{m/s at }14.6^\circ\text{ south of west}}\] | Final speed and direction description. |
| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[\vec v_{\text{sled}}=\vec v_{\text{Santa (air)}}+\vec v_{\text{wind}}\] | Same vector-addition relationship as in part (a). |
| \[\text{To go due west: }(v_{\text{sled}})_y=0\] | Due west means no north/south component in the ground velocity. |
| \[(v_{\text{sled}})_y=(v_{\text{Santa}})_y+(v_{\text{wind}})_y=0\] | Apply the condition \((v_{\text{sled}})_y=0\) using component addition. |
| \[(v_{\text{Santa}})_y+(-20.3)=0\Rightarrow (v_{\text{Santa}})_y=20.3\,\text{m/s}\] | Santa must aim northward so his north component cancels the wind’s south component. |
| \[|\vec v_{\text{Santa}}|=78.0\,\text{m/s},\quad (v_{\text{Santa}})_y=|\vec v_{\text{Santa}}|\sin\theta\] | If \(\theta\) is the angle north of west, the north component is \(78.0\sin\theta\). |
| \[78.0\sin\theta=20.3\Rightarrow \sin\theta=\frac{20.3}{78.0}=0.260\] | Set the required north component equal to \(20.3\,\text{m/s}\) and solve for \(\sin\theta\). |
| \[\theta=\sin^{-1}(0.260)=15.1^\circ\] | Compute the needed heading angle. |
| \[\boxed{\theta\approx 15.1^\circ\text{ north of west}}\] | Santa must point slightly north of west so the wind pushes him back to due west overall. |
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You are piloting a small plane, and you want to reach an airport \(450 \, \text{km}\) due south in \(3.0 \,\text{hours}\). A wind is blowing from the west at \(50.0 \,\text{km/h}\). What heading and airspeed should you choose to reach your destination in time?
A seagull first flies \( 160 \, \text{m} \) North, then heads \( 120.65 \, \text{m} \) at \( 18.43^\circ \) North of West. After it lands:
An object is moving to the west at a constant speed. Three forces are exerted on the object. One force is \( 10 \) \( \text{N} \) directed due north, and another is \( 10 \) \( \text{N} \) directed due west. What is the magnitude and direction of the third force if the object is to continue moving to the west at a constant speed?
A person is standing at the edge of the water and looking out at the ocean. The height of the person’s eyes above the water is \( h = 1.8 \, \text{m} \), and the radius of the Earth is \( R = 6.38 \times 10^6 \, \text{m} \). How far is it to the horizon (in meters)? In other words, find the distance \( d \) from the person’s eyes to the horizon. Note at the horizon, the angle between the line of sight and the radius of the Earth is \( 90^\circ \).)
A boat can row across a still \( 1 \, \text{km} \) wide river at a maximum speed of \( 5 \, \text{km/hr} \). If a current of \( 4 \, \text{km/hr} \) flows east as you try to directly cross the river, how long would it take?
Gregory was walking through the halls of the school when he realized that he was walking in perpendicular directions and he could easily calculate his displacement using the incredibly useful techniques he learned in physics. He recognized that he walked \(12.5\ \text{m}\) left and then \(18.9\ \text{m}\) down. How far must he walk to the right so that his resultant displacement is \(20.1\ \text{m}\)?
Determine the sum of the three vectors given below. Calculate the resultant \( \vec{R} \) expressed as:
(a) Vector components
(b) Resultant vector (its total magnitude and direction)
\[\vec{A} = 26.5 \, \text{m} \ @ \ 56^\circ \, \text{NW}\]
\[\vec{B} = 44 \, \text{m} \ @ \ 28^\circ \, \text{NE}\]
\[\vec{C} = 31 \, \text{m} \, \text{South}\]
Vector \( A \) is \( 44.0 \) units and \( 28.0^\circ \) above the \( +x \) axis, vector \( B \) is \( 26.5 \) units and \( 56.0^\circ \) above the \( -x \) axis, and vector \( C \) is \( 31.0 \) units along the \( -y \) axis. Determine the resultant (sum) of the three vectors.
When we refer to an object’s speed, we’re talking about:
\(\boxed{|\vec v_{\text{sled}}|=80.6\,\text{m/s at }14.6^\circ\text{ south of west},\quad \theta=15.1^\circ\text{ north of west}}\)
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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] | |
Nano- | n | [katex]10^{-9}[/katex] | |
Micro- | µ | [katex]10^{-6}[/katex] | |
Milli- | m | [katex]10^{-3}[/katex] | |
Centi- | c | [katex]10^{-2}[/katex] | |
Deci- | d | [katex]10^{-1}[/katex] | |
(Base unit) | – | [katex]10^{0}[/katex] | |
Deca- or Deka- | da | [katex]10^{1}[/katex] | |
Hecto- | h | [katex]10^{2}[/katex] | |
Kilo- | k | [katex]10^{3}[/katex] | |
Mega- | M | [katex]10^{6}[/katex] | |
Giga- | G | [katex]10^{9}[/katex] | |
Tera- | T | [katex]10^{12}[/katex] |
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