| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [katex]v_f = 30 \, \text{m/s}[/katex] | Given the final speed of the car after collision with the stone wall. |
| 2 | KE = [katex]\frac{1}{2} mv_f^2[/katex] | Determine the kinetic energy of the car just before the collision. Kinetic energy is calculated by [katex]\frac{1}{2} mv^2[/katex]. |
| 3 | KE = [katex]\frac{1}{2} m (30)^{2}[/katex] | Substitute the given velocity into the kinetic energy formula. |
| 4 | KE = [katex]450 m[/katex] \, \text{J}\) | Simplify the equation to determine the kinetic energy of the car. |
| 5 | PE = mgh | Potential energy due to height [katex]h[/katex] is given by [katex]mgh[/katex]. |
| 6 | PE = KE | Since they need to make an equally hard collision, the potential energy when falling from height [katex]h[/katex] should equal the kinetic energy. |
| 7 | mgh = 450m | Set potential energy equal to kinetic energy. Mass [katex]m[/katex] cancels out from both sides. |
| 8 | gh = 450 | Isolate the height ([katex]h[/katex]) on one side of the equation. |
| 9 | [katex]h = \frac{450}{g}[/katex] | Solve for height [katex]h[/katex]. Use [katex]g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2[/katex] for gravitational acceleration. |
| 10 | [katex]h = \frac{450}{9.8} \approx 45.9 \, \text{m}[/katex] | Final calculation to determine the height from which the car must fall. |
Thus, the car would have to fall from a height of approximately 45.9 meters to make an equally hard collision with the ground.
A Major Upgrade To Phy Is Coming Soon — Stay Tuned
We'll help clarify entire units in one hour or less — guaranteed.
A \(10 \, \text{kg}\) box is pushed to the right by an unknown force at an angle of \(25^\circ\) below the horizontal while a friction force of \(50 \, \text{N}\) acts on the box as well. The box accelerates from rest and travels a distance of \(4 \, \text{m}\) where it is moving at \(3 \, \text{m/s}\).
Can an object have a non-zero distance and zero average speed?
A blue sphere and a red sphere with the same diameter are released from rest at the top of a ramp. The red sphere takes a longer time to reach the bottom of the ramp. The spheres are then rolled off a horizontal table at the same time with the same speed and fall freely to the floor. Which sphere reaches the floor first?
A \( 1000 \) \( \text{kg} \) car is traveling east at \( 20 \) \( \text{m/s} \) when it collides perfectly inelastically with a northbound \( 2000 \) \( \text{kg} \) car traveling at \( 15 \) \( \text{m/s} \). If the coefficient of kinetic friction is \( 0.9 \), how far, and at what angle do the two cars skid before coming to a stop?
The alarm at a fire station rings and a 79.34-kg fireman, starting from rest, slides down a pole to the floor below (a distance of 4.20 m). Just before landing, his speed is 1.36 m/s. What is the magnitude of the kinetic frictional force exerted on the fireman as he slides down the pole?
An object is released from rest near the surface of a planet. The velocity of the object as a function of time is expressed in the following equation. \( v_y = (-3) \, \text{m/s}^2 \, t \) All frictional forces are considered to be negligible. What distance does the object fall \( 10 \) \( \text{s} \) after it is released from rest?
A red car, initially at rest, travels east with an acceleration of \( 3.5 \, \text{m/s}^2 \). At the same time as the red car starts to move, a blue car is traveling west at \( 15 \, \text{m/s} \) and accelerating at \( 1.2 \, \text{m/s}^2 \). If they are \( 600 \, \text{m} \) apart the moment the red car starts to move and they are traveling towards each other, where and when will they meet?
A ball is dropped from a window [katex]10 \, [/katex] above the sidewalk. Determine the time it takes for the ball to fall to the sidewalk.
A projectile is launched at \( 25 \) \( \text{m/s} \) at an angle of \( 37^{\circ} \). It lands on a platform that is \( 5.0 \) \( \text{m} \) above the launch height.
45.9 meters
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?