| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[v_i = \frac{45\, \text{km/h}}{3.6} = 12.5\, \text{m/s}\] | Convert the initial speed from kilometers per hour to meters per second for consistency with SI units. |
| 2 | \[a = \frac{v_x – v_i}{\Delta t} = \frac{0 – 12.5}{3.5} \approx -3.57\, \text{m/s}^2\] | Calculate the deceleration (negative acceleration) using the change in velocity over the given time period. Here, \(v_x = 0\, \text{m/s}\) (final velocity) and \(v_i = 12.5\, \text{m/s}\) (initial velocity). |
| 3 | \[|a| = 3.57\, \text{m/s}^2\] | Take the magnitude of the deceleration for further calculations since only the absolute value matters for friction. |
| 4 | \[\mu_s g = |a|\] | At the threshold of sliding, the maximum static friction force per unit mass, \(\mu_s g\), must be equal to the required deceleration \(|a|\) to prevent sliding. |
| 5 | \[\mu_s = \frac{|a|}{g} = \frac{3.57}{9.8} \] | Solve for the coefficient of static friction \(\mu_s\) using \(g = 9.8\, \text{m/s}^2\), the acceleration due to gravity. |
| 6 | \[\boxed{\mu_s \approx 0.36}\] | This is the minimum coefficient of static friction required between the cup and the dashboard to prevent the cup from sliding forward during deceleration. |
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A \(0.5 \, \text{mm}\) wire made of carbon and manganese can just barely support the weight of a \(70.0 \, \text{kg}\) person that is holding on vertically. Suppose this wire is used to lift a \(45.0 \, \text{kg}\) load. What maximum vertical acceleration can be achieved without breaking the wire?
A \(30 \, \text{g}\) bullet is fired with a speed of \(500 \, \text{m/s}\) into a wall.
A loop-de-loop roller coaster has a radius of \( 30 \) \( \text{m} \). Determine the apparent weight a \( 500 \) \( \text{N} \) person will feel at the bottom of the loop while traveling at a speed of \( 25 \) \( \text{m/s} \) and at the top of the loop while traveling at a speed of \( 20 \) \( \text{m/s} \).
While flying horizontally in an airplane, you notice that a string dangling from the overhead luggage compartment hangs at rest at 15° away from the vertical toward the back of the plane. Using this observation, you can conclude that the airplane is:

In the diagram shown, a \(20 \, \text{N}\) force is applied to block \(B\) (\(7 \, \text{kg}\)). Block \(A\) has a mass of \(3 \, \text{kg}\). Assume frictionless conditions.

A \( 1 \) \( \text{kg} \) mass on a \( 37^{\circ} \) incline is connected to a \( 3.0 \) \( \text{kg} \) mass on a horizontal surface, as shown. The surfaces and the pulley are frictionless. If \( F = 12 \) \( \text{N} \):
A cannon fires a cannonball forward. The recoil of the cannon is backward. Why doesn’t the cannon move backward as fast as the cannonball moves forward?
A spring stretches \( 8.0 \) \( \text{cm} \) when a \( 13 \) \( \text{N} \) force is applied. How far does it stretch when a \( 26 \) \( \text{N} \) force is applied?
What condition(s) are necessary for static equilibrium?
Why do you push down harder on the pedals of a bicycle when first starting out than when moving at constant speed? Why do you need to pedal at all when cycling at constant speed?
\(0.36\)
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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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