| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[v_x^2 = v_i^2 + 2a\Delta x\] | Use a constant-acceleration kinematics relation along the incline. Here, \(\Delta x\) is the distance traveled along the incline, \(v_i\) is the initial speed up the incline, and \(v_x\) is the final speed at the end. |
| \[v_x = 0\] | “Rolls to the end” on a friction-free incline implies the skateboarder just comes to rest at the end of the incline, so the final speed is \(0\). |
| \[\Delta x = 25\,\text{m},\quad v_i = 20.0\,\text{m/s}\] | Given incline length is the along-slope displacement \(\Delta x\), and the initial speed is \(v_i\). |
| \[0^2 = (20.0)^2 + 2a(25)\] | Substitute \(v_x\), \(v_i\), and \(\Delta x\) into \(v_x^2 = v_i^2 + 2a\Delta x\). |
| \[0 = 400 + 50a\] | Simplify the substituted equation algebraically. |
| \[a = -8.0\,\text{m/s}^2\] | Solve for \(a\): \(50a = -400\Rightarrow a = -400/50 = -8.0\,\text{m/s}^2\). |
| \[a = -g\sin(\theta)\] | On a friction-free incline, the acceleration along the slope is due to the component of gravity parallel to the incline. The negative sign indicates acceleration is opposite the uphill direction. |
| \[-8.0 = -g\sin(\theta)\] | Set the kinematics-based acceleration equal to the gravity-component acceleration. |
| \[8.0 = g\sin(\theta)\] | Multiply both sides by \(-1\) to remove the negative signs. |
| \[\sin(\theta) = \frac{8.0}{g}\] | Solve for \(\sin(\theta)\) algebraically. |
| \[\sin(\theta) = \frac{8.0}{9.8} \approx 0.816\] | Substitute \(g \approx 9.8\,\text{m/s}^2\). |
| \[\theta = \sin^{-1}(0.816) \approx 54.8^\circ\] | Take the inverse sine to find the incline angle above the horizontal. |
| \[\boxed{\theta \approx 55^\circ}\] | Rounded to an appropriate number of significant figures based on given data. |
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The escape speed of an object of mass \( m \) from a planet of mass \( M \) and radius \( r \) depends on the gravitational constant and
A spherical balloon of mass \( 226 \) \( \text{kg} \) is filled with helium gas until its volume is \( 325 \) \( \text{m}^3 \). Assume the density of air is \( 1.29 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \) and the density of helium is \( 0.179 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \).
You are standing on a bathroom scale in an elevator. The elevator starts from rest on the first floor and accelerates up to the third floor, \(12 \, \text{m}\) above, in a time of \(6 \, \text{s}\). The scale reads \(800 \, \text{N}\). What is the mass of the person?
In a 4.0-kilometer race, a runner completes the first kilometer in 5.9 minutes, the second kilometer in 6.2 minutes, the third kilometer in 6.3 minutes, and the final kilometer in 6.0 minutes. What is the average speed of the runner? Use standard units: m/s.
A \( 60 \ \text{kg} \) person is riding in an elevator. At time \( t_1 \), the elevator is accelerating downward with a magnitude of \( 2 \ \text{m/s}^2 \). A short time later, at time \( t_2 \), the elevator is accelerating upward with a magnitude of \( 2 \ \text{m/s}^2 \). The ratio of the normal force exerted by the elevator on the person at time \( t_1 \) to that at time \( t_2 \) is most nearly

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 blue ball is thrown upward with a velocity of \( 9 \) \( \text{m/s} \) upward from the top of a high cliff. At the same time, a red ball is dropped from the same spot. The red ball is observed to hit the ground below exactly \( 1 \) \( \text{s} \) before the blue ball. How high is the cliff?
The figure shows the velocity-versus-time graph for a basketball player traveling up and down the court in a straight-line path. Find the displacement of the player…

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:
A car accelerates from rest with an acceleration of \( 4.3 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) for a time of \( 6.8 \, \text{s} \). The car then slows to a stop with an acceleration of \( 5.1 \, \text{m/s}^2 \). What is the total distance traveled by the car?
\(\theta \approx 55^\circ\)
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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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