| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[ \frac{1}{2}m v_{0}^{2} = m g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ) \] | This is the energy conservation for a frictionless slide where all the gravitational potential energy \(m g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ)\) is converted into kinetic energy \(\frac{1}{2}m v_{0}^{2}\) at the bottom. |
| 2 | \[ v_{0} = \sqrt{2g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ)} \] | Solve for the frictionless final speed \(v_{0}\) by isolating it in the energy equation. |
| 3 | \[ \frac{1}{2}m v_{x}^{2} = m g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ) – \mu \; m g \Delta x \cos(34^\circ) \] | For a slide with kinetic friction, the work done by friction \(\mu m g \Delta x \cos(34^\circ)\) is subtracted from the available gravitational potential energy. |
| 4 | \[ v_{x} = \frac{1}{2}v_{0} \] | It is given that the child’s speed at the bottom with friction is exactly half the frictionless speed. |
| 5 | \[ \frac{1}{2}m \left(\frac{1}{2}v_{0}\right)^2 = m g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ) – \mu \; m g \Delta x \cos(34^\circ) \] | Substitute \(v_{x} = \frac{1}{2}v_{0}\) into the energy equation with friction. |
| 6 | \[ \frac{1}{2} \left(\frac{1}{2}v_{0}\right)^2 = g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ) – \mu \; g \Delta x \cos(34^\circ) \] | Cancel the mass \(m\) from both sides since it appears throughout. |
| 7 | \[ \frac{1}{2} \left(\frac{1}{4}v_{0}^2\right) = \frac{1}{8}v_{0}^2 = g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ) – \mu \; g \Delta x \cos(34^\circ) \] | Simplify the left side by computing \(\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^2 = \frac{1}{4}\) and then multiplying by \(\frac{1}{2}\). |
| 8 | \[ \text{Since} \; \frac{1}{2}v_{0}^2 = g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ), \; \text{we have} \; \frac{1}{8}v_{0}^2 = \frac{1}{4}g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ) \] | Replace \(\frac{1}{8}v_{0}^2\) using the frictionless energy equation for consistency. |
| 9 | \[ \frac{1}{4}g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ) = g \Delta x \sin(34^\circ) – \mu \; g \Delta x \cos(34^\circ) \] | Equate the expression obtained from energy with friction to the simplified form of frictionless energy. |
| 10 | \[ \frac{1}{4}\sin(34^\circ) = \sin(34^\circ) – \mu \cos(34^\circ) \] | Cancel \(g \Delta x\) from both sides since they are nonzero. |
| 11 | \[ \sin(34^\circ) – \frac{1}{4}\sin(34^\circ) = \mu \cos(34^\circ) \] | Simplify the right side by subtracting \(\frac{1}{4}\sin(34^\circ)\) from \(\sin(34^\circ)\). |
| 12 | \[ \frac{3}{4}\sin(34^\circ) = \mu \cos(34^\circ) \] | This gives the relationship that relates \(\mu\) to the sine and cosine of \(34^\circ\). |
| 13 | \[ \mu = \frac{\frac{3}{4}\sin(34^\circ)}{\cos(34^\circ)} = \frac{3}{4}\tan(34^\circ) \] | Solve for \(\mu\) by dividing both sides by \(\cos(34^\circ)\). |
| 14 | \[ \boxed{\mu \approx 0.51} \] | Substitute \(\tan(34^\circ) \approx 0.67\) to get a numerical value \(\mu \approx \frac{3}{4} \times 0.67 \approx 0.50-0.51\). This is the coefficient of kinetic friction. |
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A body starting from rest moves along a straight line under the action of a constant force. After traveling a distance \( d \) the speed of the body is \( v \). The speed of the body when it has travelled a distance \( \dfrac{d}{2} \) from its initial position is
A box rests on the (frictionless) bed of a truck. The truck driver starts the truck and accelerates forward. The box immediately starts to slide toward the rear of the truck bed.
A person with a weight of \( 600 \) \( \text{N} \) stands on a scale in an elevator. What is the acceleration of the elevator when the scale reads \( 900 \) \( \text{N} \)?
When the brakes of an automobile are applied, the road exerts the greatest retarding force
A \(1.5 \, \text{kg}\) object is located at a distance of \(1.7 \times 10^{6} \, \text{m}\) from the center of a larger object whose mass is \(7.4 \times 10^{22} \, \text{kg}\).
A \(2.2 \times 10^{21} \, \text{kg}\) moon orbits a distant planet in a circular orbit of radius \(1.5 \times 10^8 \, \text{m}\). It experiences a \(1.1 \times 10^{19} \, \text{N}\) gravitational pull from the planet. What is the moon’s orbital period in Earth days?
Late one morning, a mosquito collides with the windshield of a speeding truck. The force of the truck on the mosquito is ____ the force of the mosquito on the truck; the resulting acceleration of the mosquito is ____ the acceleration of the truck.

A hungry bear weighing 700 N walks out on a beam in an attempt to retrieve a basket of goodies hanging at the end of the beam. The beam is uniform, weighs 200 N, and is 6.00 m long. The goodies weigh 80 N.
A person stands on a scale in an elevator. If the scale reads \( 600 \, \text{N} \) when that person is riding upward at a constant velocity of \( 4 \, \text{m/s} \), what is the scale reading when the elevator is at rest? Hint: The reading on the scale is simply the normal force.
An object is moving at constant velocity. Which of the following could be the free-body diagram representing the forces acting on the object?
\(\boxed{\mu \approx 0.51}\)
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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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