| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[m_A\,v_0 = (m_A + m_B)\,\frac{v_0}{3}\] | This equation applies conservation of momentum. Initially, only Block \(A\) moves with velocity \(v_0\) while Block \(B\) is stationary. After the collision, the blocks stick together and move with velocity \(\frac{v_0}{3}\). |
| \[m_A = \frac{m_A + m_B}{3}\] | Dividing both sides by \(v_0\) (assuming \(v_0 \neq 0\)) simplifies the momentum equation. |
| \[3\,m_A = m_A + m_B\] | Multiplying both sides by 3 eliminates the fraction. |
| \[2\,m_A = m_B\] | Subtracting \(m_A\) from both sides provides the relationship between the masses: Block \(B\) is twice as massive as Block \(A\). |
| \[\boxed{m_B = 2\,m_A}\] | This final expression shows Block \(B\) has greater mass. Thus, the correct answer is Block \(B\). |
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In a controlled experiment, engineers test a firecracker. The firecracker has mass \( m \) and is placed at rest on a horizontal surface. When the firecracker is lit, it explodes and breaks apart into two pieces. In the first trial, one piece with mass \( \frac{m}{2} \) moves to the left with speed \( v_L \) and the other piece moves to the right with speed \( v_R \). A second trial is performed with an identical firecracker, and one piece with mass \( \frac{3m}{4} \) moves to the left, again with speed \( v_L \). What will the speed of the other piece be in this second trial?
A \(1200 \, \text{kg}\) car moving at \(15.6 \, \text{m/s}\) suddenly collides with a stationary car of mass \(1500 \, \text{kg}\). If the two vehicles lock together, what is their combined velocity immediately after the collision?
A child (\(m = 32 \, \text{kg}\)) in a boat (\(m = 71 \, \text{kg}\)) throws a \(7.1 \, \text{kg}\) package out horizontally with a speed of \(12.2 \, \text{m/s}\). Calculate the velocity of the boat immediately after, assuming it was initially at rest. Ignore water resistance.
A \(2 \, \text{kg}\) object slides east at \(4 \, \text{m/s}\) and collides with a stationary \(3 \, \text{kg}\) object. After the collision, the \(2 \, \text{kg}\) object is traveling at an unknown velocity at \(15^\circ\) north of east and the \(3 \, \text{kg}\) object is traveling at \(38^\circ\) south of east. What is each object’s final velocity?
A \( 1.0 \)\( \text{-kg} \) object is moving with a velocity of \( 6.0 \) \( \text{m/s} \) to the right. It collides and sticks to a \( 2.0 \)\( \text{-kg} \) object moving with a velocity of \( 3.0 \) \( \text{m/s} \) in the same direction. How much kinetic energy was lost in the collision?
Astronaut Jennifer’s lifeline to her spaceship comes loose and she finds herself stranded, “floating” \( 100 \) \( \text{m} \) from the mothership. She suddenly throws her \( 2.00 \) \( \text{kg} \) wrench at \( 20 \) \( \text{m/s} \) in a direction away from the ship. If she and her spacesuit have a combined mass of \( 200 \) \( \text{kg} \), how long does it take her to coast back to her spaceship?
Two boxes are tied together by a string and are sitting at rest on a frictionless surface. Between the two boxes is a massless compressed spring. The string trying the two boxes is then cut and the spring expands, pushing the boxes apart. The box on the left has four times the mass of the box on the right.
A \(70 \, \text{kg}\) woman and her \(35 \, \text{kg}\) son are standing at rest on an ice rink. They push against each other for a time of \(0.60 \, \text{s}\), causing them to glide apart. The speed of the woman immediately after they separate is \(0.55 \, \text{m/s}\). Assume that during the push, friction is negligible compared with the forces the people exert on each other.
A 75.0kg log floats downstream with a speed of 1.80 m/s. Eight frogs hop onto the log in a series of perfectly inelastic collisions. If each frog has a mass of 0.30 kg and an upstream speed of 1.3 m/s, what is the change in kinetic energy for this system?
Two people, one of mass \( 88 \) \( \text{kg} \) and the other of mass \( 55 \) \( \text{kg} \), sit in a rowboat of mass \( 70 \) \( \text{kg} \). With the boat initially at rest, the two people, who have been sitting at opposite ends of the boat \( 3.1 \) \( \text{m} \) apart from each other, now exchange seats.
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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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