| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[P + \frac{1}{2} \rho v^{2} = \text{constant}\] | This is Bernoulli’s principle: in a moving fluid, the sum of the static pressure \(P\) and the dynamic pressure \(\tfrac{1}{2}\rho v^{2}\) remains constant along a streamline. |
| 2 | \[v_{\text{near}} > v_{\text{far}} \;\; \Rightarrow \;\; P_{\text{near}} < P_{\text{far}}\] | Air next to the fast‐moving train moves with a higher speed \(v_{\text{near}}\) than the still air farther away \(v_{\text{far}} \approx 0\). By Bernoulli, greater speed implies lower pressure. |
| 3 | \[F = (P_{\text{far}} – P_{\text{near}})A\] | The pressure difference exerts a net force \(F\) on the person toward the region of lower pressure, i.e., toward the train. |
| 4 | \[F_{\text{net}} \;\text{points toward train}\] | Since \(P_{\text{far}} > P_{\text{near}}\), the dominant force direction is inward, so the person tends to be pulled toward the train. |
A Major Upgrade To Phy Is Coming Soon — Stay Tuned
We'll help clarify entire units in one hour or less — guaranteed.
Two objects labeled K and L have equal mass but densities \( 0.95D_o \) and \( D_o \), respectively. Each of these objects floats after being thrown into a deep swimming pool. Which is true about the buoyant forces acting on these objects?

The drawing above shows a spherical reservoir that contains \( 455,000 \) \( \text{kg} \) of water when full. The reservoir is vented to the atmosphere at the top. Assuming the reservoir is full and the diameter of the reservoir is much larger than any of the pipes on the ground.

A helium-filled balloon is attached by a string of negligible mass to a small \(0.015 \ \text{kg}\) object that is just heavy enough to keep the balloon from rising. The total mass of the balloon, including the helium, is \(0.0050 \ \text{kg}\). The density of air is \(\rho_{\text{air}} = 1.29 \ \text{kg/m}^3\), and the density of helium is \(\rho_{\text{He}} = 0.179 \ \text{kg/m}^3\). The buoyant force on the \(0.015 \ \text{kg}\) object is small enough to be negligible.
How large must a heating duct be if air moving \( 3 \ \frac{\text{m}}{\text{s}} \) along it can replenish the air in a room of \( 300 \ \text{m}^3 \) volume every \( 15 \) minutes? Assume the air’s density remains constant.

Water flows from point \( A \) to points \( D \) and \( E \) as shown. Some of the flow parameters are known, as shown in the table. Determine the unknown parameters. Note the diagram above does not show the relative diameters of each section of the pipe.
| Section | Diameter | Flow Rate | Velocity |
|---|---|---|---|
| \( \text{AB} \) | \( 300 \) \( \text{mm} \) | \(\textbf{?}\) | \(\textbf{?}\) |
| \( \text{BC} \) | \( 600 \) \( \text{mm} \) | \(\textbf{?}\) | \( 1.2 \) \( \text{m/s} \) |
| \( \text{CD} \) | \(\textbf{?}\) | \( Q_{CD} = 2Q_{CE} \) \( \text{m}^3/\text{s} \) | \( 1.4 \) \( \text{m/s} \) |
| \( \text{CE} \) | \( 150 \) \( \text{mm} \) | \( Q_{CE} = 0.5Q_{CD} \) \( \text{m}^3/\text{s} \) | \(\textbf{?}\) |

Alcohol has a specific gravity of \( 0.79 \). If a barometer consisting of an open-ended tube placed in a dish of alcohol is used at sea level, to what height in the tube will the alcohol rise?

The figure shows a container filled with water to a depth \( d \). The container has a hole a distance \( y \) above its bottom, allowing water to exit with an initially horizontal velocity. Which of the following correctly predicts and explains how the speed of the water as it exits the hole would change if the distance \( y \) above the bottom of the container increased?
A geologist suspects that her rock specimen is hollow, so she weighs the specimen in both air and water. When completely submerged, the rock weighs twice as much in air as it does in water.

A fluid flows through the two sections of cylindrical pipe shown in the figure. The narrow section of the pipe has radius \( R \) and the wide section has radius \( 2R \). What is the ratio of the fluid’s speed in the wide section of pipe to its speed in the narrow section of pipe, \( \frac{v_{\text{wide}}}{v_{\text{narrow}}} \)?
The side of an above-ground pool is punctured, and water gushes out through the hole. If the total depth of the pool is \( 2.5 \) \( \text{m} \), and the puncture is \( 1 \) \( \text{m} \) above the ground level, what is the efflux speed of the water?
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?