| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[A_1 v_i = A_2 v_x\] | Conservation of mass (continuity equation) requires that the volumetric flow rate remains constant, where \(A_1\) and \(A_2\) are the cross-sectional areas of the basement and second floor pipes, respectively. |
| \[A = \frac{\pi}{4}d^2\] | This is the formula for the area of a circle, with \(d\) as the diameter of the pipe. We use it to express \(A_1\) and \(A_2\) in terms of the given diameters. |
| \[v_x = \left(\frac{A_1}{A_2}\right)v_i = \left(\frac{d_1}{d_2}\right)^2 v_i\] | Substituting the area formula into the continuity equation, the constant factors cancel and we obtain \(v_x\) in terms of the diameters \(d_1\) and \(d_2\) and the initial speed \(v_i\). |
| \[v_x = \left(\frac{0.02}{0.013}\right)^2 (0.5)\] | Substitute \(d_1 = 0.02\,\text{m}\), \(d_2 = 0.013\,\text{m}\), and \(v_i = 0.5\,\text{m/s}\) into the equation. |
| \[v_x \approx (1.5385)^2 \times 0.5 \approx 2.367 \times 0.5 \approx 1.18\,\text{m/s}\] | Evaluating the ratio gives approximately \(1.5385\) which squared is about \(2.367\). Multiplying by \(0.5\,\text{m/s}\) results in a speed of approximately \(1.18\,\text{m/s}\) in the second floor pipe. |
| \[\boxed{v_x \approx 1.18\,\text{m/s}}\] | This is the final expression for the flow speed in the 1.3 cm diameter pipe on the second floor. |
| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[P_1 + \frac{1}{2}\rho v_i^2 + \rho g h_1 = P_2 + \frac{1}{2}\rho v_x^2 + \rho g h_2\] | This is Bernoulli’s equation applied between the basement (point 1) and the second floor (point 2). It relates pressure, kinetic, and potential energy per unit volume along a streamline. |
| \[h_1 = 0,\quad h_2 = 5\,\text{m}\] | We set the basement as the reference level (\(h_1 = 0\)) so that the second floor is at an elevation of \(5\,\text{m}\). |
| \[P_1 = 3\,\text{atm} = 3 \times 101325 = 303975\,\text{Pa}\] | The initial pressure is given as \(3\,\text{atm}\); converting to Pascals using \(1\,\text{atm} = 101325\,\text{Pa}\) yields \(303975\,\text{Pa}\). |
| \[P_2 = P_1 + \frac{1}{2}\rho (v_i^2 – v_x^2) – \rho g (h_2 – h_1)\] | Rearrange Bernoulli’s equation to solve for \(P_2\), the pressure in the second floor pipe. |
| \[P_2 = 303975 + \frac{1}{2}(1000)(0.5^2 – 1.18^2) – (1000)(9.8)(5)\] | Substitute \(\rho = 1000\,\text{kg/m}^3\) for water, \(g = 9.8\,\text{m/s}^2\), \(v_i = 0.5\,\text{m/s}\), and \(v_x \approx 1.18\,\text{m/s}\) into the equation. |
| \[0.5^2 = 0.25,\quad 1.18^2 \approx 1.392\] | Calculate the squares of the velocities for the kinetic energy terms. |
| \[\frac{1}{2}\times 1000\times(0.25 – 1.392) \approx 500\times(-1.142) \approx -571\,\text{Pa}\] | The kinetic energy difference contributes a change of approximately \(-571\,\text{Pa}\) (negative since the speed increases in the smaller pipe). |
| \[1000 \times 9.8 \times 5 = 49000\,\text{Pa}\] | This term accounts for the increase in gravitational potential energy due to the 5 m elevation gain. |
| \[P_2 = 303975 – 571 – 49000 \approx 254404\,\text{Pa}\] | Subtract the kinetic and potential energy contributions from the initial pressure to find the pressure at the second floor. |
| \[\boxed{P_2 \approx 254400\,\text{Pa}}\] | This is the final pressure in the 1.3 cm diameter pipe on the second floor. In atmospheres, this is roughly \(254400/101325 \approx 2.51\,\text{atm}\). |
A Major Upgrade To Phy Is Coming Soon — Stay Tuned
We'll help clarify entire units in one hour or less — guaranteed.
A self paced course with videos, problems sets, and everything you need to get a 5. Trusted by over 15k students and over 200 schools.
An ideal fluid flows through a pipe with radius \( Q \) and flow speed \( V \). If the pipe splits up into three separate paths, each with radius \( \frac{Q}{2} \), what is the flow speed through each of the paths?
Two paper cups are suspended by strings and hung near each other. They are separated by about \( 10 \) \( \text{cm} \). Explain what happens to the cups when you blow air between them. Hint: Do they remain still, moves away from each other or move towards each other?
A \(2\)-N force is used to push a small piston \(10\) \(\text{cm}\) downward in a simple hydraulic machine. If the opposite large piston rises by \(0.5\) \(\text{cm}\), what is the maximum weight the large piston can lift?
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 \( 0.179 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \).

The radius of the left piston is \( 0.12 \) \( \text{m} \) and the radius of the right piston is \( 0.65 \) \( \text{m} \). If \( f \) were raised by \( 14 \) \( \text{N} \), how much would \( F \) need to be increased to maintain equilibrium?
A block of weight \( W \) is floating in water, and one-third of the block is above the surface of the water. Which of the following correctly describes the magnitude \( F \) of the force that the block exerts on the water and explains why \( F \) has that value?
A solid plastic cube with uniform density (side length = \(0.5\) \(\text{m}\)) of mass \(100\) \(\text{kg}\) is placed in a vat of fluid whose density is \(1200\) \(\text{kg/m}^3\). What fraction of the cube’s volume floats above the surface of the fluid?
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?
A Venturi tube has a pressure difference of \( 15\,000 \) \( \text{Pa} \). The entrance radius is \( 3 \) \( \text{cm} \), while the exit radius is \( 1 \) \( \text{cm} \). What are the entrance velocity, exit velocity, and flow rate if the fluid is gasoline \( (\rho = 700 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 ) \)?

A Venturi meter is a device used for measuring the speed of a fluid within a pipe. The drawing shows a gas flowing at a speed \( v_2 \) through a horizontal section of pipe with a cross-sectional area \( A_2 = 542 \) \( \text{cm}^2 \). The gas has a density of \( 1.35 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \). The Venturi meter has a cross-sectional area of \( A_1 = 215 \) \( \text{cm}^2 \) and has been substituted for a section of the larger pipe. The pressure difference between the two sections \( P_2 – P_1 = 145 \) \( \text{Pa} \).
\(1.18\,\text{m/s}\)\n\(254400\,\text{Pa}\)
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.
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?