| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[W_{\text{air}} = \rho_{\text{rock}} V g\] | This is the full weight of the rock in air, where \(\rho_{\text{rock}}\) is the rock density, \(V\) is its volume, and \(g\) is gravitational acceleration. |
| \[W_{\text{water}} = \rho_{\text{rock}}Vg – \rho_{\text{water}}Vg\] | The apparent weight when submerged is the true weight minus the buoyant force, which equals the weight of the displaced water \((\rho_{\text{water}}Vg)\). |
| \[\rho_{\text{rock}}Vg – \rho_{\text{water}}Vg = \tfrac{1}{2}\,\rho_{\text{rock}}Vg\] | The problem states the rock weighs twice as much in air as in water, so \(W_{\text{water}} = \tfrac{1}{2}W_{\text{air}}\). Substitute \(W_{\text{air}}\) above. |
| \[\rho_{\text{rock}} – \rho_{\text{water}} = \tfrac{1}{2}\,\rho_{\text{rock}}\] | Canceling the common factors \(Vg\) from both sides simplifies the equation. |
| \[2\,\rho_{\text{rock}} – 2\,\rho_{\text{water}} = \rho_{\text{rock}}\] | Multiply both sides by 2 to clear the fraction. |
| \[\rho_{\text{rock}} = 2\,\rho_{\text{water}}\] | Solve for \(\rho_{\text{rock}}\) by subtracting \(\rho_{\text{rock}}\) from both sides. |
| \[\rho_{\text{rock}} = 2 \times 1000\,\text{kg/m}^3 = \boxed{2000\,\text{kg/m}^3}\] | Assuming the density of water is \(1000\,\text{kg/m}^3\), the rock density becomes \(2000\,\text{kg/m}^3\) (to 3 significant figures). |
| Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[\rho_{\text{avg}} = p\,\rho_{\text{quartz}} + (1-p)\times0 = p\,\rho_{\text{quartz}}\] | The rock is part solid quartz and part hollow (air). Since the density of air is negligible, \(\rho_{\text{avg}}\) is just the fraction \(p\) of quartz times the density of quartz \(\rho_{\text{quartz}}\). |
| \[p = \tfrac{\rho_{\text{avg}}}{\rho_{\text{quartz}}}\] | Solve for \(p\) (the fraction that is solid quartz) using the average density, which we determined as \(2000\,\text{kg/m}^3\), and the given quartz density \(2660\,\text{kg/m}^3\). |
| \[p = \tfrac{2000}{2660} \approx 0.752\] | Calculate \(p\) to determine the fraction of the rock that is quartz. |
| \[\text{Percentage hollow} = (1-p) \times 100\% \approx (1-0.752) \times 100\% \approx \boxed{24.8\%}\] | The remainder of the rock (\(1-p\)) is hollow. Converting to a percentage gives about 24.8\% hollow, to 3 significant figures. |
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In the laboratory, you are given a cylindrical beaker containing a fluid and you are asked to determine the density \( \rho \) of the fluid. You are to use a spring of negligible mass and unknown spring constant \( k \) that is attached to a vertical stand.
A cube of side length \( s \) rests on the bottom surface of a container of fluid. The fluid is at a height \( y \) above the bottom of the tank. The fluid has density \( \rho \) and the atmospheric pressure is \( P_{\text{atm}} \).
Which of the following expressions is equal to the absolute pressure exerted by the fluid on the top surface of the cube?
Why do you float higher in salt water than in fresh water?
Rex, an auto mechanic, is raising a \( 1200 \) \( \text{kg} \) car on his hydraulic lift so that he can work underneath. If the area of the input piston is \( 12.0 \) \( \text{cm}^2 \), while the output piston has an area of \( 700 \) \( \text{cm}^2 \), what force must be exerted on the input piston to lift the car?
The diagram above shows a hydraulic chamber with a spring \( (k_s = 1250 \, \text{N/m}) \) attached to the input piston and a rock of mass \( 55.2 \, \text{kg} \) resting on the output plunger. The input piston and output plunger are at about the same height, and each has negligible mass. The chamber is filled with water.
Balsa wood with an average density of \( 130 \) \( \text{kg/m}^3 \), is floating in pure water. What percentage of the wood is submerged?
A small rock sits at the bottom of a cup filled with water. The upward force exerted by the water on the rock is \( F_0 \). The water is then poured out and replaced by an oil that is \( \frac{3}{4} \) as dense as water, and the rock again sits at the bottom of the cup, completely under the oil. Which of the following expressions correctly represents the magnitude of the upward force exerted by the oil on the rock?
The figure above shows a portion of a conduit for water, one with rectangular cross sections. If the flow speed at the top is \( v \), what is the flow speed at the bottom?
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.
Caleb is filling up water balloons for the Physics Olympics balloon toss competition. Caleb sets a \( 0.50 \text{-kg} \) spherical water balloon on the kitchen table and notices that the bottom of the balloon flattens until the pressure on the bottom is reduced to \( 630 \frac{\text{N}}{\text{m}^2} \). What is the area of the flat spot on the bottom of the balloon?
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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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