| Step | Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[ h = \frac{(v_i \sin\theta)^2}{2g} \] | This is the formula for the maximum height reached by a projectile in terms of its initial speed and launch angle. |
| 2 | \[ h_A = \frac{(v_i \sin\theta_A)^2}{2g} \quad \text{and} \quad h_B = \frac{(v_i \sin\theta_B)^2}{2g} \] | Since the initial speeds are identical, the maximum heights depend solely on the \(\sin\theta\) factors. |
| 3 | \[ \sin\theta_A > \sin\theta_B \] | With \(\theta_A\) being larger than \(\theta_B\), its sine is larger, leading to a higher maximum height for cannonball A. |
| 4 | \[ \boxed{\text{Cannonball A reaches higher elevation.}} \] | This is the final conclusion based on the above reasoning. |
| Step | Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[ T = \frac{2 v_i \sin\theta}{g} \] | This equation gives the total time a projectile stays in the air, dependent on its vertical velocity component. |
| 2 | \[ T_A = \frac{2 v_i \sin\theta_A}{g} \quad \text{and} \quad T_B = \frac{2 v_i \sin\theta_B}{g} \] | Both cannonballs have the same initial speed, so the difference in time of flight comes from their \(\sin\theta\) values. |
| 3 | \[ \sin\theta_A > \sin\theta_B \] | Because \(\theta_A > \theta_B\), cannonball A has a larger vertical component leading to a longer flight time. |
| 4 | \[ \boxed{\text{Cannonball A stays longer in the air.}} \] | This completes the explanation for the time-of-flight comparison. |
| Step | Derivation or Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[ R = \frac{v_i^2 \sin 2\theta}{g} \] | This is the formula for the horizontal range of a projectile, which depends on \(\sin 2\theta\). The maximum value of \(\sin 2\theta\) is 1, occurring at \(\theta = 45^\circ\). Note you should be able to derive this formula using your knowledge of projectile motion. |
| 2 | \[ R_A = \frac{v_i^2 \sin 2\theta_A}{g} \quad \text{and} \quad R_B = \frac{v_i^2 \sin 2\theta_B}{g} \] | While both cannonballs have the same speed, the range depends critically on the factor \(\sin 2\theta\). |
| 3 | \[ \text{Since } \theta_B \text{ is closer to } 45^\circ, \; \sin 2\theta_B > \sin 2\theta_A \] | This implies that cannonball B, with an angle nearer to optimum, achieves a greater horizontal displacement. |
| 4 | \[ \boxed{\text{Cannonball B travels farther.}} \] | This is the final conclusion based on the range formula. |
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.
A projectile is launched at a speed of \( 22 \) \( \text{m/s} \) at an angle of \( 60^{\circ} \) above the horizontal. It lands on a ramp that is \( 5 \) \( \text{m} \) lower than the launch height. How long does it take for the projectile to hit the ramp?
A diver springs upward from a diving board. At the instant she contacts the water, her speed is \( 8.90 \, \text{m/s} \), and her body is extended at an angle of \( 75.0^\circ \) with respect to the horizontal surface of the water. At this instant, her vertical displacement is \( -3.00 \, \text{m} \), where downward is the negative direction. Determine her initial velocity, both magnitude and direction.
A officer fires a pistol horizontally toward a target \(120 \,\text{m}\) at a velocity of \(200 \, \text{m/s}\). If the officer aimed directly at the bull’s eye
A baseball rolls off a 0.70 m high desk and strikes the floor 0.25 m away from the base of the desk. How fast was the ball rolling?
A cylindrical tank of water (height \( H \)) is punctured at a height \( h \) above the bottom. How far from the base of the tank will the water stream land (in terms of \( h \) and \( H \))? What must the value of \( h \) be such that the distance at which the stream lands will be equal to \( H \)?
An arrow is shot horizontally from a distance of \( 20 \, \text{m} \) away. It lands \( 0.05 \, \text{m} \) below the center of the target. If air resistance is negligible, what was the initial speed of the arrow?
A bird, traveling at \(50 \, \text{m/s}\) wants to hit a man \(100 \, \text{m}\) below with a dropping. How far in distance before flying directly over the man should the bird release it?
A golfer hits a shot to a green that is elevated \(2.80 \, \text{m}\) above the point where the ball is struck. The ball leaves the club at a speed of \(18.9 \, \text{m/s}\) at an angle of \(52.0^\circ\) above the horizontal. It rises to its maximum height and then falls down to the green. Ignoring air resistance, find the speed of the ball just before it lands.

A ball of mass \(m\) is released from rest at a distance \(h\) above a frictionless plane inclined at an angle of \(45^\circ\) to the horizontal as shown above. The ball bounces horizontally off the plane at point \(P_1\) with the same speed with which it struck the plane and strikes the plane again at point \(P_2\). In terms of \(g\) and \(h\), determine each of the following quantities:
A ball is tossed straight up while the thrower is standing in a moving train car that is moving at a constant velocity. Neglecting air resistance, what is the path of the ball relative to the ground outside the train?
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?