| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[T = m \frac{v^2}{r} + m g \cos\theta\] | The cord provides the centripetal force \(m v^2 / r\). The radial component of the weight is \(m g \cos\theta\) (taken positive when it acts opposite the tension), so they add algebraically to give the total tension. |
| \[T_{\text{bottom}} = m\frac{v^2}{r} + m g\] | At the bottom of the circle \(\theta = 0^\circ\Rightarrow \cos\theta = 1\). Thus the entire weight acts opposite the tension, increasing it by \(m g\). |
| \[T_{\text{top}} = m\frac{v^2}{r} – m g\] | At the top \(\theta = 180^\circ\Rightarrow \cos\theta = -1\). The weight now acts in the same direction as the required centripetal force, so it reduces the required cord tension by \(m g\). |
| \[T_{\text{side}} = m\frac{v^2}{r}\] | At the side positions \(\theta = 90^\circ\) or \(270^\circ\), \(\cos\theta = 0\); the weight is perpendicular to the cord, so it does not change the tension. |
| \[T_{\text{bottom}} > T_{\text{side}} > T_{\text{top}}\] | Because \(m g > 0\), adding it at the bottom makes \(T_{\text{bottom}}\) the largest possible tension for the given constant speed. |
| Hence the cord is stretched most at the bottom of the circle — option (b).
• Option (a): top has smaller tension since \(m g\) subtracts. |
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 race car traveling at a constant speed of \( 50 \) \( \text{m/s} \) drives around a circular track that is \( 500 \) \( \text{m} \) in diameter. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the car?
A ball of mass m is fastened to a string. The ball swings at constant speed in a vertical circle of radius R with the other end of the string held fixed. Neglecting air resistance, what is the difference between the string’s tension at the bottom of the circle and at the top of the circle?
A traffic light hangs from a pole as shown in the diagram. The uniform aluminum pole AB is of length \( 7.20 \) \( \text{m} \) and has a mass of \( 12.0 \) \( \text{kg} \). The mass of the traffic light is \( 21.5 \) \( \text{kg} \). The point C is located \( 3.80 \) \( \text{m} \) vertically above the pivot A. A massless horizontal cable CD is attached at C and connects to the pole at point D, where the pole makes an angle of \( 37^{\circ} \) with the cable.
Which of the following do not affect the maximum speed that a car can drive in a circle? Choose all correct answers.
A small sphere hangs from a string attached to the ceiling of a uniformly accelerating train car. It is observed that the string makes an angle of \(37^\circ\) with respect to the vertical. The magnitude of the acceleration \(a\) of the train car is most nearly:
A \(250 \, \text{newton}\) centripetal force acts on a car moving at a constant speed in a horizontal circle. If the same force is applied, but the radius is made smaller, what happens to the speed \(v\) and the frequency \(f\) of the car?
Imagine a hypothetical planet that has two moons. Moon \(\#1\) is in a circular orbit of radius \(R\) and has a mass \(M\).
A \(2.2 \times 10^{21} \, \text{kg}\) moon orbits a distant planet in a circular orbit of radius \(1.5 \times 10^8 \, \text{m}\). It experiences a \(1.1 \times 10^{19} \, \text{N}\) gravitational pull from the planet. What is the moon’s orbital period in Earth days?
Why do you tend to slide across the car seat when the car makes a sharp turn?
A person pulls a rope with a force \( F \) at an angle of \( 60^\circ \) to the horizontal. The rope is connected to a load over a frictionless pulley as shown in the diagram. The load is stationary. Which of the following is correct about the weight of the load and the net force exerted on the pulley by the rope?
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] | |
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] |
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.
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
