| Step | Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[p = m v_X + m v_Y\] | The total system momentum equals the sum of the individual momenta, since both carts have the same mass \(m\). |
| 2 | \[p_{i1}=1, \quad p_{f1}=1\] | For Experiment 1, substitute \(m=1\,\text{kg}\), \(v_{iX}=1\,\text{m/s}\), \(v_{iY}=0\,\text{m/s}\) and their final speeds. |
| 3 | \[p_{i2}=0, \quad p_{f2}=0\] | For Experiment 2, the initial momenta \(1\,\text{m/s}\) and \(-1\,\text{m/s}\) cancel; the final momenta \(-1\,\text{m/s}\) and \(1\,\text{m/s}\) also cancel. |
| 4 | \[p_{i3}=3, \quad p_{f3}=3\] | For Experiment 3, \(2+1=3\,\text{kg·m/s}\) both before and after the collision. |
| 5 | \[\Delta p_{1}=0, \quad \Delta p_{2}=0, \quad \Delta p_{3}=0\] | Change in system momentum \(\Delta p = p_f – p_i\) is zero for every experiment. |
| 6 | \[\boxed{\Delta p_{\text{CM}} = 0}\] | No net external horizontal force acts, so the momentum (and thus the center-of-mass momentum) is conserved. |
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A firecracker in a coconut blows the coconut into three pieces. Two pieces of equal mass fly off south and west, perpendicular to each other, at \( 18 \) \( \text{m/s} \). The third piece has \( 2.5 \) times the mass as the other two.
A \(0.10 \, \text{kg}\) ball, traveling horizontally at \(25 \, \text{m/s}\), strikes a wall and rebounds at \(19 \, \text{m/s}\). What is the magnitude of the change in the momentum of the ball during the rebound?
A moderate force will break an egg. However, an egg dropped on the road usually breaks, while one dropped on the grass usually does not break because for the egg dropped on the grass:
If you want to double the momentum of a gas molecule, by what factor must you increase its kinetic energy?
A \(4 \, \text{kg}\) mass is traveling at \(10 \, \text{m/s}\) to the right when it collides inelastically with a stationary \(7 \, \text{kg}\) mass. The \(7 \, \text{kg}\) mass then travels at \(2 \, \text{m/s}\) at an angle of \(22^\circ\) below the horizontal. What are the velocity and the angle of the \(4 \, \text{kg}\) mass?
A bowling ball moving with speed \(v\) collides head-on with a stationary tennis ball. The collision is elastic and there is no friction. The bowling ball barely slows down. What is the speed of the tennis ball after the collision?
Two particles of equal mass \( m_0 \) are moving with equal speeds \( v_0 \) along paths inclined at \( 60^\circ \) to the \( x \)-axis, as shown above. They collide and stick together in a perfectly inelastic collision. Their velocity after the collision has magnitude:
A block with mass \( m \) slides at speed \( v_0 \) on a smooth surface and hits a stationary block with mass \( M \). They stick together and move at speed \( \frac{v_0}{3} \). Find \( M \) in terms of \( m \).
A \( 1.0 \, \text{kg} \) lump of clay is sliding to the right on a frictionless surface with a speed of \( 2 \, \text{m/s} \). It collides head-on and sticks to a \( 0.5 \, \text{kg} \) metal sphere that is sliding to the left with a speed of \( 4 \, \text{m/s} \). What is the kinetic energy of the combined objects after the collision?
A pendulum consists of a mass \( M \) hanging at the bottom end of a massless rod of length \( \ell \) which has a frictionless pivot at its top end. A mass \( m \), moving with velocity \( v \), impacts \( M \) and becomes embedded. In terms of the given variables and constants, what is the smallest value of \( v \) sufficient to cause the pendulum (with embedded mass \( m \)) to swing clear over the top of its arc?
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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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