| Derivation/Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| \[p_i = m_b v_0 + m_s \cdot 0 = m_b v_0\] | The boat of mass \(m_b\) moves at speed \(v_0\). The sand of mass \(m_s\) is dropped from rest, so its initial horizontal momentum is \(0\). |
| \[p_f = (m_b + m_s) v_f\] | After impact, boat and sand move together with common speed \(v_f\). |
| \[m_b v_0 = (m_b + m_s) v_f\] | Conservation of horizontal momentum: no external horizontal forces act. |
| \[v_f = \frac{m_b v_0}{m_b + m_s}\] | Algebraic solution for \(v_f\). |
| \[v_f < v_0\] | Because \(m_b + m_s > m_b\), the fraction is less than \(v_0\). |
| \[\boxed{\text{Speed decreases}}\] | The boat slows down, matching option (a). |
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A \(4 \, \text{kg}\) mass is traveling at \(10 \, \text{m/s}\) to the right when it collides elastically 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 is the velocity of the \(4 \, \text{kg}\) mass?
A \(2 \, \text{kg}\) object slides east at \(4 \, \text{m/s}\) and collides with a stationary \(3 \, \text{kg}\) object. After the collision, the \(2 \, \text{kg}\) object is traveling at an unknown velocity at \(15^\circ\) north of east and the \(3 \, \text{kg}\) object is traveling at \(38^\circ\) south of east. What is each object’s final velocity?
A \(15 \, \text{g}\) marble moves to the right at \(3.5 \, \text{m/s}\) and makes an elastic head-on collision with a \(22 \, \text{g}\) marble. The final velocity of the \(22 \, \text{g}\) marble is \(2.0 \, \text{m/s}\) to the right, and the final velocity of the \(15 \, \text{g}\) marble is \(5.4 \, \text{m/s}\) to the left. What was the initial velocity of the \(22 \, \text{g}\) marble?
A child (\(m = 32 \, \text{kg}\)) in a boat (\(m = 71 \, \text{kg}\)) throws a \(7.1 \, \text{kg}\) package out horizontally with a speed of \(12.2 \, \text{m/s}\). Calculate the velocity of the boat immediately after, assuming it was initially at rest. Ignore water resistance.

In which of the following is the rate of change of the particle’s momentum zero?
A \(3800 \, \text{kg}\) open railroad car coasts along with a constant speed of \(8.60 \, \text{m/s}\) along a level track. Snow begins to fall vertically and fills the car at a rate of \(3.50 \, \text{kg/min}\). Ignoring friction with the tracks, what is the speed of the car after \(90 \, \text{min}\)?
An egg dropped on the road usually beaks, while one dropped on the grass usually does not break because for the egg dropped on the grass:
Two students hold a large bed sheet vertically between them. A third student, who happens to be the star pitcher on the school baseball team, throws a raw egg at the center of the sheet. Explain why the egg does not break when it hits the sheet, regardless of its initial speed.
A golf club exerts an average horizontal force of \(1000 \, \text{N}\) on a \(0.045 \, \text{kg}\) golf ball that is initially at rest on the tee. The club is in contact with the ball for \(1.8 \, \text{milliseconds}\). What is the speed of the golf ball just as it leaves the tee?
A block of mass \( m \) is moving on a horizontal frictionless surface with a speed \( v_0 \) as it approaches a block of mass \( 2m \) which is at rest and has an ideal spring attached to one side.
When the two blocks collide, the spring is completely compressed and the two blocks momentarily move at the same speed, and then separate again, each continuing to move.
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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] | 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 |
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