| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[v_x = \text{constant}\] | The ball leaves the hand with the same horizontal speed as the train because no horizontal forces act on it inside the car. |
| 2 | \[\Delta x = v_x t\] | Horizontal displacement of both ball and thrower grows equally with time. |
| 3 | \[\Delta x_{\text{relative}} = 0\] | Since their \(v_x\) values are identical, their relative horizontal separation is zero; the ball returns to the thrower’s hand. |
| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[v_x(t)=v_i\] | The ball keeps the train’s speed \(v_i\) at release; it experiences no forward force. |
| 2 | \[x_{\text{ball}}=v_i t\] | Ball’s ground‐frame horizontal motion. |
| 3 | \[x_{\text{car}}=v_i t+\tfrac12 a t^{2}\] | Car accelerates with acceleration \(a\) (forward). |
| 4 | \[\Delta x_{\text{relative}}=x_{\text{ball}}-x_{\text{car}}=-\tfrac12 a t^{2}<0\] | Relative displacement is negative (toward rear). Hence the ball lands behind the thrower. |
| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[a_{\text{car}}=-|a|\] | Negative sign denotes slowing down. |
| 2 | \[x_{\text{car}}=v_i t-\tfrac12 |a| t^{2}\] | Car covers less distance than constant‐speed case. |
| 3 | \[\Delta x_{\text{relative}}=v_i t-(v_i t-\tfrac12 |a| t^{2})=\tfrac12 |a| t^{2}>0\] | Positive relative displacement means the ball comes down ahead of the thrower (toward the front). |
| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[a_{c}=\frac{v^{2}}{R}\] | Car acquires centripetal acceleration toward curve’s center. |
| 2 | \[F_{\text{ball}}=0\;\text{(horizontal)}\] | No horizontal force acts on the ball, so it moves straight (Newton’s 1st law). |
| 3 | \[\text{Ball lands on outer side}\] | The car turns underneath; to riders the ball drifts toward the side opposite the curve’s center — the outer (convex) wall. |
| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[F_{\text{drag}}\propto v_{\text{rel}}^{2}\] | Still outside air produces a backward drag on the rising ball. |
| 2 | \[a_{\text{drag}} < 0\] | Drag decelerates the ball’s horizontal motion relative to the ground. |
| 3 | \[\Delta x_{\text{relative}} < 0\] | Because the train keeps its speed while the ball slows horizontally, it lands behind the thrower. |
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The cart with mass \( M = 3 \, \text{kg} \) is pulled by a massless string and moving on a horizontal track. A weight with mass \( m = 1 \, \text{kg} \) is hung from the other end of the string through a pulley system. Due to the gravitational force acting on the weight of mass \( m \), the cart is accelerated to the left. Find the tension in the string.

The elliptical orbit of a comet is shown above. Positions \(1\) and \(2\) are, respectively, the farthest and nearest positions to the Sun, and at position \(1\) the distance from the comet to the Sun is \(10\) times that at position \(2\). What is the ratio \(\dfrac{F_1}{F_2}\), the force on the comet at position \(1\) to the force on the comet at position \(2\)?
A net force of \( 8.0 \) \( \text{N} \) accelerates a \( 4.0 \) \( \text{kg} \) body from rest to a speed of \( 5.0 \) \( \text{m s}^{-1} \). Which of the following is equal to the work done by the force?

A conical pendulum is formed by attaching a ball of mass \( m \) to a string of length \( \ell \), then allowing the ball to move in a horizontal circle of radius \( r \). The following figure shows that the string traces out the surface of a cone, hence the name.
In the diagram above, block \(A\) has a mass of \(3.2 \, \text{kg}\) and block \(B\) a mass of \(2.4 \, \text{kg}\). The pulley is frictionless and has no mass.
A train consists of \(50\) cars, each of which has a mass of \(6.1 \times 10^{3} \, \text{kg}\). The train has an acceleration of \(8.0 \times 10^{-2} \, \text{m/s}^2\). Ignore friction and determine the tension in the coupling at the following places:
Two satellites are in circular orbits around Earth. Satellite A has speed \(v_A\). Satellite B has an orbital radius nine times that of satellite A. What is the speed of satellite B?

Four blocks of masses \( 20 \, \text{kg}, \, 30 \, \text{kg}, \, 40 \, \text{kg}, \, \text{and} \, 50 \, \text{kg} \) are stacked on top of one another in an elevator in order of decreasing mass with the lightest mass on the top of the stack. The elevator moves downward with an acceleration of \( 3.2 \, \text{m/s}^2 \). Find the contact force between the \( 30 \, \text{kg} \) and \( 40 \, \text{kg} \) masses.
A force \(F\) is used to hold a block of mass \(m\) on an incline as shown in the diagram above. The plane makes an angle of \(\theta\) with the horizontal and \(F\) is perpendicular to the plane. The coefficient of friction between the plane and the block is \(\mu\). What is the minimum force \(F\) necessary to keep the block at rest?

A crane’s trolley at point \( P \) moves for a few seconds to the right with constant acceleration, and the \( 870 \, \text{kg} \) load hangs on a light cable at a \( 5^\circ \) angle to the vertical as shown. What is the acceleration of the trolley and load?
\(\text{In her hand}\)
\(\text{Behind thrower}\)
\(\text{Ahead of thrower}\)
\(\text{Outer side of curve}\)
\(\text{Behind thrower}\)
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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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