| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[v_{x}^{2}=v_{i}^{2}+2(-g)\Delta x\] | Use the kinematic relation \(v_{x}^{2}=v_{i}^{2}+2a\Delta x\) with upward positive (so \(a=-g\)). \(v_{x}=14\,\text{m/s}\) at the window, \(\Delta x=18\,\text{m}\). |
| 2 | \[v_{i}^{2}=v_{x}^{2}+2g\Delta x\] | Algebraically solve for \(v_{i}^{2}\). |
| 3 | \[v_{i}^{2}=14^{2}+2(9.8)(18)=196+352.8=548.8\] | Substitute the numerical values. |
| 4 | \[\boxed{v_{i}=23.43\,\text{m/s}}\] | Take the square root to obtain the initial speed. |
| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[0=v_{i}^{2}+2(-g)\Delta x_{\text{max}}\] | At the peak, the final velocity is zero, so set \(v_{x}=0\). |
| 2 | \[\Delta x_{\text{max}}=\frac{v_{i}^{2}}{2g}\] | Re-arrange for the upward displacement from the street. |
| 3 | \[\Delta x_{\text{max}}=\frac{548.8}{19.6}=28\,\text{m}\] | Insert \(v_{i}^{2}=548.8\) and \(g=9.8\,\text{m/s}^{2}\). |
| 4 | \[\boxed{28\,\text{m}}\] | The ball rises 28 m above the street. |
| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[v_{x}=v_{i}-g t_{1}\] | Use \(v_{x}=v_{i}+at\) with \(a=-g\) to relate velocities and time. |
| 2 | \[t_{1}=\frac{v_{i}-v_{x}}{g}\] | Solve for \(t_{1}\), the interval from the throw to passing the window upward. |
| 3 | \[t_{1}=\frac{23.5-14}{9.8}=0.964\,\text{s}\] | Insert the numerical values. |
| 4 | \[\boxed{0.96\,\text{s}}\] | The ball was thrown roughly one second before being seen at the window. |
| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[T_{\text{total}}=\frac{2v_{i}}{g}\] | For motion that starts and ends at the same height, total flight time is twice the time to the peak, \(v_{i}/g\). |
| 2 | \[T_{\text{total}}=\frac{2(23.5)}{9.8}=4.79\,\text{s}\] | Insert \(v_{i}=23.5\,\text{m/s}\) and \(g=9.8\,\text{m/s}^{2}\). |
| 3 | \[t_{\text{after window}}=T_{\text{total}}-t_{1}=4.79-0.96=3.83\,\text{s}\] | Subtract the elapsed time before passing the window to find the interval after it. |
| 4 | \[\boxed{4.8\,\text{s}\;\text{(total from throw)}}\] | The ball returns to the street 4.8 s after being thrown, i.e., about 3.8 s after passing the window. |
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Two objects are dropped from rest from the same height. Object \( A \) falls through a distance \( d_A \) during a time \( t \), and object \( B \) falls through a distance \( d_B \) during a time \( 2t \). If air resistance is negligible, what is the relationship between \( d_A \) and \( d_B \)?
A cart starts from rest and accelerates uniformly at \(4.0 \, \text{m/s}^2\) for \(5.0 \, \text{s}\). It next maintains the velocity it has reached for \(10 \, \text{s}\). Then it slows down at a steady rate of \(2.0 \, \text{m/s}^2\) for \(4.0 \, \text{s}\). What is the final speed of the car?
A projectile of mass 0.750 kg is shot straight up with an initial speed of 18.0 m/s.
A blue sphere and a red sphere with the same diameter are released from rest at the top of a ramp. The red sphere takes a longer time to reach the bottom of the ramp. The spheres are then rolled off a horizontal table at the same time with the same speed and fall freely to the floor. Which sphere reaches the floor first?
The driver of a car makes an emergency stop by slamming on the car’s brakes and skidding to a stop. How far would the car have skidded if it had been traveling twice as fast?
You are standing on a bathroom scale in an elevator. The elevator starts from rest on the first floor and accelerates up to the third floor, \(12 \, \text{m}\) above, in a time of \(6 \, \text{s}\). The scale reads \(800 \, \text{N}\). What is the mass of the person?
A car slows down uniformly from a speed of \( 28.0 \) \( \text{m/s} \) to rest in \( 8.00 \) \( \text{s} \). How far did it travel in that time?
A rocket is sent to shoot down an invading spacecraft that is hovering at an altitude of \( 1500 \, \text{m} \). The rocket is launched with an initial velocity of \( 180 \, \text{m/s} \). Find the following:
A stone is thrown vertically upwards with a speed of \( 20.0 \) \( \text{m/s} \). How fast is it moving when it reaches a height of \( 12.0 \) \( \text{m} \)?

In which of these cases is the rate of change of the particle’s displacement constant?
\(23.43\,\text{m/s}\)
\(28\,\text{m}\)
\(0.96\,\text{s}\)
\(4.8\,\text{s}\)
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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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