| Step | Derivation / Formula | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | \[v(t)=6\quad(0\le t\le4)\] | The skater glides with a constant speed of \(6\,\text{m/s}\) for the first \(4\,\text{s}\); hence the velocity–time graph is a horizontal line at \(+6\,\text{m/s}\). |
| 2 | \[a_1=\frac{0-6}{6}=-1\,\text{m/s}^2\] | Using \(a=\frac{v_x-v_i}{\Delta t}\), the skater slows from \(+6\,\text{m/s}\) to rest in \(6\,\text{s}\); the constant (negative) acceleration is \(-1\,\text{m/s}^2\). |
| 3 | \[v(t)=6-1\,(t-4)\quad(4< t\le10)\] | With slope \(a_1=-1\,\text{m/s}^2\), velocity decreases linearly from \(+6\,\text{m/s}\) at \(t=4\,\text{s}\) to \(0\,\text{m/s}\) at \(t=10\,\text{s}\). |
| 4 | \[v(t)=0\quad(10< t\le12)\] | The skater is motionless for \(2\,\text{s}\); the graph lies on the time axis between \(t=10\,\text{s}\) and \(t=12\,\text{s}\). |
| 5 | \[a_2=\frac{-5-0}{5}=-1\,\text{m/s}^2\] | They now push off the opposite way, gaining speed steadily for \(5\,\text{s}\). Choosing the same magnitude acceleration gives a final speed of \(5\,\text{m/s}\) in the negative direction, so \(a_2=-1\,\text{m/s}^2\). |
| 6 | \[v(t)=-1\,(t-12)\quad(12< t\le17)\] | Starting from rest at \(t=12\,\text{s}\) and accelerating at \(-1\,\text{m/s}^2\), velocity decreases linearly to \(-5\,\text{m/s}\) at \(t=17\,\text{s}\). |
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 block starts from rest at the top of a \(50^\circ\) incline. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the incline is \(0.4\). If the block reaches a velocity of \(7 \, \text{m/s}\) at the bottom of the incline, what is the length of the incline?
A rocket, initially at rest, is fired vertically upward with an acceleration of \( 12.0 \, \text{m/s}^2 \). At an altitude of \( 1.00 \, \text{km} \), the rocket engine cuts off. Drag is negligible.
Police officers have measured the length of a car’s tire skid marks to be \( 23 \, \text{m} \). This particular car is known to decelerate at a constant \( 7.5 \, \text{m/s}^2 \). What was the car’s initial velocity?
A rubber ball bounces on the ground. After each bounce, the ball reaches one-half the height of the bounce before it. If the time the ball was in the air between the first and second bounce was 1 second. What would be the time between the second and third bounce?
A cart with an initial velocity of \(5.0 ~ \text{m/s}\)to the right experiences a constant acceleration of \(2.0 ~ \text{m/s}^2\) to the right. What is the cart’s displacement during the first \(6.0 ~ \text{s}\) of this motion?
Toy car W travels across a horizontal surface with an acceleration of \( a_w \) after starting from rest. Toy car Z travels across the same surface toward car W with an acceleration of \( a_z \), after starting from rest. Car W is separated from car Z by a distance \( d \). Which of the following pairs of equations could be used to determine the location on the horizontal surface where the two cars will meet, and why?
The motion of a particle is described in the velocity vs. time graph shown above. Over the nine-second interval shown, we can say that the speed of the particle…
The graph above shows velocity as a function of time for an object moving along a straight line. For which of the following sections of the graph is the acceleration constant and nonzero?
Which of the following graphs shows runners moving at the same speed? Assume the \(y\)-axis is measured in meters and the \(x\)-axis is measured in seconds.
A kangaroo jumps straight up to a vertical height of \( 1.45 \) \( \text{m} \). How long was it in the air before returning to Earth?
\[v(t)=\begin{cases}6 & 0 \le t \le 4 \\ 6-(t-4) & 4 < t \le 10 \\ 0 & 10 < t \le 12 \\ -(t-12) & 12 < t \le 17\end{cases}\].
View the fully drawn graph by clicking here.
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
