AP PHYSICS: Acceleration

An object that moves at a constant speed ( or velocity ) will continue doing so until it is acted upon by a force. Whether such an object speeds up or slows down after being impacted by a force, the change in motion is called an acceleration. Typically, a decrease in motion is referred toContinue reading “AP PHYSICS: Acceleration”

ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: Conservation of Linear and Angular Momentum ( Part 1 )

Q: A ( 1kg ) ball of clay moving with a velocity ( vbi ) collides and sticks to the end of a ( 120cm ) rod of uniform mass ( 2kg ). Assuming that the ball and rod are at rest upon a frictionless surface:  ( a ) Where is the new center ofContinue reading “ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: Conservation of Linear and Angular Momentum ( Part 1 )”

ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: What is the Initial Velocity of the Marble?

Q: A collision occurs between two marbles of equal mass ( m1 = m2 ). Marble ( m2 ) is initially at rest, and ( m1 ) travels with a velocity ( v1 ). After colliding, ( m2 ) acquires a velocity ( v2′y ) of 1.10 m/s and travels 400 from the original lineContinue reading “ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: What is the Initial Velocity of the Marble?”

ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: What is the final velocity of the hovering disk?

Q: A disk of mass 0.5 kg slides with a constant velocity of 2.4 m/s over an air table before colliding with an elastic band. If the band exerts an average force of 1.4 Newtons on the disk for 1.5 seconds, what is the final velocity of the disc? A1: The disc will experience aContinue reading “ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: What is the final velocity of the hovering disk?”

ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: Moment of Inertia and the Parallel Axis Theorem

Inertia is a measure of a system’s ability to resist a change in motion, and it is directly proportional to a system’s massiveness. Such a system or object could be stationary with respect to an observer, or it could move with a constant velocity. When a system moves with constant velocity with respect to anContinue reading “ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: Moment of Inertia and the Parallel Axis Theorem”

FORCE AND ACCELERATION: Systems of Torque and the Center of Mass

Thus far, physicists have not developed a concise definition of what constitutes mass and “ free space “. As a consequence, an overly simplistic definition of mass, albeit imperfect, may be used with convenience in laboratory settings. Mass, simply put, occupies free space.  Relatively simple analyses of forces acting upon massive objects can be madeContinue reading “FORCE AND ACCELERATION: Systems of Torque and the Center of Mass”