PHYSICS FINALS NOTES

FREE FALL

Situation 1.

- Let's say you have 2 metal balls in the air, 1 is 10g and the other is 5g, and you hold it 5ft
above the ground, which one hits the ground first?

The answer, is both will hit the ground at the same time

The reason for that is that they’re placed in the same height and are under the influence of the
Same gravity, earth’s gravity.

2 2
The acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 𝑚/𝑠 (-9.8 𝑚/𝑠 if going down)

Situation 2.

- A heavy 1kg brick and a flat piece of paper, and you hold it 5 ft above the ground, which
one hits the ground first with air resistance?

The brick will immediately go down, while the paper might take some time and sway before
landing eventually.

- But what if we crumpled the paper tightly into a small ball?

the effects of air resistance on this paper will be greatly reduced and both the brick and paper
will hit the ground approximately about the same time

This is due to the fact that the greater the surface area of the paper, the greater the effect of the
air resistance.

Air resistance increases with surface area

 ● SPEED
- speed will always be positive (+)

● VELOCITY
- Speed with direction,
- if it is going up velocity is posititve, if gong down velocity is negative

● ACCELERATION
- Tells you how fast the velocity is changing every second

2
- If we release a ball from rest, its going to fall down and its going to accelerate of 9.8𝑚/𝑠

Initially the speed will be 0

2
But 1 second later it will be -9.8𝑚/𝑠 (negative since the ball is falling in the
↓ negative y direction)
2s - v= -19.6 m/s
↓
3s - v= -29.4 m/s As the ball drops the velocity
decreases by 9.8, while the speed is increasing

● OBJECT MOVING AT CONSTANT SPEED

d = vt (distance/displacement = velocity x time)

● OBJECT MOVING AT CONSTANT ACCELERATION

𝑉𝐹 = 𝑉𝑜 + 𝑎𝑡

𝑉𝐹 = final velocity
𝑉𝑜 = initial velocity
a = acceleration
t = time
------> Other constant acceleration equations
1 2
d = 𝑉𝑜 + 2
𝑎𝑡

1
d= 2
[𝑉𝑜 + 𝑉𝐹]𝑡

2 2
𝑉𝑓 = 𝑉𝑜 + 2𝑎𝑑
d = distance / displacement
Ex 1. A ball is dropped from rest on a cliff.

a. What is the speed of the ball 5 seconds later?

b. What is the velocity of the ball at this time?
c. How far does it travel during this time?
d. What is the displacement of the ball

Given:
Vo = 0 (since the ball is dropped from rest)
Vf = ?
t=5s
2
a = -9.8 𝑚/𝑠 (since it is dropping down)

𝑉𝐹 = 𝑉𝑜𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡

2
𝑉𝐹 = 0 + (− 9. 8𝑚/𝑠 )(5𝑠)
2
𝑉𝐹 = - 49𝑚/𝑠

2
a. Speed = 49𝑚/𝑠 (speed will always be positive)

2
b. The velocity will be - 49𝑚/𝑠 (negative as the ball is dropping in the negative y
direction)

c. Since we are looking for the distance, we can use the equation:

1 2
d = 𝑉𝑜𝑡 + 2
𝑎𝑡

1 2 2
d=0 + 2
(− 9. 8𝑚/𝑠 )(5𝑠)

d= (displacement)

Distance = +122.5m (if the object is moving at a straight line the distance and displacement
will have the same value but may be in different signs)

d. Displacement = -122.5 meters

Ex 2. A ball is thrown downward at an initial speed of 15𝑚/𝑠 from the top of a cliff.

a. What is the speed and velocity of the ball 8 seconds later?

b. How far does it travel during this time and what is the displacement

Given:
Vo = - 15m/s (negative as it is thrown downwards)
Vf= ?
t = 8s
2
a = -9.8𝑚/𝑠

a. 𝑉𝐹 = 𝑉𝑜𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡

2
𝑉𝐹 = (− 15𝑚/𝑠)(8𝑠) + (− 9. 8𝑚/𝑠 )(8𝑠)

𝑉𝐹 = - 93.4 m/s

Speed = 93.4 m/s

1 2
b. d= 𝑉𝑜𝑡 + 2
𝑎𝑡

1 2
d= (− 15)(8) + 2
(− 9. 8)(8)

d = 433.6m

Displacement = - 433.6m
Ex 3. A stone is dropped from the top of a building and hits the ground 5 seconds later. How tall
is the building?

The height of the building will be the distance the ball travels until it hits the ground

Given:
Vo = 0
t = 5s
2
a = -9.8𝑚/𝑠

1 2
d = 𝑉𝑜𝑡 + 2
𝑎𝑡

1 2
d= 0 + 2
(− 9. 8)(5)

d = -122.5 m

Therefore the height is 122.5m tall

Ex 4. A stone is thrown downward from the top of a cliff at 24m/s and hots the ground 7 seconds
later. How tall is the cliff?

Given:
Vo = -24m/s
Vf = ?
t = 7s
2
a = -9.8𝑚/𝑠

1 2
d = (− 24)(7) + 2
(− 9. 8)(7)

d = - 408.1m

Therefore the height of the cliff is 408.1m

Ex 5. A rock is released from rest on a 700m building.

a. How long does it take to hit the ground?

b. What is the speed and velocity of the ball just before it hits the ground?

Given:
Vo = 0
2
a = -9.8𝑚/𝑠
t=?
d= - 700m (since it is moving downwards)

a.
1 2
d = 𝑉𝑜𝑡 + 2
𝑎𝑡

2 2
1
− 700 = (0)(8) + 2
(− 9. 8𝑚/𝑠 )𝑡

2
− 700 = − 4. 9𝑡

2
−700 −4.9𝑡
−4.9
= −4.9

2
142. 86 = 𝑡

t = 11.95s

b.

Vf= ?

𝑉𝐹 = 𝑉𝑜𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡

𝑉𝐹 = (0) + (− 9. 8)(11. 95)

𝑉𝐹 = - 117.1 m/s

Speed = 117.1 m/s

 ● PROJECTILE MOTION
- a motion in which an object is thrown near the
earth’s surface, and it moves along the curved
path under the action of gravity only.

------> Assumptions used in projectile motion:

1. The effect due to air resistance is negligible.

2. The effect due to curvature of the earth is negligible.
3. The effect due to rotation of the earth is negligible.
4. The acceleration due to gravity is constant over the range of motion

------> IDEALIZED MODEL OF PROJECTILE MOTION:

● PROJECTILE
- Any object which is projected in the
air is called as projectile

● POINT OF PROJECTION
- The point from which the object is
projected in air is called as point of
projection.
● VELOCITY OF PROJECTION
- The velocity with which an object is
projected in air is called the velocity
of projection.

● ANGLE OF PROJECTION
- The angle with the horizontal at which an
object is projected in air is called as
angle of projection.

● TRAJECTORY
- The parabolic path followed by a projectile in
air

● TIME OF FLIGHT
- Time taken by the projectile to cover the entire trajectory

● MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF PROJECTILE

- the maximum vertical distance traveled by
the projectile from the ground level during
its motion

● HORIZONTAL RANGE OF PROJECTILE

- the horizontal distance traveled by the
projectile during entire motion
------> Are both horizontal and vertical motions interdependent?

- Both pink and yellow balls are falling at the same rate.

- Yellow ball is moving horizontally while it is falling have no

effect on its vertical motion.

- It means horizontal and vertical motions are independent

of each other.

ANALYSIS OF A PROJECTILE MOTION

------> CONCLUSION: Projectile motion is a combination of two motions:

a. Horizontal motion with constant velocity

b. Vertical motion with constant acceleration

● EQUATION OF TRAJECTORY

𝑦 = (𝑡𝑎𝑛θ)𝑥 − ( 2
𝑔
2𝑣 𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑠 θ
2
)
𝑥
2

------> y is a quadratic function of x. Hence the trajectory of a projectile is a parabola.

● EQUATION FOR TIME OF FLIGHT

2𝑣1𝑠𝑖𝑛θ
𝑇 = 𝑔

------> TIME OF DESCENT:

𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑛θ
𝑇𝐴 = 𝑇𝐷 = 𝑔

● EQUATION FOR HORIZONTAL RANGE

2
𝑉𝑖 𝑠𝑖𝑛2θ
𝑅 = 𝑔
------> range of the projectile is maximum if it is projected in a direction inclined to the horizontal
at an angle of 45°.

● EQUATION FOR MAXIMUM HEIGHT

2
(𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑛θ)
𝐻 = 2𝑔
 NEWTON’S LAWS AND MOTION

● ISAAC NEWTON (1643-1727)

- An english scientist and mathetmatician famous for his discovery of the law of
gravity who also discovered the three laws of motion

NEWTON’S LAW OF MOTION

● NEWTON’S FIRST LAW (law of inertia)

- Objects in motion tend to stay in motion and objects at rest tend to stay at rest
unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

—> An object will “keep doing what it was doing” unless acted on by an unbalanced force

—> If the object was sitting still, it will remain stationary. If it was moving at constant velocity, it
will keep moving

—> It takes force to change the motion of an object

➢ BALANCED FORCES
- If the force on an object are equal and opposite, they are said to be
balanced

➢ UNBALANCED FORCES
- If the force on an object are not equal and opposite, then the forces are
unbalanced and the motion of the object changes

Situation 1.
- A soccer ball is sitting at rest. It takes an unbalanced force of a kick to change its motion.

Situation 2.
- Two teams are playing tug of war. They are both exerting equal forces on the rp in
opposite directions. This balanced force results in no change in motion.

------> Newton’s first law is also called the Law of Inertia

❖ INERTIA
- The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion

------> The first law states that all objects have inertia. The more mass an object has, the more
inertia it has (and the harder it is to change its motion)
Situation 1.
- Because of inertia, objects (including us) resist changes in their motion. When a car
going 80 km/hour is stopped by the brick wall, your body will keep moving at 80km/hr
which results in you being launched

Situation 2.
- A powerful train begins to pull a long line of boxcars that were sitting at rest. Since the
boxes are so massive, they have a great amount of inertia and it takes a large force to
change their motion. Once they are moving, it takes a large force to stop them.

Situation 3
- On your way to school, a bug flies inyo your windshield. Since the bug is so small, it has
very little inertia and exerts a very small force on your car (so small that you dont even
feel it).

------> Things dont keep moving forever because theres always an unbalanced force acting
upon it.

Situation 1
- A book sliding across a table slows down and stops because of the force of friction

Situation 2
- If you throw a ball upwards it will eventually slow down and fall because of the force of
gravity

● NEWTON’S SECOND LAW

- Force equals mass times acceleration

𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎
➢ ACCELERATION
- A measurement of how quickly an object is changing speed

------> What does F = ma mean?

- Force is directly proportional to mass and acceleration. Imagine a ball of a certain mass
moving at a certain acceleration. This ball has a certain force.
- Now imagine we make the ball twice as big (double the mass) but keep the acceleration
constant. F = ma says that this new ball has twice the force of the old ball.
- Now imagine the original ball moving at twice the original acceleration. E = ma says that
the ball will again have twice the force of the ball at the original acceleration.
------> What does F = ma say?

- F = ma basically means that the force of an object comes from its mass and its
acceleration.
- If you double the mass, you double the force. If you double the acceleration, you double
the force.
- Doubling the mass and the acceleration quadruples the force.
(2m)(2a) = 4F

- Something very massive (high mass) that's changing speed very slowly (low
acceleration), like a glacier, can still have great force.
- Something very small (low mass) that's changing speed very quickly (high acceleration),
like a bullet, can still have a great force. Something very small changing speed very
slowly will have a very weak force.

Ex 1. What is the acceleration of the 25kg box that has 50 N of force applied to the right?

Given: Solution:
m = 25 kg
F = 50 N or 50 kg· 𝑚/𝑠
2 F = ma
a=? 2
𝐹 50𝑘𝑔·𝑚/𝑠
a= 𝑚
= 25𝑘𝑔

2
= 2.0𝑚/𝑠 to the right is the acceleration
of the box

● NEWTON’S THIRD LAW

- For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

-----> What does this mean?

- For every force acting on an object, there is an equal force acting in the opposite
direction. Right now, gravity is pulling you down in your seat, but Newton's Third Law
says your seat is pushing up against you with equal force. This is why you are not
moving. There is a balanced force acting on you- gravity pulling down, your seat pushing
up.

Situation 1.
- What happens if you are standing on a skateboard or a slippery floor and push against a
wall? You slide in the opposite direction (away from the wall), because you pushed on
the wall but the wall pushed back on you with equal and opposite force.
Situation 2.
- Why does it hurt so much when you stub your toe? When your toe exerts a force on a
rock, the rock exerts an equal force back on your toe. The harder you hit your toe
against it, the more force the rock exerts back on your toe (and the more your toe hurts).