Accelerated Physics Final Exam

What is the equation for constant velocity?

x = x₀ + vt (where v is constant)

What does the slope of a position vs time graph represent?

Velocity

What does the slope of a velocity vs time graph represent?

Acceleration

What does the area under a velocity vs time graph represent?

Displacement (change in position)

What does the area under an acceleration vs time graph represent?

Change in velocity

In constant velocity motion, what is the acceleration?

Zero (a = 0)

What are the three kinematic equations for constant acceleration?

v = v₀ + at; x = x₀ + v₀t + ½at²; v² = v₀² + 2a(x - x₀)

What is Newton's First Law?

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion at constant velocity, unless acted upon by a net force

What is Newton's Second Law?

F = ma (net force equals mass times acceleration)

What is Newton's Third Law?

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

What is the equation for gravitational force?

F = Gm₁m₂/r² where G = 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ N⋅m²/kg²

How does gravitational force change with distance?

It follows an inverse square law - doubling distance reduces force by 1/4

What is momentum?

p = mv (mass times velocity)

What is impulse?

J = FΔt = Δp (force times time equals change in momentum)

What is the law of conservation of momentum?

In an isolated system, total momentum before collision equals total momentum after collision

What is work?

W = F⋅d⋅cos(θ) (force times displacement times cosine of angle between them)

What is kinetic energy?

KE = ½mv²

What is gravitational potential energy?

PE = mgh (near Earth's surface)

What is the work-energy theorem?

Net work done on an object equals its change in kinetic energy

What is conservation of energy?

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another

What are the projectile motion equations?

x = v₀ₓt; y = v₀ᵧt - ½gt²; where v₀ₓ = v₀cos(θ), v₀ᵧ = v₀sin(θ)

In projectile motion, what happens to horizontal velocity?

It remains constant (ignoring air resistance)

In projectile motion, what happens to vertical velocity?

It changes due to gravitational acceleration (-9.8 m/s²)

What is centripetal acceleration?

aₒ = v²/r (acceleration toward center of circular path)

What is centripetal force?

Fₒ = mv²/r (net inward force required for circular motion)

What is Ohm's Law?

V = IR (voltage equals current times resistance)

In a series circuit, what is the same throughout?

Current (I is constant)

In a parallel circuit, what is the same throughout?

Voltage (V is constant across each branch)

How do light bulbs behave in series vs parallel?

Series: dimmer (share voltage); Parallel: brighter (each gets full voltage)

What does a capacitor do?

Stores electrical charge on two conducting plates

What is the standard value of gravitational acceleration on Earth?

g = 9.8 m/s² (or 10 m/s² for approximations)

What are the units of velocity?

m/s

What are the units of acceleration?

m/s²

What are the units of force?

N (Newtons) = kg⋅m/s²

What are the units of momentum?

kg⋅m/s

What are the units of impulse?

N⋅s (which equals kg⋅m/s)

What are the units of work and energy?

J (Joules) = N⋅m = kg⋅m²/s²

What are the units of power?

W (Watts) = J/s

What are the units of current?

A (Amperes)

What are the units of voltage?

V (Volts)

What are the units of resistance?

Ω (Ohms)

When an object is in free fall, what is its acceleration?

9.8 m/s² downward (regardless of mass)

What is terminal velocity?

When air resistance equals weight, resulting in zero net force and constant velocity

At what angle does a projectile achieve maximum range?

45° (ignoring air resistance)

What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Speed is magnitude only; velocity includes direction

What is the difference between distance and displacement?

Distance is total path length; displacement is straight-line change in position

When is an object in equilibrium?

When net force equals zero (ΣF = 0)

What is normal force?

The contact force perpendicular to a surface

What is friction force?

The contact force parallel to a surface that opposes motion

What is tension force?

The pulling force transmitted through a rope, string, or cable

What is weight?

W = mg (gravitational force on an object)

How do you find net force?

Add all forces as vectors (consider direction)

What happens to kinetic energy when speed doubles?

It quadruples (KE ∝ v²)

What happens to momentum when speed doubles?

It doubles (p ∝ v)

What is an elastic collision?

Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved

What is an inelastic collision?

Only momentum is conserved; kinetic energy is not conserved

What is a perfectly inelastic collision?

Objects stick together after collision; momentum conserved, KE not conserved

In uniform circular motion, what direction is velocity?

Tangent to the circle

In uniform circular motion, what direction is acceleration?

Toward the center of the circle

What provides centripetal force for a car going around a curve?

Friction between tires and road

What provides centripetal force for a satellite orbiting Earth?

Gravitational force

How does period relate to frequency?

T = 1/f (period equals 1 over frequency)

What is the period of circular motion?

T = 2πr/v (time for one complete revolution)

What happens to gravitational force if both masses double?

Force increases by factor of 4

What happens to gravitational force if distance triples?

Force decreases by factor of 9

What is escape velocity?

Minimum speed needed to escape a gravitational field

What is an orbit?

Continuous free fall where object moves fast enough that it "misses" the planet

When you push on a wall, what pushes back?

The wall pushes back with equal force (Newton's 3rd Law)

What is the relationship between force and acceleration for constant mass?

Directly proportional (F ∝ a)

What is the relationship between mass and acceleration for constant force?

Inversely proportional (a ∝ 1/m)

What does a force diagram (free body diagram) show?

All forces acting on a single object

What is the sum of forces in a force diagram for an object at rest?

Zero (equilibrium)

What is the sum of forces in a force diagram for an object with constant velocity?

Zero (equilibrium)

In projectile motion, when is vertical velocity zero?

At the highest point of trajectory

In projectile motion, what is the vertical velocity at landing compared to launch?

Equal magnitude, opposite direction (if same height)

What is the shape of a projectile's path?

Parabola

What type of energy does a moving object have?

Kinetic energy

What type of energy does an object at height have?

Gravitational potential energy

What type of energy does a compressed spring have?

Elastic potential energy

When is mechanical energy conserved?

When no non-conservative forces (like friction) do work

What is power?

P = W/t (work done per unit time) or P = Fv

What is the work done by a force perpendicular to motion?

Zero (cos(90°) = 0)

What is the work done by friction?

Negative (opposes motion)

What is the impulse-momentum theorem?

Impulse equals change in momentum (J = Δp)

How can you increase impulse?

Increase force or increase time (or both)

Why do airbags work?

They increase collision time, reducing force for same impulse

Why do you bend your knees when landing?

To increase time and reduce force

What is conservation of charge?

Total electric charge cannot be created or destroyed

In a series circuit, how do you find total resistance?

Add all resistances: R_total = R₁ + R₂ + R₃…

In a parallel circuit, how do you find total resistance?

1/R_total = 1/R₁ + 1/R₂ + 1/R₃…

What happens to total resistance when you add resistors in series?

It increases

What happens to total resistance when you add resistors in parallel?

It decreases

What is electric current?

Flow of electric charge (measured in amperes)

What is voltage?

Electric potential difference (measured in volts)

What is resistance?

Opposition to current flow (measured in ohms)

How are voltage, current, and resistance related?

V = IR (Ohm's Law)

What is electric power?

P = IV = I²R = V²/R

What happens to current when voltage increases (constant resistance)?

Current increases proportionally

What happens to current when resistance increases (constant voltage)?

Current decreases proportionally

What is the direction of conventional current?

From positive to negative terminal (opposite to electron flow)