Motion - AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
Card 0 of 880
A wind catcher is created by attaching four plastic bowls of mass
each to the ends of four lightweight rods, which are then secured to a central rod that is free to rotate in the wind. The four lightweight rods are of lengths
,
,
, and
.

Calculate the moment of inertia of the four bowls about the central rod. You may assume to bowls to be point masses.
A wind catcher is created by attaching four plastic bowls of mass each to the ends of four lightweight rods, which are then secured to a central rod that is free to rotate in the wind. The four lightweight rods are of lengths
,
,
, and
.
Calculate the moment of inertia of the four bowls about the central rod. You may assume to bowls to be point masses.
The moment of inertia for a point mass is
.
To calculate the total moment of inertia, we add the moment of inertia for each part of the object, such that


The masses of the bowls are all equal in this problem, so this simplifies to

Plugging in and solving with numerical values,
![I_{total}=(0.6: kg) [(0.8: m)^{2}+(0.6: m)^{2}+(0.4: m)^{2}+(0.2: m)^{2}]=0.72: kg\cdot m^{2}}](https://vt-vtwa-assets.varsitytutors.com/vt-vtwa/uploads/formula_image/image/512917/gif.latex)
The moment of inertia for a point mass is .
To calculate the total moment of inertia, we add the moment of inertia for each part of the object, such that
The masses of the bowls are all equal in this problem, so this simplifies to
Plugging in and solving with numerical values,
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A long uniform thin rod of length
has a mass of
.
Calculate the moment of rotational inertia about an axis perpendicular to its length passing through a point
from one of its ends.
A long uniform thin rod of length has a mass of
.
Calculate the moment of rotational inertia about an axis perpendicular to its length passing through a point from one of its ends.
For a long thin rod about its center of mass,

According to the parallel axis theorem,

where
is defined to be the distance between the center of mass of the object and the location of the axis parallel to one through the center of mass. For this problem,
is the difference between the given distance and half the length of the rod.
Combining the above,

Inserting numerical values,

For a long thin rod about its center of mass,
According to the parallel axis theorem,
where is defined to be the distance between the center of mass of the object and the location of the axis parallel to one through the center of mass. For this problem,
is the difference between the given distance and half the length of the rod.
Combining the above,
Inserting numerical values,
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The moment of inertia of a long thin rod about its end is determined to be
.
What is the new value if the mass and length of the rod are both reduced by a factor of
?
The moment of inertia of a long thin rod about its end is determined to be .
What is the new value if the mass and length of the rod are both reduced by a factor of ?
The moment of inertia for a long uniform thin rod about its end is given by

Reducing the mass and the length by a factor of four introduces the following factors into the equation,

Simplifying,

The moment of inertia for a long uniform thin rod about its end is given by
Reducing the mass and the length by a factor of four introduces the following factors into the equation,
Simplifying,
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An art sculpture comprised of a long hollow painted cylinder is designed to pivot about an axis located along its long edge. The cylinder has mass
, radius
, and length
.
Calculate the moment of inertia of the sculpture about this axis.
An art sculpture comprised of a long hollow painted cylinder is designed to pivot about an axis located along its long edge. The cylinder has mass , radius
, and length
.
Calculate the moment of inertia of the sculpture about this axis.
The moment of inertia for a hollow cylinder about its center is given by

The parallel axis is applied here because the pivot axis is located on the outside edge of the cylinder, a distance
from the center of mass:

Incidentally, for this problem, the length does not contribute to the moment of inertia.
The moment of inertia for a hollow cylinder about its center is given by
The parallel axis is applied here because the pivot axis is located on the outside edge of the cylinder, a distance from the center of mass:
Incidentally, for this problem, the length does not contribute to the moment of inertia.
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A
meter stick is nailed to a table at one end and is free to rotate in a horizontal plane parallel to the top of the table. A force of
is applied perpendicularly to its length at a distance
from the nailed end.
Calculate the resulting angular acceleration experienced by the meter stick.
A meter stick is nailed to a table at one end and is free to rotate in a horizontal plane parallel to the top of the table. A force of
is applied perpendicularly to its length at a distance
from the nailed end.
Calculate the resulting angular acceleration experienced by the meter stick.
For a net torque applied to an object free to rotate,

The net torque for this problem is supplied by the
force applied at a distance
from the pivot. The torque of a force is calculated by

The moment of inertia for a long uniform thin rod about its end is

Combining above,

Solving for the angular acceleration,

For a net torque applied to an object free to rotate,
The net torque for this problem is supplied by the force applied at a distance
from the pivot. The torque of a force is calculated by
The moment of inertia for a long uniform thin rod about its end is
Combining above,
Solving for the angular acceleration,
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A
meter stick is secured at one end so that it is free to rotate in a vertical circle. It is held perfectly horizontally, and released.
Calculate the instantaneous angular acceleration the moment it is released.
A meter stick is secured at one end so that it is free to rotate in a vertical circle. It is held perfectly horizontally, and released.
Calculate the instantaneous angular acceleration the moment it is released.
For a net torque applied to an object free to rotate,

The net torque for this problem is supplied by the
force applied at a distance
from the pivot. The torque of a force is calculated by

The moment of inertia for a long uniform thin rod about its end is

Combining above,

where the force causing the torque is the meter stick's weight, which is applied at the center of mass of the meter stick - a distance of half the length away from its end.
Solving for the angular acceleration,

Solving numerically,

For a net torque applied to an object free to rotate,
The net torque for this problem is supplied by the force applied at a distance
from the pivot. The torque of a force is calculated by
The moment of inertia for a long uniform thin rod about its end is
Combining above,
where the force causing the torque is the meter stick's weight, which is applied at the center of mass of the meter stick - a distance of half the length away from its end.
Solving for the angular acceleration,
Solving numerically,
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The velocity (in meters per second) of a moving particle is given by the following function:

If the particle's initial position is 0m, what is the position of the particle after two seconds?
The velocity (in meters per second) of a moving particle is given by the following function:
If the particle's initial position is 0m, what is the position of the particle after two seconds?
To solve this problem you need to obtain a function of position with respect to time. For that, you need to understand velocity as the rate of change of displacement with respect to time. In other words, velocity is "how fast" (i.e. how much time it takes) an object changes position (remember displacement is the change in position). This means that velocity is the derivative of displacement with respect to time.
Therefore, to obtain a function of position with respect to time you need to take the antiderivative of the velocity function, so we integrate:

Here,
is a constant that represents the initial position of the particle. We know that the initial position of the particle is 0m, so our function is:

Therefore, after two seconds have passed, we have t = 2s and

Note: we know that position is given in meters since the question specified that velocity is measured in meters per second.
To solve this problem you need to obtain a function of position with respect to time. For that, you need to understand velocity as the rate of change of displacement with respect to time. In other words, velocity is "how fast" (i.e. how much time it takes) an object changes position (remember displacement is the change in position). This means that velocity is the derivative of displacement with respect to time.
Therefore, to obtain a function of position with respect to time you need to take the antiderivative of the velocity function, so we integrate:
Here, is a constant that represents the initial position of the particle. We know that the initial position of the particle is 0m, so our function is:
Therefore, after two seconds have passed, we have t = 2s and
Note: we know that position is given in meters since the question specified that velocity is measured in meters per second.
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A man runs with a velocity described by the function below.

What is the function for his acceleration?
A man runs with a velocity described by the function below.
What is the function for his acceleration?
The function for acceleration is the derivative of the function for velocity.



The function for acceleration is the derivative of the function for velocity.
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A man runs with a velocity as described by the function below.

How far does he travel in 1 minute?
A man runs with a velocity as described by the function below.
How far does he travel in 1 minute?
Distance is given by the integral of a velocity function. For this question, we will need to integrate over the interval of 0s to 60s.



Distance is given by the integral of a velocity function. For this question, we will need to integrate over the interval of 0s to 60s.
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A particle traveling in a straight line accelerates uniformly from rest to
in
and then continues at constant speed for an additional for an additional
. What is the total distance traveled by the particle during the
?
A particle traveling in a straight line accelerates uniformly from rest to in
and then continues at constant speed for an additional for an additional
. What is the total distance traveled by the particle during the
?
First off we have to convert
to meters per second.

Next we have to calculate the distance the object traveled the first 5 seconds, when it was starting from rest. We are given time, initial speed to be
. The acceleration of the object at this time can be calculated using:
, substituting the values, we get:

Next, we use the distance equation to find the distance in the first 5 seconds:

because the initial speed is
.
If we plug in
,
, we get: 
Next we have to find the distance the the object travels at constant speed for 3 seconds. We can use the equation:

in this case is not equal to
, it is equal to
and 
Plugging in the equation, we get 
Adding
and
we get the total distance to be 
First off we have to convert to meters per second.
Next we have to calculate the distance the object traveled the first 5 seconds, when it was starting from rest. We are given time, initial speed to be . The acceleration of the object at this time can be calculated using:
, substituting the values, we get:
Next, we use the distance equation to find the distance in the first 5 seconds:
because the initial speed is
.
If we plug in ,
, we get:
Next we have to find the distance the the object travels at constant speed for 3 seconds. We can use the equation:
in this case is not equal to
, it is equal to
and
Plugging in the equation, we get
Adding and
we get the total distance to be
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A
ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a
high building. It has an initial velocity of
and lands on the ground
away from the base of the building. Assuming air resistance is negligible, which of the following changes would cause the range of this projectile to increase?
I. Increasing the initial horizontal velocity
II. Decreasing the mass of the ball
III. Throwing the ball from an identical building on the moon
A ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a
high building. It has an initial velocity of
and lands on the ground
away from the base of the building. Assuming air resistance is negligible, which of the following changes would cause the range of this projectile to increase?
I. Increasing the initial horizontal velocity
II. Decreasing the mass of the ball
III. Throwing the ball from an identical building on the moon
Relevant equations:


Choice I is true because
is proportional to the range
, so increasing
increases
if
is constant. This relationship is given by the equation:

Choice II is false because the motion of a projectile is independent of mass.
Choice III is true because the vertical acceleration on the moon
would be less. Decreasing
increases the time the ball is in the air, thereby increasing
if
is constant. This relationship is also shown in the equation:

Relevant equations:
Choice I is true because is proportional to the range
, so increasing
increases
if
is constant. This relationship is given by the equation:
Choice II is false because the motion of a projectile is independent of mass.
Choice III is true because the vertical acceleration on the moon would be less. Decreasing
increases the time the ball is in the air, thereby increasing
if
is constant. This relationship is also shown in the equation:
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Water emerges horizontally from a hole in a tank
above the ground. If the water hits the ground
from the base of the tank, at what speed is the water emerging from the hole? (Hint: Treat the water droplets as projectiles.)
Water emerges horizontally from a hole in a tank above the ground. If the water hits the ground
from the base of the tank, at what speed is the water emerging from the hole? (Hint: Treat the water droplets as projectiles.)
To understand this problem, we have to understand that the water has a x-velocity and a y-veloctiy. The x-velocity never changes.
First we want to find the time it took for the water to hit the ground. We can use this equation:
We know that the y-velocity is 0 to start with, acceleration is
and
.
Substituting into the equation, we get:

Next we have to substitute the time into the equation for the x component

We know that
and
, so we can conclude that:

To understand this problem, we have to understand that the water has a x-velocity and a y-veloctiy. The x-velocity never changes.
First we want to find the time it took for the water to hit the ground. We can use this equation:
We know that the y-velocity is 0 to start with, acceleration is and
.
Substituting into the equation, we get:
Next we have to substitute the time into the equation for the x component
We know that and
, so we can conclude that:
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A guillotine blade weighing
is accelerated upward into position at a rate of
.
What is the the approximate mass of the guillotine blade?
A guillotine blade weighing is accelerated upward into position at a rate of
.
What is the the approximate mass of the guillotine blade?
The force of gravity on the blade is
, which is the same as 
This unit relationship comes from Newton's second law.
is the mathematical expression of Newton's second law. The units for force must be a product of the units for mass and the units for acceleration.
Solve the expression by plugging in known values.


The force of gravity on the blade is , which is the same as
This unit relationship comes from Newton's second law.
is the mathematical expression of Newton's second law. The units for force must be a product of the units for mass and the units for acceleration.
Solve the expression by plugging in known values.
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A guillotine blade weighing
is accelerated upward into position at a rate of
.
What is the tension on the rope pulling the blade, while it is accelerating into position?
A guillotine blade weighing is accelerated upward into position at a rate of
.
What is the tension on the rope pulling the blade, while it is accelerating into position?
The tension in the rope is the sum of the forces acting on it. If one considers that the net force on an object must equal the mass of the object times the acceleration of the object, the net force on the object must be the force due to tension from the rope minus the force due to gravity.

Rearrange the equation.

Plug in known values.


The tension in the rope is the sum of the forces acting on it. If one considers that the net force on an object must equal the mass of the object times the acceleration of the object, the net force on the object must be the force due to tension from the rope minus the force due to gravity.
Rearrange the equation.
Plug in known values.
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An object is moving in two dimensions. Its vertical motion relative to the horizontal motion is described by the equation
. Its motion in the horizontal direction is described by the equation
. What is the object's velocity is the
direction in terms of its horizontal position
?
An object is moving in two dimensions. Its vertical motion relative to the horizontal motion is described by the equation . Its motion in the horizontal direction is described by the equation
. What is the object's velocity is the
direction in terms of its horizontal position
?
The y velocity is thetime derivative of the
position, and not the
derivative. In order to find it, use the chain rule:


Of course, 
The y velocity is thetime derivative of the position, and not the
derivative. In order to find it, use the chain rule:
Of course,
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Two objects moving in one dimension created the following velocity vs. time graph:

From the graph above, what is true about the two objects at time
?
Two objects moving in one dimension created the following velocity vs. time graph:
From the graph above, what is true about the two objects at time ?
Since this is a graph of velocity and not position, the curves intersect where the velocities match. Since we do not know the starting position, we do not know where the objects are relative to one another.
Since this is a graph of velocity and not position, the curves intersect where the velocities match. Since we do not know the starting position, we do not know where the objects are relative to one another.
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Two objects moving in one dimension created the following velocity vs. time graph:

From the graph above, which object has traveled a greater distance from its starting position when
?
Two objects moving in one dimension created the following velocity vs. time graph:
From the graph above, which object has traveled a greater distance from its starting position when ?
Since this is a graph of velocity vs. time, its integral is distance travelled. We can estimate the integral by looking at the area under the curves. Since Bbject 1 has a greater area under its velocity curve, it has covered a greater distance. Its velocity is greater that Object 2's for the entire time, so it makes sense that it will travel farther.
Since this is a graph of velocity vs. time, its integral is distance travelled. We can estimate the integral by looking at the area under the curves. Since Bbject 1 has a greater area under its velocity curve, it has covered a greater distance. Its velocity is greater that Object 2's for the entire time, so it makes sense that it will travel farther.
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Atwood's machine consists of two blocks connected by a string connected over a
pulley as shown. What is the acceleration of the blocks if their masses are
and
.
Assume the pulley has negligible mass and friction.

Atwood's machine consists of two blocks connected by a string connected over a
pulley as shown. What is the acceleration of the blocks if their masses are and
.
Assume the pulley has negligible mass and friction.

From the force diagram above, we can see that tension
is pulling up on both sides of the string and gravity is pulling down on both blocks. With this information we can write 2 force equations:


If we add the two equations together, we get:

where 
Solving for
, we get

From the force diagram above, we can see that tension is pulling up on both sides of the string and gravity is pulling down on both blocks. With this information we can write 2 force equations:
If we add the two equations together, we get:
where
Solving for , we get
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A car undergoes acceleration according to the given function. What distance has the car traveled after three seconds?
A car undergoes acceleration according to the given function. What distance has the car traveled after three seconds?
We can determine the velocity by taking the second integral of acceleration for the time interval of 0s to 3s.


Solve for the first integral.

Solve for the second integral, using the time interval.

We can determine the velocity by taking the second integral of acceleration for the time interval of 0s to 3s.
Solve for the first integral.
Solve for the second integral, using the time interval.
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A car undergoes acceleration according to the given function. How fast is the car moving after four seconds?
A car undergoes acceleration according to the given function. How fast is the car moving after four seconds?
We can find the car's velocity by taking the integral of the acceleration function during the given time interval.


Solve the integral for the time interval of 0s to 4s. This will give us the final velocity.

We can find the car's velocity by taking the integral of the acceleration function during the given time interval.
Solve the integral for the time interval of 0s to 4s. This will give us the final velocity.
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