ELECTRICITY: Wattage

Q: A parallel electrical circuit connects the electrical outlets located within a room. A 20-A fuse is put into place to protect the circuit from unexpected surges of current ( I ). The voltage drop across each circuit element is V = 120 V. What is the maximum power ( W ) output that canContinue reading “ELECTRICITY: Wattage”

CENTRIPETAL FORCE

Q: A 2 kilogram ball is attached to a string that is 10 meters in length. If the tension in the string exceeds 50 Newtons, it will snap. If the ball is swung into rotational motion, what is the maximum speed it can attain and remain intact? A: The tension in the string exerts aContinue reading “CENTRIPETAL FORCE”

CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION

Q: What is the centripetal acceleration of a point located 7.50 cm from the central axis of an ultracentrifuge spinning at a rate of 7.5 x 104 rev/min? A: The given rate of 7.5 x 104 revolutions per minute is converted to radians per second ( ⍵ ) in the latter stages of the solutionContinue reading “CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION”

ENERGY and MOMENTUM: How Fast Will the Block Move When a Compressed Spring is Released?

Q: A spring with a spring constant k = 100 N/m is compressed a distance ( x ) = 100 mm. A block with a mass ( m ) = 0.250 kg is placed next to the spring. The surface upon which the block rests is frictionless and horizontal. When the spring and block areContinue reading “ENERGY and MOMENTUM: How Fast Will the Block Move When a Compressed Spring is Released?”

FORCE AND ACCELERATION: The Gravitational Force of Attraction

Q: An arbitrary distance separates two objects of equal mass. If the mass of each object is doubled, and the distance between the two objects is tripled, how will the force of attraction between the two objects change? A: This question regards the gravitational force of attraction that exists between two objects with well-defined massesContinue reading “FORCE AND ACCELERATION: The Gravitational Force of Attraction”

OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES: The Period of a Pendulum

Q: A pendulum has a length of 2.45 m. How many seconds will it take the pendulum to swing through one complete cycle? Does the mass of the pendulum influence the period? Why or why not? A: This question regards the period ( T ) of a pendulum. The period ( T ) is definedContinue reading “OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES: The Period of a Pendulum”

ELECTROSTATICS: A Charged Particle Suspended in Space

Q: A particle with a positive charge ( q1 = +45 nC ) maintains a fixed position beneath a second particle ( q2  ) with an unknown charge. The second particle ( q2 ) has a mass = 7.5 μg, and it is floating 25 cm above charge q1. The net force on q2 isContinue reading “ELECTROSTATICS: A Charged Particle Suspended in Space”

FLUIDS: Gauge Pressure as a Function of Fluid Depth

Q: What is the gauge pressure (in psi) at the bottom of a body of water that is 18.7 ft deep? A: Pressure in Pascals ( P ) = ( ρ )( g )( h ), where ρ is the density of the fluid medium in units of mass per unit volume ( m /Continue reading “FLUIDS: Gauge Pressure as a Function of Fluid Depth”

KINEMATICS: The Speedboat Will Miss its Mark by What Distance?

A speedboat travels eastward at 80 knots (150 km/h) through a northward current of water moving 4.00m/s. Q1: What is the speedboat’s velocity vector relative to the starting port? What is the angle of travel?  Q2: If the boat’s captain wanted the boat to travel due east without getting off course, how far off courseContinue reading “KINEMATICS: The Speedboat Will Miss its Mark by What Distance?”

ENERGY and MOMENTUM: What is the Final Velocity of the Ball?

Q: A 10 kg iron ball moves in an Eastward direction at 5.0 m/s. It collides with a 5.0 kg rubber ball moving Northward at 10 m/s. After the collision, the iron ball moves 60° East of North with a speed of 4.0 m/s. What is the velocity of the rubber ball after the collision?Continue reading “ENERGY and MOMENTUM: What is the Final Velocity of the Ball?”