PHYS 151 Fall 2016 Alyssa Tsenter

Supplemental Instruction uscphysics151si@gmail.com

http://www.usc.edu/si
Midterm 1 Exam Review

A brief review of the material:

Dimensional Analysis:
Use to approximately solve problems without going through all the work of precisely solving the
problem. It is a great way to check your answers to insure they make sense.

One Dimensional Kinematics and Gravity:

Position, velocity, and acceleration are all related to one another by the kinematics equations.
List them below:

With gravity problems, substitute = into the acceleration (a) value of the kinematics
equations.

Circular Motion:
When an object is moving in a circle, it has a
acceleration. The velocity vector at every point is
to that point.

List the circular motion equations below. How are they related?

Projectile Motion (an example of 2D Kinematics):

At ymax of the projectiles flight, ' = .
For projectile motion problems, horizontal is and vertical is .
Equations specific to projectile motion:
*+ sin+ (* ) *+ sin (2)
= =
2
Doesnt work if yi and yf are different.
General steps to start solving projectile motion problems:
1. If not provided, draw a picture of the motion described in the problem.
2. List known and unknown information in terms of the symbols of the kinematic equations.
Make sure to separate horizontal and vertical information!
3. Identify the unknown quantity that the problem requests you to solve for.
4. Select either a horizontal or vertical equation to begin solving for the unknown.
PHYS 151 Fall 2016 Alyssa Tsenter
Supplemental Instruction uscphysics151si@gmail.com
http://www.usc.edu/si
Relative Motion:
Analyzing motion in different reference frames
Reference frame: the state of motion of an observer of a particular event.
Stating the velocities of relative frames:
56 = 57 + 76

**Make sure you adjust position and velocity to the desired frame of reference before solving.

Forces:
Free-body diagram:
A pictorial/physical representation of a problem. They are a sketch of a system or just an
individual body and the forces acting on it with directions.
Since free-body diagrams only show the forces acting an object, DO NOT include
acceleration, velocity vectors, or net forces.
ALWAYS include a coordinate system with your free-body diagram.
o Try to mimic the motion of the system with your coordinate system.
o Make the positive direction in the direction of an objects motion.

Types of forces: gravity, normal, tension, and friction

Tension:
When a mass is pulled along by a string we get a tension force.
If two masses are connected by a string, the tensions on each mass are .

Friction:
Friction is the force between two surfaces and resists the relative motion of the surfaces.
Static friction will apply enough force to keep an object from slipping, but only up to a
certain point.

Kinetic friction applies a force of constant magnitude and occurs when the two surfaces
are sliding across each other.

Draw the direction of friction on each block (assume that the surface is frictionless and
the only source of friction is the static friction between the blocks):
PHYS 151 Fall 2016 Alyssa Tsenter
Supplemental Instruction uscphysics151si@gmail.com
http://www.usc.edu/si
Method for Solving Newtons Law Problems:
1. If a diagram of the situation is not given, draw one!
2. Draw a separate free-body diagram, which includes all of the forces for each of the objects.
3. Choose a convenient coordinate system and define positive and negative directions.
4. Write = for each directions (x,y,). If the acceleration in a specific direction is
zero, then write = 0 for that direction.
5. Expand < = and ' = by substituting the components of the forces on the left
hand side.
6. Solve for unknowns!

Problems

1. Michael Jordan has a vertical leap of 1.3 m, then what is his takeoff speed and his hang time
(total time to move upwards to the peak and then return to the ground)? Now lets put
Michael Jordan into an elevator that is moving at a constant velocity of 1 m/s. At the exact
instant he jumps, the elevator starts accelerating at 0.5 m/s2. What is his new hang time?









2. A child in danger of drowning in a river is being carried downstream by a current that flows
uniformly with a speed of 2.0 m/s. The child is 200 m from the shore and 1500 m upstream
of the shore should the pilot leave the shore to go directly to the child?
PHYS 151 Fall 2016 Alyssa Tsenter
Supplemental Instruction uscphysics151si@gmail.com
http://www.usc.edu/si
3. A stone is launched from the coordinate origin by a cannon with an initial speed of 40 m/s at
60 angle with the horizontal. The stone travels toward a hill that inclines at a 45 angle with
the horizontal. The base of the hill is at a horizontal distance of 15 m from the origin.

a. At what vertical height yf does the stone hit the hill?

b. What is the stones speed vf when it hits the hill?
PHYS 151 Fall 2016 Alyssa Tsenter
Supplemental Instruction uscphysics151si@gmail.com
http://www.usc.edu/si
4. A triangular wedge (angle =40, mass m2 =2.0kg) is pulled along a horizontal tabletop with
force F. There is no kinetic friction between the wedge and the tabletop. On the wedge lies a
small box (mass m1 =0.4 kg), which is being held on the block by static friction. The
coefficient of static friction between the box and wedge is s=0.2.
a. Draw separate free body diagrams for the
box and the wedge.
b. If the wedge accelerates too slowly with
respect to the tabletop, the box slips to the
bottom. Find the minimum horizontal
acceleration amin (common to the wedge and
the box) for which the box does not slip.
(Hint: for this case fs=sN).
c. What is the force F needed to produce this F
minimum acceleration?
PHYS 151 Fall 2016 Alyssa Tsenter
Supplemental Instruction uscphysics151si@gmail.com
http://www.usc.edu/si
5. Consider the apparatus shown below. The pulleys can be treated as massless and frictionless.
The sliding mass m2 has a coefficient of kinetic friction k. (m1= 4kg, m2 = m3= 2kg,
k=0.25).

a. Draw separate free body diagrams for all three masses. (Note that m1 > m3 when
considering the direction of motion.)
b. Write down the equations of motion. (Only a single unknown acceleration should
appear in your final equations)
c. Solve the equations of motion for the rope tensions and the acceleration.
PHYS 151 Fall 2016 Alyssa Tsenter
Supplemental Instruction uscphysics151si@gmail.com
http://www.usc.edu/si
6. The picture below shows two pulleys and three masses m1, m2, and m3. Masses m1 and m2
are at opposite ends of a string that loops over the bottom pulley. The bottom pulley is
suspended from one end of a second string that loops over the top pulley, with mass m3 at the
opposite end. The top pulley is suspended from the ceiling by a third string. Assume the
pulleys and strings have negligible mass.
a. Draw free-body diagrams for the top and
bottom pulley. Remember each pulley is T3
T2
being treated as massless.
b. Express T2 and T3 in terms of T1. T2
c. Draw free body diagrams for M, m1, and m2.
d. Suppose now the value of m3 has been
chosen so that both m3 and the bottom pulley
do not move vertically. In terms of m3, what
are the values of T1, T2, and T3? T1 T1
e. What is the value of a for the special case in
part d.
f. Now solve for the required mass of m3.
PHYS 151 Fall 2016 Alyssa Tsenter
Supplemental Instruction uscphysics151si@gmail.com
http://www.usc.edu/si
Some Tips for Studying

Use the book. If you are still a little fuzzy on the concepts, skim the book to
refamiliarize yourself. The book is helpful, but dont spend too much time reading.
Doing a lot of problems will be the best way to prepare.
Review old written homework assignments. The medium-hard questions could be
similar to ones youll see on the exam.
Do old exams for practice. Old exams are great practice and will give you a good feel
for what types of questions could be asked. You can find old tests and their solutions on
blackboard.

I will be answering emails until 10pm Tuesday night so feel free to email me
any questions!

Good luck, you guys got this!! J

(try not to stay up too late studying)