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Classical Mechanics
Foundations & Vectors
01SI Units and the Constants That Define Them02Defining the Second and the Meter03Redefining the Kilogram via Planck's Constant04Defining SI Units from Fixed Constants05Radians, Steradians & Small Angles06Dimensional Analysis: M, L, and T07Deriving Laws from Dimensions08Fermi EstimationProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10Practice∞
01Vector Addition and Scalar Multiplication02Cartesian and Cylindrical Coordinates03Vector Components in Cartesian Coordinates04Solving Vector Problems with Components05Vector Components Under Coordinate Rotation06The Cross Product07The Cross Product FormulaProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10Practice∞
Kinematics
01Position, Time Intervals, and Displacement02Instantaneous Velocity and the Derivative03Acceleration as the Second Derivative04Kinematic Equations from Graph Areas05Integration and the Fundamental Theorem06Polynomial and Piecewise AccelerationProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/4Practice∞
01Independent Motion Along x and y Axes02Setting Up a Projectile Motion Problem03Time of Flight and Maximum Height04Eliminating Time to Find the Parabola05Aim Straight at the Falling BucketProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
01Centripetal Acceleration and Central Motion02Polar Unit Vectors and the Velocity of Circular Motion03Deriving v = rω from Chord Length and Small Angles04Radial and Tangential Acceleration in Polar Coordinates05Uniform Circular Motion: Period, Frequency, and v²/R06Angular Velocity and Acceleration as Vectors07Variable Radius: Radial Velocity and the Coriolis TermProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10Practice∞
Dynamics
01Defining Force: Mass, Acceleration, and Force as a Vector02Newton's First Law: Inertia and Inertial Reference Frames03Newton's Second and Third Laws: Force as the Rate of Change of MomentumProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10Practice∞
Force Laws
01Force Laws and Hooke's Law: Measuring the Spring Force02Universal Gravitation and the Principle of Equivalence03Electric Charge, Coulomb's Law, and Newton's Third LawProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
Constraint Forces
01The Normal Force: Why It Isn't Your Weight02Static and Kinetic Friction and the f = μN Laws03Free-Body Diagrams and Building a Physical Model04Tension in a Rope: Massless vs. Massive05Tension in a Hanging Rope: Two MethodsProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/4Practice∞
Applying Newton's Laws
01The Staircase Problem: Friction, Launch, and Landing02Cart, Pulley, and Hanging Block: Finding the Tension03Inextensible Strings: Constraints in a Pulley System04A Block on an Accelerating Frictionless Wedge05The Capstan Equation: Rope Friction Around a Post06Terminal Velocity and the Hyperbolic-Tangent LawProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/4Practice∞
Fluid Resistance
01The Drag Force: Two Regimes of Fluid Resistance02Stokes' Law: Terminal Velocity of a Falling Sphere03Quadratic Drag: The Reciprocal Velocity DecayProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞
Circular Motion & Gravitation
01Newton's Second Law for Circular Motion02Universal Gravitation: Deriving the Moon's Period03Geostationary Satellites and Binary Star Orbits04Tension in Circular Motion: From Masses to a Rope05Circular Motion on a Cone and a Turntable06The Shell Theorem: Gravity Acts From the CenterProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/6Practice∞
Momentum & Center of Mass
01Impulse and Momentum: Newton's Second Law as an Integral02Drawing the System Boundary: Why Only External Forces Count03Center of Mass: From Two Particles to a Continuous Rod04Center-of-Mass Motion and Conservation of Momentum05Setting Up Any Momentum Problem: System, Axes, Diagrams06The Exploding Projectile: Where the Larger Fragment Lands07Inelastic Collision Then Friction: The Plane and the SandbagProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/5Practice∞
Relative Motion & Variable Mass
01Reference Frames and the Galilean Transformation02Relative Velocity Worked Examples: Circle and Cart03Feynman, Challenger, and the Limits of a Curve Fit04Momentum with Flowing Mass: The Four Categories05Leaking Sand vs. Blown-In Grain: Two Freight Cars06The Boat and the Fire Hose: Mass In, Momentum In07Deriving the Rocket Equation: Where Thrust Comes From08Rocket Speed, Mass Ratio, and Why Rockets StageProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/5Practice∞
Energy & Work
01Conservation of Energy: System, Boundary, and Surroundings02Kinetic Energy: From Speed Squared to Force Times Distance03Work Done by a Constant Force: Positive, Negative, or Zero04Work as Area Under the Curve and the Work-Energy Theorem05Power: Average, Instantaneous, and Force Times VelocityProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞
Work in Three Dimensions
01The Scalar Product: Work as Force Dot Displacement02Work as a Line Integral Along Any Curved Path03Inverse-Square Forces, 3D Work-Energy, and Power04Reduced Mass and the Work Inside a Two-Body SystemProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
Conservative Forces & Potential Energy
01Conservative Forces: Why Gravity's Work Ignores the Path02The Closed-Loop Theorem: Why Conservative Forces Give Energy Back03Defining Potential Energy from Newton's Third Law04Three Potential Energies from One Recipe, and Where the Zero GoesProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
Conservation of Mechanical Energy
01Conservation of Mechanical Energy: Closed Systems, Conservative Forces02The Spring Energy Diagram: Turning Points and Forbidden Regions03Stable vs Unstable Equilibrium on a Cubic Energy Diagram04Non-Conservative Forces: When Mechanical Energy Is Not Conserved05Dissipation and the System Boundary: Where Friction's Energy GoesProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞
Energy Methods in Practice
01Escape Velocity: Zero Total Energy on Asteroid Toro02Loop-the-Loop: Pairing Energy with Newton's Second Law03Friction That Grows With Distance: The Energy Integral04Maximum Spring Compression on a Frictional Incline05Sliding Off a Sphere: The Angle Where Contact BreaksProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞
Collision Theory
01Relative Velocity, Reduced Mass, and the Center-of-Mass Frame02Coefficient of Restitution and the One-Dimensional Elastic Collision03Elastic Collisions Reverse in the Center-of-Mass Frame04Stacked Superballs: Why the Small Ball Rises Nine Times Higher05Two-Dimensional Elastic Collisions in the Laboratory Frame06The Right-Angle Rule for Equal Masses, via the Dot Product07From Center-of-Mass Angle to Laboratory Angle in ScatteringProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/6Practice∞
Fixed-Axis Rotation
01Rigid Bodies and Fixed-Axis Rotation02Angular Signs: Speeding Up or Slowing Down03Rotational Kinetic Energy and Moment of Inertia04The Uniform Disc and the Parallel Axis Theorem05Energy Conservation with a Massive Pulley06The Rod-and-Disc Pendulum: Speed at the Bottom07Proving the Parallel Axis TheoremProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/3Practice∞
Rotational Dynamics
01Torque About a Point: Moment Arm and Sign Conventions02Torque by Components: A Tilted Lever and the Ankle on Tiptoe03Deriving τ = Iα: Newton's Second Law for Rotation04Center of Gravity and Unequal Tensions on a Massive Pulley05Measuring a Rotor's Moment of Inertia from Two RunsProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/1Practice∞
Rotational Work & Static Equilibrium
01Torque Through an Angle: Rotational Work and Power02Static Equilibrium and the Lever Law03The Generalized Lever Law: Forces at an Angle04The Hinged Rod and the Person on a Hill05The Knee Joint and Torque About Any PointProblem set0/10Problem set 20/10MIT problem set0/2Practice∞

Setting Up Any Momentum Problem: System, Axes, Diagrams

Why must momentum constancy be checked direction by direction, and when does a short collision let you ignore external forces?


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Your summary note

    1. 1

      The four-step strategy

      List Understand, Devise a Plan, Carry Out Your Plan and Look Back, and record which objects and which questions belong to each of the first two steps.

    2. 2

      Constancy checked one direction at a time

      Record that F⃗ext=dp⃗sysdt\vec{F}^{\text{ext}} = \frac{d\vec{p}_{\text{sys}}}{dt}Fext=dtdp​sys​​ is a vector equation, and that a vanishing xxx-component of external force gives psys,x,i=psys,x,fp_{\text{sys},x,i} = p_{\text{sys},x,f}psys,x,i​=psys,x,f​ while other components still change.

    3. 3

      Negligible impulse over a short interaction

      Write I⃗=F⃗aveextΔtint=Δp⃗sys\vec{I} = \vec{F}^{\text{ext}}_{\text{ave}}\Delta t_{\text{int}} = \Delta\vec{p}_{\text{sys}}I=Faveext​Δtint​=Δp​sys​ and record the magnitude comparison against ∣p⃗sys∣|\vec{p}_{\text{sys}}|∣p​sys​∣ that licenses Δp⃗→0⃗\Delta\vec{p}\to\vec{0}Δp​→0 across a brief interaction.

    4. 4

      Momentum flow diagrams and the component equation

      Draw every object immediately before and immediately after the change of state with one set of unit vectors and symbols like (vx,i)1(v_{x,i})_1(vx,i​)1​, then equate psys,x,ip_{\text{sys},x,i}psys,x,i​ and psys,x,fp_{\text{sys},x,f}psys,x,f​ term by term.

    Attempt 1 of 2