Projectile Motion

Example:​
A ball is launched at 20m/s at 40∘ above the horizontal.

Find:

●​ maximum height
●​ time of flight
●​ horizontal range

Break the velocity into components:

v0x​=20cos40∘ v0y​=20sin40∘

Then treat horizontal and vertical motion separately.

For the vertical direction:

vy​=v0y​−gt

At maximum height,

vy​=0

This is a classic example of using vectors + kinematics simultaneously.

3. Work and Energy

Example:​
A 2kg block starts from rest at the top of a frictionless 5m high ramp.

How fast is it moving at the bottom?

Instead of doing kinematics, use energy:

Ki​+Ui​=Kf​+Uf​

so

mgh=21​mv2
The mass cancels:

v=2gh​v≈9.90m/s

The more advanced skill is recognizing when energy is easier than Newton's laws.

4. Momentum
Example:​
A 2kg cart moving at 5m/s collides with a stationary 3kg cart. They stick together.

Find their final velocity.

Because the collision is inelastic:

m1​v1​+m2​v2​=(m1​+m2​)vf​

Therefore,

(2)(5)+(3)(0)=5vf​vf​=2m/s
m1​v1,i​+m2​v2,i​=m1​v1,f​+m2​v2,f​
Velocities exchange after impact
AAA
m/s
AAA
BBB
m/s
BBB
ElasticPerfectly inelastic
ElasticPerfectly inelastic
A -1.5 m/s
B 2 m/s
A
B
A · 1 kgB · 1 kg
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5. Rotation
Example:​
A 10N force is applied perpendicular to a wrench 0.30m from the pivot.

What torque is produced?

τ=rFsinθ

Since the force is perpendicular,

θ=90∘

so

τ=(0.30)(10)=3.0N⋅m
τ=rFsin(θ)
τ=(3)(6)sin⁡(90∘)=18 N m\tau=(\text{3})(\text{6})\sin(\text{90}^{\circ})=\text{18}\,\text{N
m}τ=(3)(6)sin(90∘)=18N m
Only the perpendicular part of F turns the lever.
FFF
N
FFF
rrr
m
rrr
θ\thetaθ
deg
θ\thetaθ
pivotr = 3 mθ = 90°F⊥ = 6 NFτ = 18 N m
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A harder second-year question might ask you to calculate the angular acceleration using

τ=Iα.

6. Simple Harmonic Motion

Example:​
A 0.50kg mass is attached to a spring with

k=200N/m.

Find its oscillation frequency.

The angular frequency is

ω=mk​​

so

ω=0.5200​​=20rad/s.

Then

f=2πω​≈3.18Hz.
T=2πkm​​
With m = 1.5 kg and k = 40 N/m, the oscillator's period is 1.22 s; A = 0.25 m sets its turning
points.
mmm
kg
mmm
kkk
N/m
kkk
AAA
m
AAA
-A+Ax = 0mF v
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A harder problem would give you something like

x(t)=0.20cos(5t+π/3)

and ask you to determine the position, velocity, acceleration, energy, and phase at a
particular time.

7. Waves
Example:​
A wave has frequency 500Hz and wavelength 0.68m.

Find its speed.

v=fλ

so

v=(500)(0.68)=340m/s.
v=fλ
v=fλ=2×3=6 m/sv=f\lambda=\text{2}\times \text{3}=\text{6}\,\text{m/s}v=fλ=2×3=6m/s
fff
Hz
fff
λ\lambdaλ
m
λ\lambdaλ
λ
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A more second-year-style question:

Two waves travel in the same medium. Derive the conditions for constructive and
destructive interference.

You would need to reason about phase difference rather than simply plug numbers into a
formula.

8. Doppler Effect
Example:​
An ambulance approaches a stationary observer.

The siren emits 800Hz, and the ambulance is moving toward the observer.

The observer hears a frequency higher than 800Hz.

Once the ambulance passes, the observed frequency becomes lower.

motionshorter arrival gaphigher pitch

Observed pitch: 1.54x emitted pitch.
Moving toward the listener bunches arrivals together, so the pitch rises.
vs/cv_s/cvs​/c
vs/cv_s/cvs​/c
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A typical calculation might ask you to determine the observed frequency from the source and
observer velocities.
9. Electric Fields
Example:​
A +2.0μC point charge is located 0.50m from a point.

Find the electric field at that point.

E=kr2∣q∣​

Therefore,

E=(8.99×109)(0.50)22.0×10−6​E≈7.19×104N/C.

But a harder second-year problem might give you three charges and ask for the net electric
field. Then you have to use vector addition.

10. Electric Potential

Suppose you have a point charge.

Instead of calculating the force, you calculate the potential:

V=krq​.

Then if another charge q is placed there,

U=qV.

A more advanced problem might ask:

A charged particle moves through a known potential difference. Determine its final
velocity.

You combine

ΔK=−ΔU

with

U=qV.
11. Gauss's Law
Example:

You have a uniformly charged spherical shell.

Find the electric field:

●​ inside the shell

●​ outside the shell

Use

∮E⋅dA=ϵ0​Qenc​​.

The important realization is that symmetry lets you pull E outside the integral.

For a point outside the sphere, you eventually obtain the same field as if all the charge were
concentrated at the centre.

12. RC Circuits
Example:

A capacitor is connected to a resistor and battery.

Initially:

Q=0.

As it charges,

Q(t)=Qmax​(1−e−t/RC).

The current decreases exponentially:

I(t)=I0​e−t/RC.

The characteristic time is

τ=RC.
KE=21​mv2
KE=12(5 kg)(0 m/s)2=0 J\mathrm{KE}=\frac{1}{2}\left(\text{5}\,\mathrm{kg}\right)\left(\text{0}\,\ma
thrm{m/s}\right)^2=\text{0}\,\mathrm{J}KE=21​(5kg)(0m/s)2=0J
Mass (m)
kg
Mass (m)
Velocity (v)
m/s
Velocity (v)
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(The available visualization widgets don't include RC circuits, so this one is better handled
directly.)

13. Magnetic Force

Example:

An electron enters a magnetic field perpendicular to its velocity.

Because

F=qv×B,

the magnetic force is perpendicular to the velocity.

Therefore the electron moves in a circular path.

Set magnetic force equal to centripetal force:

qvB=rmv2​.

Then

r=qBmv​.

This is a very common second-year physics derivation.

14. Electromagnetic Induction

Example:

A loop of wire sits in a changing magnetic field.

The magnetic flux is

ΦB​=∫B⋅dA.

Faraday's law says

E=−dtdΦB​​.

The negative sign is Lenz's law: the induced effect opposes the change in magnetic flux.

A typical exam question might give you a changing B(t) and ask for the induced EMF.

15. Special Relativity

Example:

A spaceship travels at

v=0.80c.

An astronaut measures 10 years passing on the spaceship.

How much time passes for someone on Earth?

Calculate

γ=1−v2/c2​1​.

At 0.80c,

γ=1−0.82​1​=35​.

Then

Δt=γΔt0​

so Earth measures about

16.7 years.
This is the sort of calculation you should be able to do comfortably.

16. Relativistic Momentum

At high speeds, classical

p=mv

doesn't work.

Instead,

p=γmv.

Similarly,

E=γmc2.

And the energy-momentum relationship is

E2=(pc)2+(mc2)2.

That last equation becomes particularly useful in particle physics.

17. Quantum Physics

Example: Photoelectric effect

Light shines on a metal and electrons are emitted.

The energy of one photon is

E=hf.

The emitted electron has maximum kinetic energy

Kmax​=hf−ϕ

where ϕ is the work function.

A typical question might ask:

Light of wavelength 400nm hits a metal with work function 2.0eV. What is the
maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons?

This requires you to connect wavelength → photon energy → electron kinetic energy.

18. A genuinely harder second-year question

Here's the type of question that starts separating "I know the formulas" from "I understand
physics."

A mass m is attached to a spring with spring constant k. The mass is pulled a distance A from
equilibrium and released.

Determine:

1.​ x(t)
2.​ v(t)
3.​ a(t)
4.​ maximum velocity
5.​ maximum acceleration
6.​ total mechanical energy
7.​ kinetic energy as a function of position
8.​ potential energy as a function of position

You start with

F=−kx

and Newton's second law:

mdt2d2x​=−kx.

Therefore,

dt2d2x​+mk​x=0.

The solution is

x(t)=Acos(ωt+ϕ)

where
ω=mk​​.

From one physical law, you can derive the entire motion.