Mechanics

Q: Can you have a Net force that is not equal to zero going in both directions? Or is it that you can only have a net force in one direction while the other will have a net force equal to zero? If you can, what would be an example of one? Talking about forces […]

Q: Theta or Phi? When do I use theta to find the angel and when do I use phi to find the angle for a vector? A: Theta and Phi are defined as the angles of vector versus different axes, depending on the diagram in problems. Theta is the most popular angle of vector versus

Q: When a block attached to the string is placed on a ramp (an inclined surface). You said in class that if the block is staic there was no friction because there was tension force from the string. Let us say the block was slowly moving downward by releasing the stringslowly, would there be a

Q: How can an object have zero velocity and still be speeding up/slowing down?If an object has zero velocity, and thus is not moving, how can it be speeding up or slowing down? A: Velocity here is Instantaneous Velocity (Velocity at a time instant) and motion is a process for a certain time interval, so

Q: Rocket Propulsion – SpaceXI am a first-year Aerospace Engineering student. So, I am veryinterested in rocket propulsion systems. In SpaceX’s most recent launch (3rd) of their Starship rocket, what allows for Starship to not rip apart when gliding down to land back down? I am mostly confused about the stabilization and the engineering that

Q: In class you went over the direction of torque to clarify it,and when you were talking about it I thought I understood, but I’ve been thinking about it more and I don’t think I do. I understand that torque is positive if it acts counterclockwise and negative if it acts clockwise. However, you also

Q: Rollercoaster ConceptWhen dealing with the rollercoaster scenario, what does it mean when your apparent weight is 0 in relation to the other forces acting upon the rollercoaster cart? A: Apparent weight is zero means normal force by the track on the car is zero (see picture)! When that is the case, other force, like

Q: Rolling friction vs Static friction. This question is about a topic covered in the first half of this course. To my understanding, static friction is a friction force on an object that is not moving, and rolling friction is the friction of a circular object over a surface. However, when I think about the

Q: Can kinetic and potential energy be used in projectile motion? A: Absolute, the energy idea (Work-Energy theorem, Energy conservation) can be used in projectile motion, in which only Gravity force does work. However, if the problem asks for the direction of a vector (for example, velocity) in a projectile motion, we still need to

Q: If the force exerted on an object is steady, does that mean that the acceleration is constant? A: This is a little tricky question. Depending on the type of motion, “steady” could mean constant both in magnitude and in direction or constant only in magnitude. For 1-D motion, steady force means constant both in