Regents Physics Midterm Study Guide



Regents Physics Midterm Study Guide

VECTORS

1. Always ensure you know which direction the vectors are pointing in.

2. Draw vector/free body diagrams to help determine the direction/magnitude of the resultant vector.

3. if doing a short answer question then ensure that the vectors are drawn to scale.

4. Know which vector is the resultant and which is the equilibrant.

5. Always draw the angle between the two vectors as accurately as possible.

6. Also, some members of my group has some difficulty solving # 8 and 9 on the version B of the vector exam.

7. Our main concern was the difference between distance and displacement, and how displacement can be derived from a simple set of directions.

8. What we did was basically draw out the directions we were given and find the shortest distance between the starting and ending point as the displacement. We counted the distance as the total amount of meters/kilometers we had to travel in the problem to get to the end.

9. Another problem we've encountered was with how to get the horizontal and vertical components, but then we realized that the equation is in fact on the reference table.

10. Is there a mathematical way of getting the resultant instead of using a scale and measuring it out? Yes- if a right angle is involved, you can get the resultant magnitude with the Pythagorean theorem. This is useful on multiple choice.

11. How do we find the direction of the resultant? If the vectors are connected Head-To-Tail, it points from the tail of the first vector to the head of the second vector. If they are connected tail to tail (i.e. concurrent vectors) the resultant lies in between the direction they are pointing in.

12. When do we have to use formulas including sine and cosine? –when resolving diagonal vectors into horizontal and vertical components.

13. To find the minimum resultant (180 angle) between two vectors, subtract the two vectors.

14. To find the maximum resultant (0 angle) between two vectors, add the two vectors.

15. As the angle between two vectors increases, the resulatant decreases.

16. As the angle between a resultant and the horizantal increases, the vertical component increases while the horizantal component decreases.

17. Vectors vs. Scalars: vectors have magnitude AND direction while scalars only have magnitude... Sometimes it can help to think about context (distance: 40 meters vs displacement: 40 meters south of starting point)

18. To determine if a force can be a resultant, only 1 set of numbers have to be added or subtracted from each other, not two.

19. The equilibrant can be drawn on top of the resultant as long as it points in the opposite direction.

20. Decreasing the angle decreases the vertical component.

21. The equilibrant must be equal in length (magnitude) but in the opposite direction of the resultant.

22. When the angle between two vectors is 0 degrees and they point in the same direction, the maximum resultant is formed by adding the two vectors. When the angle between the two vectors is 180 degrees and they point in opposite directions, the minimum resultant is formed by subtracting the two vectors.

23. Possible resultants are formed by finding the maximum and minimum resultants (adding or subtracting the vectors). If there are three vectors and the third is not within the range of possible resultants when the first two are added or subtracted, it is not a possible resultant.

24. You don't always have to take time to calculate or measure the vectors, by eliminating the choices that are clearly incorrect first you may be able to find the answer.

25. Always keep in mind the direction of forces and where the resultant will face.

26. Keep in mind that the equilibrant has the same magnitude as the resultant but faces the opposite direction of the resultant.

27. The resultant of head-to-head vectors can be found by sliding one of them over to form a parallelogram. It will point in between the original direction of the vectors.

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