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Physics C: Mechanics

Free Physics C: Mechanics study guide: 9 units with summaries, key ideas, flashcards and 270 practice questions with step-by-step solutions.

Lines up with: AP Physics C: Mechanics; calculus-based mechanics.

Start studying Physics C: MechanicsFormula and fact sheet

Units

  1. UNIT 01

    Kinematics with Calculus

    Kinematics describes how things move without asking why. In this course you use derivatives and integrals to move between position, velocity and acceleration, which every later unit depends on.
  2. UNIT 02

    Newton's Laws, Friction and Drag

    Newton's laws connect forces to motion. This unit builds the free-body-diagram method and then applies it to friction, circular motion and velocity-dependent drag, which needs a differential equation.
  3. UNIT 03

    Work, Energy and Power

    Energy methods solve many problems faster than forces do, especially when forces vary with position. This unit links force and potential energy through calculus and uses energy diagrams to predict motion.
  4. UNIT 04

    Systems of Particles and Linear Momentum

    Momentum lets you handle collisions, explosions and systems of many particles without knowing the messy internal forces. This unit covers impulse, conservation of momentum, collisions and center-of-mass motion.
  5. UNIT 05

    Rotational Kinematics and Moment of Inertia

    Rotation has its own versions of position, velocity, acceleration and mass. This unit builds the angular variables and the moment of inertia, then uses rotational kinetic energy to analyze spinning and rolling objects.
  6. UNIT 06

    Torque and Rotational Dynamics

    Torque is what changes rotation, just as force changes linear motion. This unit applies Στ = Iα to pulleys, rolling objects and pivoting rods, and uses Στ = 0 for objects in static equilibrium.
  7. UNIT 07

    Angular Momentum

    Angular momentum is the rotational counterpart of linear momentum, and it is conserved whenever no external torque acts. This unit uses it to analyze spinning skaters, rotational collisions, orbits and gyroscopes.
  8. UNIT 08

    Oscillations and Simple Harmonic Motion

    Whenever a restoring force is proportional to displacement, the motion is simple harmonic. This unit solves the SHM equation, relates period and energy to physical properties, and applies the method to pendulums and small oscillations.
  9. UNIT 09

    Gravitation and Orbits

    Gravity is a universal inverse-square force. This unit applies Newton's law, energy and angular momentum to surface gravity, orbits, escape and Kepler's laws.