Final notes and equation sheet.

Here is the equation sheet for the final exam. Please let me know if you find any mistakes. Thanks.

Notes. 

Oscillations: Being able to visualize the cosine equation and to think about the effect of the phase constant on the cosine function is an important part of understanding oscillations. The nature of a particular oscillation depends on information you will be given or that you can infer. Generally that information involves position and velocity at particular times. Frequency, period, m and k can also be relevant.

Collisions: Collisions occur very quickly and nothing matters in a collision except how the velocity and momentum of each block is instantaneously changed! Total momentum is conserved. That is, it has to be the same before and after. The time scale of a collision is much shorter than any oscillator-related time scale.  Basically during a collision, nothing moves, because delta t is so short, and the velocity is the only thing to change.

Gravity involves force,  potential energy, g, circular orbits. You will be given equations such as a=v^2/r, U=-GMm/r, F=GMm/r^2.  You will want to really understand those equations and how to use them, as well as the definition of little g. Don't get the equations for U and F mixed up! The negative sign in the equation for the potential energy is important!

In problems where something moves on a horizontal surface, the force is a key place to start.  a=F/m. Use intuition, visualization and math together to keep things continuous at time boundaries where the net force changes. Friction forces always oppose motion and disappears when the motion stops.