Section 18

Guide to framing a problem

Use the cue in the problem statement to decide which catalog section to open first.

View the full section in the index →

Cue → approach

Signal
Components, magnitude, dot or cross product, unit vector
Approach
Vectors
Signal
Position, velocity, or acceleration in a straight line; 1D free fall
Approach
1D Kinematics
Signal
Projectile, range, maximum height, time of flight
Approach
2D and 3D Motion
Signal
Forces, free-body diagram, inclined plane, friction, tension
Approach
Newton's laws
Signal
Curve, $v = ω r$ , centripetal acceleration, rotation period
Approach
Circular motion
Signal
Work, kinetic/potential energy, power, conservation of energy
Approach
Work, energy and power
Signal
Collision, impulse, “before/after”, conservation of momentum
Approach
Momentum, impulse, and collisions
Signal
Disk, wheel, torque, moment of inertia, $L = I ω$
Approach
Rotation
Signal
Static equilibrium, center of mass, spring (Hooke) without oscillating
Approach
Equilibrium and elasticity
Signal
Gravity between masses, orbits, satellites, escape velocity
Approach
Gravitation
Signal
Pressure, buoyancy, flow rate, Bernoulli
Approach
Fluid mechanics
Signal
Spring or pendulum, period, frequency, harmonic motion
Approach
Oscillations
Signal
Traveling wave, wavelength, interference, intensity
Approach
Waves
Signal
Sound, beats, Doppler effect, level in decibels
Approach
Sound
Signal
Heat, temperature, ideal gas, first law, heat engines
Approach
Thermodynamics
Signal
Charge, Coulomb, field/potential, Ohm, R circuits, capacitors
Approach
Basic electricity
Signal
You need $g$ , $G$ , $k_{e}$ , $c$ , or another numerical constant
Approach
Physical constants

Checklist

Identify the system and draw a sketch (forces, trajectory, or circuit).
Classify the problem type using the table above.
Choose the requested quantity (position, force, energy, current, etc.).
Write down known data and SI units.
Apply the main formula and check its conditions.
If there are several stages (e.g. collision + energy), chain related formulas.
Check signs, dimensions, and whether the result is reasonable.