Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 ia Paper 4 3A Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ia Paper 4 10C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 ia Paper 4 12A a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ia Paper 4 3B iii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The work done by a force is . By the work-energy theorem, this has the same physical dimension as energy. ThusAlthough torque and energy have the same physical dimension, they represent different physical quantities.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ia Paper 4 9C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The work done along the trajectory isBy Newton's second law, , soThis is the work-energy theorem: the work equals the change in kinetic energy.
A force is conservative when its work between two points is independent of the path, equivalently when it is the negative gradient of a potential energy. Here a potential with isConservation of energy for givesThus
If , the particle escapes with asymptotic speed ; the graph decreases from to this horizontal asymptote. At the escape velocity , it decreases as and approaches zero only at infinity. If , it reaches the turning pointwhere , then returns on the negative branch of the same curve and oscillates symmetrically about the origin.