Problem Template
Picture ( 1/3 to ½ of page) Should be properly labeled (v0x, v0y,…) with coordinate system (put some
thought and effort into this):
Free-Body Diagram (If applicable, this is for forces)
Break vectors into x and y components
Knowns (Look for the obvious number given in
the problem and those that are implied.)
Find: (I like to write this rather large)
X-Direction
| Y-Direction
Write down relevant equations and plug-in any 0’s to simplify. Then solve for your “Find”. When
choosing the appropriate equation a good starting place is to look for an equation with your find in it.
Also, ask yourself what direction does my “Find” point? If you have 1 equation and 1 unknown then you
are done. If your equation has 2 unknowns, look for another equation that has the unknown that is not
your “Find”.
Plug in your #. (Does your answer make sense? What about limiting cases: If the time increases, the
acceleration increases?)