Physics is the art of approximation and the science of intuition. This problem set is designed to move beyond plug-and-chug arithmetic and toward a real understanding of how systems behave.

Strategy: Before you touch your calculator, predict the outcome. If a mass is sliding down a ramp with friction, should the acceleration be greater or less than $g \sin(\theta)$? If your math says greater, your math is wrong. Diagrams first, algebra second, numbers last.