Welcome to Caltech!

and
Physics 1a:
Newtonian mechanics
Lecture 1: Introduction
Basic info
Ryan Patterson, rbpatter@caltech.edu
Office: Lauritsen 339, x5753
Lectures:
Wed and Fri, 11am
201 E. Bridge (a.k.a. Feynman Lecture Hall)
Sections:
Mon and Thu, 1pm or 3pm, various locations
and instructors.
Office hours:
Various times, locations, and instructors
(see webpage)
Course webpage
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tmu/ph1a/
Course webpage
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tmu/ph1a/

Past quiz and final exam problems

(many assigned as homework)
General information

Lecture notes,
quizzes, and
other documents
Course calendar
On the course webpage… Required reading

Homework assignments

Quizzes
 Table from last page
of PDF syllabus.

Check there for updates.

Material overview
Introduction All of this in
1D motion about 9 weeks
Falling bodies, acceleration
Reference frames, 2D motion
Newton's laws
Forces of nature
Circular motion
Non-inertial frames
Energy
Linear momentum
Angular Momentum
Rotational dynamics
Oscillatory motion
Orbits, Kepler's laws
Fluid Mechanics
Gyroscopes
Material overview A lot will be covered in a
Introduction All of this in short amount of time.
1D motion about 9 weeks
Some things may seem hard;
Falling bodies, acceleration some easy. Stay on your toes!
Reference frames, 2D motion
Newton's laws Take advantage of:
Forces of nature Reading, Lectures, Sections
and
Circular motion Office hours, Core study sessions
Non-inertial frames
Energy Office hours
Linear momentum Times (typically on Tuesday) and locations
Angular Momentum are listed on the course webpage (some still
Rotational dynamics to be filled in)
Oscillatory motion Core study sessions
Orbits, Kepler's laws This is a new thing this year! Undergraduate
Fluid Mechanics tutors will be on hand Monday 8pm – 11pm
on the 9th floor of Millikan. (Monday is
Gyroscopes physics. Other subjects are on others days.)
http://xkcd.com/435/
 http://xkcd.com/435/

Figuring out how

the universe works
 http://xkcd.com/435/

Figuring out how

the universe works

- The primary material in this course is about three centuries old.

- But, one has to begin at the beginning…
Ph 1
 Ph 1

Engineering Biology Geosciences

Chemistry
Physics etc…
Astronomy

Ph 1
Essential math
We will need these tools right out of the gate.
Some calculus
 notation The first set of required reading
 differentiation is longer than usual because it
includes reviewing these topics
 sum rule, product rule, etc. (Chapters 3 and 5).
 integration
 finding minima and maxima Even if it’s just to shake the
rust off, you should review
Vectors this material!
 notation
 components, magnitudes
 algebraic manipulations
 dot product, projections
 cross product
 unit vectors
SI units
Stay consistent ⇒ less work & fewer mistakes

length : meter (m)

time : second (s) Fundamental SI units
mass : kilogram (kg)
SI units
Stay consistent ⇒ less work & fewer mistakes

length : meter (m)

time : second (s) Fundamental SI units
mass : kilogram (kg)

velocity : m/s
accel. : m/s2 Derived SI units
area : m2
etc…
SI units
Stay consistent ⇒ less work & fewer mistakes

length : meter (m)

time : second (s) Fundamental SI units
mass : kilogram (kg)

velocity : m/s
accel. : m/s2 Derived SI units
area : m2
etc…

force : newton (N) = kg∙m/s2

Derived SI units
energy : joule (J) = kg∙m2/s2
with special names
etc…
Converting units
Consider a velocity:
88 mi
v = 88 mph =
1 hr

If we want m/s units, multiply by “1” repeatedly…

88 mi  1 hr  1609 m m
v= = 39.3 s
1 hr 3600 s 1 mi

=1 =1
Checking your work with units
Q: How tall is Bob?
Checking your work with units
Q: How tall is Bob?

(work, work, algebra, algebra, …)

Checking your work with units
Q: How tall is Bob?

(work, work, algebra, algebra, …)

A: 8 kg ← Clearly a bad answer! Look for the error.

Checking your work with units
Q: How tall is Bob?

(work, work, algebra, algebra, …)

A: 8 kg ← Clearly a bad answer! Look for the error.

A: 92 m ← Right units, but physically questionable...

Checking your work with units
Q: How tall is Bob?

(work, work, algebra, algebra, …)

A: 8 kg ← Clearly a bad answer! Look for the error.

A: 92 m ← Right units, but physically questionable...

A: 1.8 m ← Could possibly be correct.

Checking your work with units
Q: How tall is Bob?

(work, work, algebra, algebra, …)

A: 8 kg ← Clearly a bad answer! Look for the error.

A: 92 m ← Right units, but physically questionable...

A: 1.8 m ← Could possibly be correct.

Mistakes of the first type should never survive!

Algebra gone awry?
Consider:
Distances x and y
Time t
Algebra gone awry?
Consider:
Distances x and y
Time t

x+t = nonsense [ 4 m + 2 s = ??? ]

Algebra gone awry?
Consider:
Distances x and y
Time t

x+t = nonsense [ 4 m + 2 s = ??? ]

cos(xy) = nonsense [ cos(9 m2) = ??? ]
Algebra gone awry?
Consider:
Distances x and y
Time t

x+t = nonsense [ 4 m + 2 s = ??? ]

cos(xy) = nonsense [ cos(9 m2) = ??? ]
log(x/y) = okay! [ log(unitless number) ]
Algebra gone awry?
Consider:
Distances x and y
Time t

x+t = nonsense [ 4 m + 2 s = ??? ]

cos(xy) = nonsense [ cos(9 m2) = ??? ]
log(x/y) = okay! [ log(unitless number) ]

Similarly:
Consider the area of a rectangle with sides 2 m and 4 m
A=24=8
A = (2 m)  (4 m) = 8 m2
 G. I. Taylor used pictures
like these to estimate the
(then still classified) yield
of the Trinity nuclear
device.

Early in the explosion, the radius R

of the blast depends only on:
E = energy released (i.e., the yield)
t = time since detonation
𝜌 = density of air
Time standard
1 second  period of that pendulum ?
 not a great global standard
Time standard
1 second  period of that pendulum ?
 not a great global standard

1 second  (Earth’s rotation period) / 86400 ?

 rotation period varies a lot (seasons, earthquakes, long-term wobbles)
Time standard
1 second  period of that pendulum ?
 not a great global standard

1 second  (Earth’s rotation period) / 86400 ?

 rotation period varies a lot (seasons, earthquakes, long-term wobbles)

1 second  9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition

between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of 133Cs.
 very stable, very reproducible!

Cesium-133
energy levels
Compare clock rates at two heights differing by only 33 cm.

At the higher position, the observed rate is higher by a factor of

1.00000000000000004.
 1018
1015
1012
109
1 yr range of direct
106 human experience
103
100 1s
10-3
10-6

seconds
10-9
10-12
10-15
10-18
10-21
10-24
10-27
10-30
10-33
10-36
10-39
10-42
10-45
 age of universe 1018 age of earth
1015
ESA/Planck 1012
109
1 yr range of direct
106 human experience
103
100 1s
Light from the early universe, 10-3
showing up as microwaves today 10-6

seconds
10-9
10-12
10-15
10-18
10-21
10-24
10-27
10-30
10-33
10-36
10-39
10-42
10-45
 age of universe 1018 lower limit on proton
age of earth lifetime (1041 s)
1015
1012
109
1 yr range of direct
106 human experience
103
100 1s
10-3
10-6

seconds
10-9
10-12
10-15
10-18
10-21
10-24
10-27
10-30
Super Kamiokande detector, Japan
10-33
10-36
10-39
10-42
10-45
 age of universe 1018 lower limit on proton
age of earth lifetime (1041 s)
time since Cretaceous-Tertiary event 1015
1012
109
1 yr range of direct
106 human experience
103
100 1s
10-3
10-6

seconds
10-9
10-12
10-15
10-18
10-21
10-24
10-27
10-30
10-33
10-36
10-39
10-42
10-45
 age of universe 1018 lower limit on proton
age of earth lifetime (1041 s)
time since Cretaceous-Tertiary event 1015
1012 time since first humans
109
1 yr range of direct
106 human experience
103
100 1s
10-3
10-6

seconds
10-9
10-12
10-15
10-18
10-21
10-24
10-27
10-30
10-33
10-36
10-39
10-42
10-45
 age of universe 1018 lower limit on proton
age of earth lifetime (1041 s)
time since Cretaceous-Tertiary event 1015
1012 time since first humans
109
1 yr range of direct
106 human experience
duration of this lecture 103
blink of an eye 100 1s
10-3
10-6

seconds
10-9
10-12
10-15
10-18
10-21
10-24
10-27
10-30
10-33
10-36
10-39
10-42
10-45
 age of universe 1018 lower limit on proton
age of earth lifetime (1041 s)
time since Cretaceous-Tertiary event 1015
1012 time since first humans
109
1 yr range of direct
106 human experience
duration of this lecture 103
blink of an eye 100 1s
10-3
10-6

seconds
10-9
10-12
10-15
shortest controlled laser pulse
10-18
10-21
10-24
10-27
10-30
10-33
10-36
10-39
10-42
10-45
 age of universe 1018 lower limit on proton
age of earth lifetime (1041 s)
time since Cretaceous-Tertiary event 1015
1012 time since first humans
109
1 yr range of direct
106 human experience
duration of this lecture 103
blink of an eye 100 1s
10-3
10-6

seconds
lifetime of charged pion (“weak” decay)
10-9
10-12
10-15
shortest controlled laser pulse lifetime of neutral pion (“EM” decay)
10-18
10-21
10-24 lifetime of  particle (“strong” decay)
10-27
10-30
10-33
10-36
10-39
10-42
10-45
 age of universe 1018 lower limit on proton
age of earth lifetime (1041 s)
time since Cretaceous-Tertiary event 1015
1012 time since first humans
109
1 yr range of direct
106 human experience
duration of this lecture 103
blink of an eye 100 1s
10-3
10-6

seconds
lifetime of charged pion (“weak” decay)
10-9
10-12
10-15
shortest controlled laser pulse lifetime of neutral pion (“EM” decay)
10-18
10-21
10-24 lifetime of  particle (“strong” decay)
10-27
10-30
10-33
10-36
10-39
10-42
Planck time
10-45
Distance standard
1 meter  the distance that light travels in 1/(299,792,458) seconds (in a vacuum)

Means that the speed of light is given exactly by:

c = 299,792,458 m/s
Distance standard
1 meter  the distance that light travels in 1/(299,792,458) seconds (in a vacuum)

Means that the speed of light is given exactly by:

c = 299,792,458 m/s

Mass standard
1 kilogram  the mass of this thing

Work is ongoing to replace this standard

with something more “natural”,
possibly based on Planck’s constant ℏ.
(digital clock demo, part 2…)
Next time
We’ll get into the thick of it…

- Position, velocity, acceleration

- Constant acceleration
- Objects in freefall
- Reference frames
- 2D motion, trajectories