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Introduction
Outlines
1. Brief Revision
2. Uncertainty and Significant Figures
3. Units and Dimensional Analysis
4. Trigonometry
5. Coordinate Systems
Classical Oscillation
Mechanics and waves
Physics Quantum
Optics
Mechanics
Electromagnetism Thermodynamics
Theories and Experiments
Physical Numerical
quantity value
Unit of
measurement
Physical quantities
PHYSICAL
QUANTITIES
BASE DERIVED
QUANTITIES QUANTITIES
SI Systme International
Agreed to in 1960 by an international committee.
Fundamental Quantities and
Their Dimension
Mechanics uses three fundamental quantities
Length [L]
Mass [M]
Time [T]
Other physical quantities can be constructed from
these three
Examples:
6000 = 6 103
0.0003 = 3 104
Prefixes
Prefixes correspond to powers of
10.
Examples:
50,000 m = 5 104 m = 50 km
0.008 s = 8 103 s = 8 ms
Length
1 nanometer = 1 nm = 10-9 m
1 micrometer = 1 m = 10-6 m
1 millimeter = 1 mm = 10-3 m
1 centimeter = 1 cm = 10-2 m
1 kilometer = 1 km = 103 m
Mass
1 microgram = 1 g = 10-6 g = 10-9 kg
1 milligram = 1 mg = 10-3 g = 10-6 kg
1 gram = 1 g = 10-3 kg
Time
1 nanosecond = 1 ns = 10-9 s
1 microsecond = 1 s = 10-6 s
1 millisecond = 1 ms = 10-3 s
Dimensional Analysis
Technique to check the correctness of an equation.
Dimensions (length, mass, time, combinations) can
be treated as algebraic quantities.
Add, subtract, multiply, divide
a = L
=
v
2
L/ v 2
L
Substitute L = [r], and guess at the equation:
a = v
2
a=
v2
r r
Example 3:
1
1. Show that the equation s = ut + 2
at2 is
dimensionally correct.
For Right hand side: can
L 2
at = a t = 2 T = L
2 2 not add L to L =2L
T
Since all have same dimensions Dimensionally correct
2. T = T
l
1 1 1
l 2
L 2 2
g = 12 = =T
1
g L/T 2 2
s = ka m n
t
m
L
T m n 2m Note: The constant ,
n
L = =L T k has no dimension.
2
T The power of L is 1
L1 =L
m = 1 and n 2m = 0 The power of T is 0
T0 =1 and so n-2m=0
n = 2
Example 5:
Suppose we are told that the acceleration a of a particle
moving with uniform speed v in a circle of radius r is
proportional to some power of r, say rn, and some
power of v, say vm. Determine the values of n and m.
n m
L n Lm L
= L =
2
T T m
T
n m = 1 and m = 2
n = 1
Unit Analysis
Using units instead of symbols in dimension analysis.
Unit analysis can used to determine the units of a
quantity from a correct equation.
Example 6:
Check the validity of the following equation by using the unit
analysis.
vu
a= BE CAREFUL!
t UNIT ANALYSIS DIMENSIONAL
unit of a = ms 2 ANALYSIS
v u ms 1
unit of = = ms 2
t s
Since both sides have same unit, the equation is valid.
Uncertainty in Measurements
There is uncertainty (or sometimes called error) in
every measurement, this uncertainty carries over through
the calculations.
- is written with a sign
We will use rules for significant figures to approximate
the uncertainty in results of calculations
A significant figure is a reliably known digit
All non-zero digits are significant.
Zeros are not significant when they only locate the
decimal point
Using scientific notion to indicate the number of significant
figures removes ambiguity when the possibility of
misinterpretation is present
Significant Figures
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Example 7:
The traffic light turns green, and the driver of a high-
performance car slams the accelerator to the floor.
The accelerometer register 22.0 ms-2. Convert this
reading to kmmin-2
2
1 km 60 s
-2
22.0 ms = 22.0 ms 2
1000 m 1 min
2
= 79.2 km min
Example 8:
A beaker of water contains 255 mL of water. What is
the volume of the water in
(a) cubic centimeters? (b) cubic meters?
10-3 L 1000 cm 3
(a) 255 mL = 255 mL
mL 1L
= 255 cm 3
3
1 m 1 m 3
(b) 255 cm = 255 cm
3 3
= 255 cm 3
3 3
100 cm 100 cm
255 cm =225(10 m)
= 2.55 10 4 m 3
3 -2 3
=225x10 m -6 3
=2.25x10-4 m3
Estimates
Can yield useful approximate answers
An exact answer may be difficult or impossible
Mathematical reasons
Limited information available
Can serve as a partial check for exact
calculations
Order of Magnitude
Approximation based on a number of assumptions
May need to modify assumptions if more precise results are
needed
Order of magnitude is the power of 10 that applies
Example 9: Breaths in a Lifetime
Estimate the number of breaths taken during an average
human lifetime.
We start by assuming/guessing/estimating that the typical
human lifetime is about 70 years.
1 yr 1 day 1 h
Example(cont): Breaths in a Lifetime
Find the approximate number of minutes in a 70-year lifetime:
number of minutes = (70 yr)(6 105 min/yr)
= 4 10 7 min
= 4 108 breaths
Therefore, a person takes on the order of 109 breaths in a
lifetime.
Pythagorean Theorem:
r2 = x2 + y2
Example 11:
A person measures the height of a building by walking out a
distance of 46.0 m from its base and shining a flashlight
beam toward the top. When the beam is elevated at an
angle of 39.0 with respect to the horizontal, as shown in
figure below, the beam just strikes the top of the building.
(a) If the flashlight is held at a height of 2.00 m, find the
height of the building.
(b) Calculate the length of the light beam.
y
(a) tan 39.0 =
46.0 m
y = tan 39.0 46.0 m = 37.25006553 m ~ 37.3 m
height = 37.3 m 2.00 m = 39.3 m
Point is at distance r
from the origin in the
direction of angle , ccw
(counterclockwise) from
the reference line
Rectangular to polar
Given x and y, use Pythagorean theorem to find
r
Use x and y and the inverse tangent to find
angle
Polar to rectangular
x = r cos
y = r sin
Various units of angle:
Degrees
Radians
360 = 2 rad
Definition of radian
= s/ r
s is the length of arc
r is the radius
( r, ) = (4.30 m , 216 )
r
y
x = r cos = ( 5.00 ) cos37.0 = 3.99m
0
(b) 37
(x, y) = (3.99m,3.01m)
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