Mechanics

Dr. Yasmin Mohamed Yousef Bakier

• Physics Department - Faculty of Science - Assiut
University - Egypt
𝟓𝒕𝒉 floor, Room no. 510
Physics and Measurements
 Content

▪ Basic and derived quantities

▪ Systems of units
▪ Density and atomic mass
▪ Dimensional Analysis
▪ Conversion of units
▪ Vector & Scalar Quantities
▪ Operations on vectors

4
 Basic and derived quantities

▪The laws of physics are expressed in terms of basic quantities that require a clear definition
and cannot be explained in terms of other physical quantities.

Basic Quantities

Length Mass Time

L M T

▪Any other mechanical quantities can be expressed in terms of the basic quantities and are
called derived quantities
Derived Mechanical Quantities

Force Velocity Volume ……etc. 4

 Different systems of units
• C.G.S Units
The C.G.S. system of units (Centimeter, Gram, Second system) is a French system. This
system deals with only three fundamental units – the Centimeter, Gram and the Second for
length, mass and time respectively.

• F.P.S Units
The F.P.S. system of units (Foot, Pound, Second system) is a British system. This system
deals with only three fundamental units – the Foot, Pound and the Second for length, mass
and time respectively.

• M.K.S Units
The M.K.S. system of units (Meter, Kilogram, Second system) was set up by France.
This system also deals with three fundamental units – the Meter, kilogram and the Second
for length, mass and time respectively. This system is also called the metric system of
4
units and is closely related to C.G.S system of units.
 Different systems of units
International System (SI) of units
In 1960, an International committee established a set of standards for the three basic quantities as follows:
Mechanics Basic Quantities Other Quantities
Quantity Unit Quantity Unit
Mass Kilogram (kg) Electric current Ampere (A)
Length Meter (m) Temperature Kelvin (K)
Time Second (s) Luminous Intensity Candela
Amount of substances Mole (mol)

Other Systems

7
 SI Units
The measurement system which is internationally accepted now is suggested by the Eleventh general
conference of weights and Measures in 1960 - France and is known as SI units of measurement. There are
seven basic or fundamental units and three supplementary units.
The basic units are
• the meter (m) for length
Mechanical

The supplementary units are

Quantities

• the kilogram (kg) for mass • the radian (rad) for angle
• the second (s) for time • the steradian (sr) for solid angle
• the becquerel (Bq) for radioactivity
• the Kelvin (K) for temperature
Non-Mechanical
Quantities

• the ampere (A) for electric current

• the candela (cd) for luminous intensity
• the mole (mol) for the amount of substance
4
 Standards: Length, Mass and Time
The International committee established a set of standards for the three basic quantities as follows:
𝑳 (𝒎)
•Standards of length: is based on speed of light in vacuum. 𝒄 = 𝒕 (𝒔)
= 𝟐𝟗𝟗 𝟕𝟗𝟐 𝟒𝟓𝟖 (𝒎/𝒔)

Since 1983: Meter: distance travelled by light in vacuum during a time of

𝟏 𝒎 𝟏
𝒕 𝒔 = 𝒎 ≅ 𝟖 𝒔
𝟐𝟗𝟗 𝟕𝟗𝟐 𝟒𝟓𝟖 𝒔 𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎
•Standards of mass: is based on the mass of an alloy.
Since 1887:Kilogram: mass of a Pt-Ir alloy cylinder. (Pt-Ir alloy is very stable)

•Standards of time: is based on the atomic clock of Cs133 atom

Second (s): obtained by the characteristic frequency (period of vibration ) of radiation from the Cs133 atom.
𝟏
Periodic time is 𝑻 = 𝒔 T
𝟗𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟔𝟑𝟏𝟕𝟕𝟎
6
𝟏 𝒔 = 𝟗 𝟏𝟗𝟐 𝟔𝟑𝟏 𝟕𝟕𝟎 × 𝑻 Time
 Density and Atomic mass
• Density(𝜌) is defined as a mass (m) per unit volume (V).
𝒎
𝜌=
𝒗
ρ𝐴𝑙 = 2.7 gm/𝑐𝑚 3 ρ𝑃𝑏 = 11.3 gm/𝑐𝑚3

Two different pieces of Al and Pb of the same volume =10 𝑐𝑚3 has a masses

𝑚𝐴𝑙 =ρV=2.7x10 = 27 gm 𝑚𝑃𝑏 =ρV=113x10= 113 gm

Why they are different? Because, atomic masses are different
 Al AAl = 27
Note : the atomic mass 
 Pb APb = 207
 Pb 11.3 A 207  Pb APb
= = 4.19  Pb = = 7.67 mean while 
 Al 2.7 AAl 27  Al AAl
• The ratios of densities and atomic masses aren’t the same because of atomic spacing and atomic
arrangements in both materials (Al & Pb) are different.
9
 Density and Atomic mass
Mole
One mole of a substance is that amount of it that consists of Avogadro’s number of atoms or
molecules.
Avogadro’s Number (Na)
The constant is named in honor of Avogadro. Avogadro discovered
that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to the amount of the
gas at constant pressure and temperature.
Na = 6.02 x 1023 atom /mol
One mole of Al has a mass of AAL=27 gm
One mole of Pb has a mass of APb=207 gm
A (gm/mol)
Mass of any atom =
Na (atom/mol) 10
Where A is the atomic mass in gm (mass of one mole)
 Density and Atomic mass

Examples:
1. A solid cube of Al (density=2.7g/ 𝑐𝑚3 ) has a volume of 0.2 𝑐𝑚3 . If the atomic mass of Al is
27g/mol, how many Al atoms are contained in the cube?
2. Two spheres are cut from a certain uniform rock. One has radius 4.50cm. The mass of the second
sphere is five times greater. Find the radius of the second sphere.
3. The standard kilogram is a Platinum-Iridium cylinder 39mm in height and 39mm in diameter.
What is the density of this material?

10
 Density and Atomic mass

Answers:
1.

10
 Density and Atomic mass

Answers:
2.

10
 Density and Atomic mass

Answers:
3.

10
 Dimensional Analysis
Dimension denotes the physical nature of a quantity and is described using the basic quantities
like:
Dimension of some physics quantities:
Area[A] =L.L = L2
Mechanics Basic Quantities

Volume[V] =L.L.L = L3
Length (L) Velocity[ν] =L / T = LT −1
Mass (M) Acceleration[a] =L / T 2 = LT −2
Time (T)
Momentum[P] = [m]. [ν] = ML T −1
Kinetic Energy[K.E] = [1/2].[m]. [v 2 ] = M(L T −1 )2 = M L2 T −2
Potential Energy[P.E] = [m]. [g]. [h] = M(L T −2 ) L = M L2 T −2
Note that [K.E] = [P.E]
11
 Dimensional Analysis
Importance

Checking the validity of a specific formula Deriving some formulas

Examples:
1. A car started from rest and moves with a constant acceleration a. What is the distance x travelled
in a time t.
(a) Check the accuracy of the formula x=½ a t 2
(b) Derive the formula that linked between the variables.

2. Suppose we are told that the acceleration of a particle moving with a uniform speed v in a
circular orbit of radius r is proportional to some power of r say 𝒓𝒏 and some power of v say 𝒗𝒎 .
How can we determine the power of r and v? 12
 Dimensional Analysis
Answers:
(a)

(b)

12