PHYSICS
PHYSICS
Units
Definition of Units:
A unit is a standard measurement used to express quantities. They are necessary for
accurately describing physical quantities in a consistent way.
● Base Units: These are the fundamental units from which all other units are
derived.
○ Example: Meter (m) for length, Kilogram (kg) for mass, Second (s) for time,
Ampere (A) for electric current, Kelvin (K) for temperature, Mole (mol) for
the amount of substance, Candela (cd) for luminous intensity.
● Derived Units: These are units derived from base units through multiplication
or division.
○ Example: Meter per second (m/s) for velocity, Newton (N) for force, Joule
(J) for energy, Watt (W) for power.
2. Physical Quantities
3. Measurement
Definition of Measurement:
Measurement is the process of obtaining the magnitude of a physical quantity using a
standard unit.
● Accuracy: The degree to which the measured value agrees with the true or
accepted value.
● Precision: The degree to which repeated measurements under the same
conditions give the same result.
Types of Measurement Instruments:
Units of Measurement: As mentioned earlier, the SI units serve as the basis for most
scientific measurements.
Definition of Vectors:
A vector is a physical quantity that has both magnitude (size) and direction. Vectors
are often represented as arrows, where the length of the arrow represents the
magnitude, and the direction of the arrow indicates the direction of the vector.
Vector Addition:
To add vectors, you combine their magnitudes and directions.
4. Free-Fall Motion
Definition:
Free-fall motion occurs when an object falls under the influence of gravity alone, with
no other forces acting on it (neglecting air resistance).
Problem-Solving Strategy:
1. Identify the known variables (initial velocity, final velocity, time, acceleration,
displacement).
2. Choose the appropriate kinematic equation(s) based on the given data.
3. Solve for the unknown variable.
4. Always check the units and ensure they are consistent.
Summary of Key Concepts:
● Vectors are quantities with magnitude and direction, and vector addition
involves combining these quantities.
● Motion involves concepts like displacement, velocity, and acceleration, with
different equations for different types of motion.
● Uniformly accelerated motion involves constant acceleration, and free-fall
motion is a special case of accelerated motion under gravity.
● Practice solving problems in 1D motion using the kinematic equations to apply
these concepts.
Position
● Distance: The total length of the path traveled by an object. It's a scalar quantity
(no direction).
● Displacement: The shortest straight-line distance from the initial to the final
position, with direction. It's a vector quantity.
Summary of Key Concepts:
● Statement: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Forces
always come in pairs acting on different objects.
● The resistive force exerted by a fluid (liquid or gas) against the motion of an
object through it.
6. Action-Reaction Pairs
● Definition: According to Newton's Third Law, every action force has an equal and
opposite reaction force. These forces act on two different objects.
Example:
○ If you push a wall, the wall pushes back with an equal and opposite
force.
7. Free-Body Diagrams
● Free-Body Diagram (FBD): A diagram showing all the forces acting on an object.
The forces are represented as arrows pointing in the direction in which they act.
● Steps:
1. Identify the object of interest.
2. Represent all forces acting on the object (gravitational, normal, frictional,
etc.).
3. Label the forces with appropriate directions and magnitudes.