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2 - OVERVIEW

The document provides an overview of physics, defining it as the branch of science that studies matter and energy, emphasizing its analytical and experimental nature. It outlines major branches of physics, the concept of units, and the importance of unit conversion and dimensional analysis. Additionally, it includes problems related to unit conversions and measurements in physics.

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3 views

2 - OVERVIEW

The document provides an overview of physics, defining it as the branch of science that studies matter and energy, emphasizing its analytical and experimental nature. It outlines major branches of physics, the concept of units, and the importance of unit conversion and dimensional analysis. Additionally, it includes problems related to unit conversions and measurements in physics.

Uploaded by

arfredbileg08
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CEA – Civil Engineering Department

EngPhys – Physics for Engineers

OVERVIEW
WHAT IS PHYSICS?

Physics is branch of science that deals with matter LEARNING OBJECTIVES

and energy. It is both an analytical property and • Define physics.


• Distinguish the major branches of
experimental science. Mathematical in the sense
physics.
that the underlying concepts require mathematical • Define unit.
analysis. Experimental in nature since its goal is to • Solve problems involving unit
conversions.
understand the natural world.

ENGR. JONAYKA TAPIADOR-AZARIAS


CEA – Civil Engineering Department
EngPhys – Physics for Engineers

MAJOR BRANCHES OF PHYSICS

The range of objects and phenomena studied in physics is immense. From the incredibly short lifetime
of a nucleus to the age of the Earth, from the tiny sizes of sub-nuclear particles to the vast distance to the
edges of the known universe, from the force exerted by a jumping flea to the force between Earth and the
Sun, there are enough factors to challenge the imagination of even the most experienced scientist. Giving
numerical values for physical quantities and equations for physical principles allows us to understand nature
much more deeply than does qualitative description alone. To comprehend these vast ranges, we must also
have accepted units in which to express them. And we shall find that a profound simplicity of nature appears—
most physical quantities can be expressed as combinations of only four fundamental physical quantities:
length, mass, time, and electric current.

WHAT IS A UNIT?

It is the expression of measurement of physical quantities. For example, the length of a race, which
is a physical quantity, can be expressed in units of meters or kilometers. There are two major systems of
units in the world: SI units and English units.

Table 1.1 Fundamental Units


SYSTEM OF LENGTH MASS TIME ELECTRIC
UNITS CURRENT
SI meter (m) kilogram (kg) second (s) ampere (A)
ENGLISH feet (ft) pounds (lbs) second (s) ampere (A)

ENGR. JONAYKA TAPIADOR-AZARIAS


CEA – Civil Engineering Department
EngPhys – Physics for Engineers

Table 1.2 Metric Prefixes for Powers of 10 and their Symbols


PREFIX SYMBOL VALUE
exa E 1018
peta P 1015
tera T 1012
giga G 109
mega M 106
kilo k 103
hecto h 102
deka da 101
- - 100
deci d 10-1
centi c 10-2
milli m 10-3
micro µ 10-6
nano n 10-9
pico p 10-12
femto f 10-15
atto a 10-18

UNIT CONVERSION AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

It is often necessary to convert from one type of unit to another. For example, if you are reading a
European cookbook, some quantities may be expressed in units of liters and you need to convert them to
cups. Or, perhaps you are reading walking directions from one location to another and you are interested
in how many miles you will be walking. In this case, you will need to convert units of feet to miles.

ENGR. JONAYKA TAPIADOR-AZARIAS


CEA – Civil Engineering Department
EngPhys – Physics for Engineers

PROBLEMS:

1. Suppose that you drive the 10.0 km from your school to home in 20.0 min. Calculate your average
speed (a) in kilometers per hour (km/h) and (b) in meters per second (m/s).
2. The speed limit on some interstate highways is roughly 100 km/h. (a) What is this in meters per
second? (b) How many miles per hour is this?
3. A car is traveling at a speed of 33 m/s. (a) What is its speed in kilometers per hour? (b) Is it
exceeding the 90 km/h speed limit?
4. American football is played on a 100-yd-long field, excluding the end zones. How long is the field in
meters?
5. Soccer fields vary in size. A large soccer field is 115 m long and 85 m wide. What are its dimensions
in feet and inches?
6. What is the height in meters of a person who is 6 ft 1.0 in. tall?
7. Mount Everest, at 29,028 feet, is the tallest mountain on the Earth. What is its height in kilometers?
8. Tectonic plates are large segments of the Earth’s crust that move slowly. Suppose that one such
plate has an average speed of 4.0 cm/year. (a) What distance does it move in 1 s at this speed? (b) What
is its speed in kilometers per million years?
9. (a) Suppose that a person has an average heart rate of 72.0 beats/min. How many beats do they
have in 2.0 y? (b) In 2.00 y? (c) In 2.000 y?
10. What is the area of a circle 3.102 cm in diameter?

ENGR. JONAYKA TAPIADOR-AZARIAS

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