Introduction to Physics

Presenter
Date
Welcome!!
 Things you need to know …
• Instructor:
– Engr.Jamil Ahmed
• Text Book:
– University Physics
Roger A. Freedman and Hugh D. Young
Edition: 13th
• Reference Books:
– Fundamentals of Physics
David Halliday, Robert Resnick, and Jearl Walker
Edition: 7th, 2005
3
• Definition of Physics
“Physics is the study of physical phenomena of the universe. It is experimental
science hence depends heavily on the objective observation and measurements.”
OR
“It is the branch of physical science that deals with interaction of matter and
energy.”
• Branches of Physics

There are two main branches of Physics.

– Classical or Newtonian Physics
“It deals with macroscopic phenomena.”
– Modern or Quantum Physics
“It deals with microscopic as well as macroscopic phenomena.”
• Other Specialized branches of Physics
• Mechanics (force , torque)
• Electrical (Generation, Transmission, Distribution) (HV, Conductor)
• Electronics (Control, Communication, Computer) (LV, Semiconduc-
tor)
• Magnetism & Electromagnetism
• Particle Physics, Nuclear Physics, Atomic Physics
• Molecular Physics, Astro Physics, Medical / Bio Physics
• Solid State Physics (ICs),Plasma Physics (High energy particles)
• Heat & Thermodynamics, Optics,Sound
• Quantum Mechanics
• Chemical Physics
Why are precise measurements
and calculations essential to a
study of physics?
 Measurement & Precision
• The precision of a measurement depends on the instrument
used to measure it.
• For example, how long is this block?
 How big is the beetle?
Measure between the head
and the tail!

Between 1.5 and 1.6 in

Measured length: 1.54 in

The 1 and 5 are known with

certainty

The last digit (4) is esti-

mated between the two
nearest
Copyright © 1997-2005 by Fred Senese
fine division marks.
How big is the penny?
Measure the diameter.

Between 1.9 and 2.0 cm

Estimate the last digit.

What diameter do you measure?

How does that compare to your classmates?

Is any measurement EXACT?

What Length is Indicated by the Arrow?
 Significant Figures
• Indicate precision of a measured value
– 1100 vs. 1100.0
– Which is more precise? How can you tell?
– How precise is each number?
– Determining significant figures can be tricky.
– There are some very basic rules you need to
know. Most importantly, you need to practice!
Counting Significant Figures
The Digits Digits That Count Example # of Sig Figs
Non-zero digits ALL 4.337 4
Leading zeros
NONE 0.00065 2
(zeros at the BEGINNING)

Captive zeros
ALL 1.000023 7
(zeros BETWEEN non-zero digits)

ONLY IF they follow a

89.00 2
Trailing zeros significant figure AND
but
(zeros at the END) there is a decimal
8900 4
point in the number
0.003020 3
Combine the
Leading, Captive AND Trailing Zeros but
rules above
3020 4

Scientific Notation ALL 7.78 x 103 3

 Calculating With Sig Figs
Type of Problem Example
3.35 x 4.669 mL = 15.571115 mL
MULTIPLICATION OR DIVISION: rounded to 15.6 mL

Find the number that has the fewest sig figs. That's 3.35 has only 3 significant figures, so that's how
how many sig figs should be in your answer. many should be in the answer. Round it off to
15.6 mL

64.25 cm + 5.333 cm = 69.583 cm

ADDITION OR SUBTRACTION:
rounded to 69.58 cm
Find the number that has the fewest digits to the
64.25 has only two digits to the right of the decimal,
right of the decimal point. The answer must
so that's how many should be to the right of the
contain no more digits to the RIGHT of the
decimal in the answer. Drop the last digit so the
decimal point than the number in the problem.
answer is 69.58 cm.
 Scientific Notation
• Number expressed as:
– Product of a number between 1 and 10 AND a power of 10
• 5.63 x 104, meaning
• 5.63 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10
• or 5.63 x 10,000
– ALWAYS has only ONE nonzero digit to the left of the decimal
point
– ONLY significant numbers are used in the first number
– First number can be positive or negative
– Power of 10 can be positive or negative
 When to Use Scientific Notation
• Astronomically Large Numbers
– mass of planets, distance between stars

• Infinitesimally Small Numbers

– size of atoms, protons, electrons

• A number with “ambiguous” zeros

– 59,000
• HOW PRECISE IS IT?
 Powers of 10
• Positive Exponents
101 10
10 2 10 10 100
10 3 10 10 10 1000
10 4 10 10 10 10 10,000

Exponent of Zero Means “1” 100 = 1

 Powers of 10
• Negative Exponents
10  1 10
1
0.1
10  2 10
1
10
1
100
1
0.01
10  3 10
1
10
1
10
1
1000
1
0.001
10  4 10
1
10
1
10
1
10
1
10 ,1000 0.0001

Exponent of Zero Means “1” 100 = 1

Converting From Standard to Scientific
Notation
 Move decimal until it is behind the first sig fig
 Power of 10 is the # of spaces the decimal moved
 Decimal moves to the left, the exponent is positive
 Decimal moves to the right, the exponent is negative

 428.5  4.285 x 102

(decimal moves 2 spots left)

 0.0004285  4.285 x 10-4

(decimal moves 4 spots right)
 Converting From Scientific to Standard
Notation
 Move decimal point
 # of spaces the decimal moves is the power of 10
 If exponent is positive, move decimal to the right
 If exponent is negative, move decimal to the left

 4.285 x 102  428.5

(move decimal 2 spots right)

 4.285 x 10-4  0.0004285

(decimal moves 4 spots left)
 Systems of Measurement
• Why do we need a standardized system of measurement?
– Scientific community is global.
– An international “language” of measurement allows scientists to
share, interpret, and compare experimental findings with other
scientists, regardless of nationality or language barriers.

• By the 1700s, every country used its own system of weights and
measures. England had three different systems just within its own
borders!
• Definition
“A Physical quantity is measured in terms of some standard
which is called the unit of that physical quantity.”
OR
“Unit defines magnitude.”
• System of Measurements
 Metric System & SI
• The first standardized system of measurement: the “Metric” system
– Developed in France in 1791
– Named based on French word for “measure”
– based on the decimal (powers of 10)

• Systeme International d'Unites

(International System of Units)
– Modernized version of the Metric System
– Abbreviated by the letters SI.
– Established in 1960, at the 11th General Conference on Weights
and Measures.
– Units, definitions, and symbols were revised and simplified.
 Components of the SI System
• In this course we will primarily use SI units.
• The SI system of measurement has 3 parts:
– base units
– derived units
– prefixes
• Unit: measure of the quantity that is defined to be exactly 1
• Prefix: modifier that allows us to express multiples or fractions of a
base unit
• As we progress through the course, we will introduce different base
units and derived units.
 SI: Base Units: “The units which are self-defined and arbitrarily fixed.”

Physical Quantity Unit Name Symbol

length meter m
mass kilogram kg
time second s
electric current ampere A
temperature Kelvin K
amount of substance mole mol
luminous intensity candela cd
 SI: Derived Units: “There are the units which are derived or obtained with the help of two or more fundamental units.”

Physical Quantity Unit Name Symbol

area square meter m2
volume cubic meter m3
meter per
speed m/s
second
meter per
acceleration m/s2
second squared
weight, force newton N
pressure pascal Pa
energy, work joule J
 Prefixes
Exponential
Prefix Symbol Numerical Multiplier
Multiplier
yotta Y 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 1024
zetta Z 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 1021
exa E 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 1018
peta P 1,000,000,000,000,000 1015
tera T 1,000,000,000,000 1012
giga G 1,000,000,000 109
mega M 1,000,000 106
kilo k 1,000 103
hecto h 100 102
deca da 10 101
no prefix means: 1 100
Prefix Symbol
Prefixes
Numerical Multiplier
Exponential
Multiplier
no prefix means: 1 100
deci d 0.1 10¯1
centi c 0.01 10¯2
milli m 0.001 10¯3
micro m 0.000001 10¯6
nano n 0.000000001 10¯9
pico p 0.000000000001 10¯12
femto f 0.000000000000001 10¯15
atto a 0.000000000000000001 10¯18
zepto z 0.000000000000000000001 10¯21
yocto y 0.000000000000000000000001 10¯24
 Unit Conversions
Method “Staircase” Factor-Label

Type Visual Mathematical

What to Move decimal point the same Multiply measurement by conversion factor,
do… number of places as steps between a fraction that relates the original unit and
unit prefixes the desired unit

When to Converting between different pre- Converting between SI and non-SI units
use… fixes between kilo and milli
Converting between different prefixes be-
yond kilo and milli
 “Staircase” Method

Draw and label this staircase every time you need to use this method, or until you can do
the conversions from memory
“Staircase” Method: Example
• Problem: convert 6.5 kilometers to meters
– Start out on the “kilo” step.
– To get to the meter (basic unit) step, we need to
move three steps to the right.
– Move the decimal in 6.5 three steps to the right
– Answer: 6500 m
“Staircase” Method: Example
• Problem: convert 114.55 cm to km
– Start out on the “centi” step
– To get to the “kilo” step, move five steps to the left
– Move the decimal in 114.55 five steps the left
– Answer: 0.0011455 km
 Factor-Label Method
• Multiply original measurement by conversion factor, a
fraction that relates the original unit and the desired
unit.
– Conversion factor is always equal to 1.
– Numerator and denominator should be equivalent
measurements.
• When measurement is multiplied by conversion factor,
original units should cancel
 Factor-Label Method: Example
• Convert 6.5 km to m
• First, we need to find a conversion factor that relates km and m.
– We should know that 1 km and 1000 m are equivalent (there are
1000 m in 1 km)
– We start with km, so km needs to cancel when we multiply. So,
km needs to be in the denominator

1000 m
1 km
 Factor-Label Method: Example
• Multiply original measurement by conversion factor and cancel
units.

1000 m
6.5 km  6500 m
1 km
 Factor-Label Method: Example
• Convert 3.5 hours to seconds
• If we don’t know how many seconds are in an hour, we’ll need more
than one conversion factor in this problem
60 minutes 60 seconds
3.5 hours   12600 seconds
1 hour 1 minute
round to appropriate number of sig figs (2)
Answer :13000 seconds
 Conversion:
• Mass
– 1 Kg = 2.2046 Pounds
– 1 Pound = 0.4536 Kg = 16
Ounces
– 1 Ounce = 28.35 gm = 0.0625
lb
• Area
– 1 Square Meter = 1.196 Square Yards
= 10.764 Square Feet
– 1 Square Centimeter = 0.155 Square inch
– 1 Square Kilometer = 0.386 Square mile
• Length
– 1 Meter = 1.093 Yards = 3.281
Feet = 39.37 inches
– 1 Km = 0.621 mile
– 1 Inches = 0.0254 m = 25.4 mm
= 2.54 cm
– 1 Mile = 0.8685 Knot = 1.609 Kilometer
– 1 Foot = 12 Inches = 30.48 cm
– 1 Yard = 3 ft
– 1 Furlong = 220 yards
– 1 Knot = 1.852 Km
TIME (FOR SOLAR MULTIPLES)

1 solar year = 365.24 mean solar days

1 solar day = 24 solar hour
1 solar hour = 60 solar min
1 solar minute = 60 solar sec
1 solar second = 1 solar day
86,400
Thank you