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Chapter 1
What is physics?
What is physics?
Newtons law
F=ma
Magnitude of A is represented by A or A .
A typical example of vector: position of Kowloon
Tong station relative to the Central station.
Representing vectors
added
Draw a parallelogram
with the two vectors
The sum of the two
vectors (vector R) is
the vector pointing to
the vertex between
vector A and B
Subtracting vectors
!" !"
A+ B
!"
A
!"
A
!" !"
A+ B
!"
B
!"
B
If c is a scalar,
the
product cA has
magnitude |c|A.
multiplication of a vector
by a positive scalar and a
negative scalar.
A = Ax + Ay
components
Example
The red arrow
vector is the sum
of the two black
arrow vector. So
the two black
arrows are the
components of
the red arrow.
A = Ax2 + Ay2
= tan1 (
Ay
Ax
Unit vectors
Vectors are represented by
its components. Vectors
along the directions of the
components with a unit
length is called the unit
vector.
The vector C is represented
by two components and
the unit vectors are along
the direction of the two
components
Unit vectors
Components of vector
Coordinates of the end of the vector are the three
components of the vector. The end of vector v
has the coordinates vx, vy, vz, which are the
components of the vector v
Negative
component
Vector products
R = R2 + R2
x
y
Positive
component
R
and tan =
y
R
x
Rx = Ax + Bx ,
Ry = Ay + By
expressions.
A B = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz .
! !
A B = ABcos.
The product is a
scalar so it is
called scalar
product
It is useful in
calculating work
done of a force
Vector product
The vector
product ( cross
product ) of
two is a vector .
The product is a
vector
It has magnitude
!" !"
A B = ABsin
Calculus
Simple calculus
dx
x0
x0
Slope of AB is
f
x
df
df
=0 ;
f (x) = ax ,
=a
dx
dx
df
df
f (x) = x ,
= 1 ; f (x) = x 2 ,
= 2x
dx
dx
df
df
f (x) = x n ,
= nx n1 ; f (x) = sin x,
= cos x
dx
dx
df
f (x) = cos x ,
= sin x
dx
df
dy
f (x) = cy(x) ,
=c
dx
dx
f (x) = c ,
z = f (x, y)
dx
assuming y a constant
z f
df
=
=
assuming x a constant
y y dy