PHYSICS

PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

(PHYSICS 124)

Name: __________________________________________
Yr. & Sec.: _______________________________________
Department: ______________________________________
Instructor: _______________________________________

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 PHYSICS

PHYSICS – is a branch of science, which deals with the study of matter, energy, force, and
motion and the way they relate to each other.
I. MEASUREMENT
a. MEASUREMENT – is the process of determining the amount, quantity, degree,
or capacity by comparison with an accepted standard.
b. PRECISION- is a measure of consistency or repeatability of measurements.
c. ACCURACY – is the degree of exactness of a measurement compared to the
expected value, or the most probable value of the variable being measured.
II. SYSTEMS OF MEASUREMENT
The two major systems of measurement:
1. ENGLISH SYSTEM – used in the United States (and some African Countries)
2. METRIC SYSTEM – used by most of the rest of the industrialized countries. It
is based on power of ten.
III. SYSTEMS OF UNITS
1. FPS – foot-pound-second
2. MKS – meter-kilogram-second
3. CGS – centimeter-gram-second
IV. BASED UNITS and DERIVED UNITS
BASE UNITS – are fundamental units, which are used to form other compound units
for other quantities.
DERIVED UNITS – are formed from combination of basic units.

V. THE SI SYSTEM
In 1960, an international agreement set up a system of units call the International
System or the SI System. (French Systèm International d’Unitès)

VI. UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

LENGTH: meter (m)

Length is expressed in meter (m). Meter is defined as the distance traveled by
light in vacuum during a time interval 1 / 2.99792458x108 of a second.

MASS: kilogram (m)

Mass is expressed in kilogram (kg). The standard is based on a prototype made of
platinum-iridium alloy that is kept at constant temperature and humidity in a dustless
vault in Sevres near Paris of France.

TIME: Second (s)

Time is expressed in a second (s). The standard is based on the frequency of
vibration of Cesium – 133 atoms under certain defined conditions.

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TEMPERATURE: Kelvin (K)

The unit of temperature is the Kelvin (K). The standard is based on the point at
which solid, liquid, and gaseous water co-exist simultaneously (the “triple point”,
which has an assigned value of 273.16K).

ELECTRIC CURRENT: Ampere (A)

Electric current is expressed in ampere (A). The standard is based on the mutual
force experienced by parallel current carrying wires.

LUMINOUS INTENSITY: candela (cd)

Luminous intensity is expressed in candela (cd). The standard is based on the
amount of radiation emitted by a certain object, known as black body radiator, at
2046 K (the freezing point of platinum).

NUMBER OF PARTICLES: mole (mol)

The unit of the number of particle is the mole (mol). The standard is based on the
number of atoms contained in a 0.012 kilogram of carbon-12 (6.02x1023 atoms).

SI and English System of Units

Quantity S.I Units English Units
Length meter (m) foot (ft)
Mass kilogram (kg) pound (lb)
Temperature Kelvin (K) Rankine (R)
Velocity meter per second (m/s) foot per second(ft/s)
Gravity meter per second squared (m/s2) foot per second squared (ft/s2)
Force Newton (N) Pound (lbf)

SI DERIVED UNITS
QUANTITY UNITS EQUIVALENTS
Force Newton N J/m kg-m/s2
Energy Joule J Nm kg-m2/s2
Power Watt W J/s kg-m2/s2
Pressure Pascal Pa N/m2 kg/m-s2
Frequency Hertz Hz Cycle/s 1/s
Electric Charge Coulomb C A-s
Electric Potential Volt V J/C kg-m2/(A-s3)
Electric Resistance Ohm Ω V/A kg-m2/(A2-s3)
Capacitance Farad F C/V A2-s4/(kg-m2)
Magnetic Field Tesla T N-s/(C-m) kg/(A-s2)
Magnetic Flux Weber Wb T-m2 kg-m2/ (A-s2)
Inductance Henry H V-s/A kg-m2/ (A2-s2)

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SI PREFIXES
Factor Name Symbol Factor Name Symbol
1024 yotta Y 10-1 deci d
1021 zetta Z 10-2 centi c
1018 exa E 10-3 milli m
1015 peta P 10-6 micro µ
1012 tera T 10-9 nano n
109 giga G 10-12 pico p
106 mega M 10-15 femto f
103 kilo k 10-18 atto a
102 hecto h 10-21 zepto z
101 deka da 10-24 yocto y

VII. VECTOR AND SCALAR QUANTITIES

SCALAR QUANTITY – is a physical quantity which has only magnitude.

Example: volume, temperature, height, mass, age

VECTOR QUANTITY – is a physical quantity which has both magnitude and

direction.
Example: force, velocity, displacement, weight

SOLVING FOR RESULTANT FORCE

A. GRAPHICAL METHOD
A.1. POLYGON METHOD
A.2. PARALLELOGRAM METHOD
B. ANALYTICAL METHOD
B.1. COMPONENT METHOD

VECTOR OPERATIONS
1. Addition: A+B = B+A
2. Subtraction: A-B = A-B
3. Multiplication:
 Dot Product: A·B = AB cos Ɵ
 Cross Product: A x B =

VECTOR IN A PLANE (CARTESIAN)

The magnitude of Vector A
|A| = √(𝐴𝑥)2 + (𝐴𝑦)2
The angle (theta) with the horizontal
𝐴𝑦
Ɵ = arc tan (𝐴𝑥 )

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VECTOR IN SPACE (CARTESIAN)

NOTE: Bold letters represent a vector

i – is the directional (unit) vector along x-axis

j – is the directional (unit) vector along y-axis

k – is the directional (unit) vector along the z-axis

Ax – is the magnitude vector in the x-axis

Ay – is the magnitude vector in the y-axis

Az – is the magnitude vector in the z-axis

PROBLEMS:
1. Find the vector sum of A and B as shown in the figure.

2. Find the vector sum of two vectors A and B.

3. Find the vector sum of the following vectors.

4. Find graphically the magnitude and direction of the resultant of the forces. Use the
polygon method.

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5. Two men and a boy want to push a crate in the direction marked x. The two men push
with forces F1 and F2, whose magnitude and directions are indicated in the figure. Find
the magnitude and direction of the smallest force which the boy should exert. Use
parallelogram method.

6. Find graphically the vector sum A+B and the vector difference A-B.

7. Find the angle between the 3x-y+z = 0, x+2y+2z = 0

8. Find the Resultant and its direction by polygon and parallelogram method.
Given: F1 = 390N, at 22.620
F2 = 400N, at 400 S of W

9. Find the R and its direction by component method.

Given:
d1 = 10km, at 400 d4 = 40km, at -5400
d2 = 20km, at -700 d5= 50km, at 100 N of E
d3 = 30km, at 900 d6 = 60km, at 100 E of N

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EXERCISES
1. Three forces that act on a particle are given by F1 = 20i – 36j + 73k N, F2 = -17i + 21j –
46k N, and F3 = -12k N. Find the magnitude of the resultant force.
2. Two forces of 20 units and 30 units act at right angles. What is the magnitude of the
resultant force.
3. The resultant of two forces in a plane is 400 lbs at 1200. If one of the forces is 200 lbs at
20 degrees, what is the other?
4. Determine the resultant of the following coplanar forces: 90 lbs, 210 degrees, 130 lbs,
260 degrees, 15 lbs at 30 degrees, and 55 lbs, 80 degrees.
5. Given the three dimensional vectors:
A = i(xy) +j(2yz) +k(3zx), B = i(yz) +j(2zx) + k(3xy)
Determine the scalar product at the point (1,2,3)
6. What is the cross product AxB of the vectors, A = i+4j+6k and B=2i+3j+5k?

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EQUILIBRIUM OF FORCES:
1. NEWTON’S FIRST LAW
2. NEWTON’S SECOND LAW
3. NEWTON’S THIRD LAW
4. NEWTON’S LAW OF UNIVERSAL GRAVITATION
5. FRICTION

EQUILIBRIUM
-body as a whole either remains at rest or moves in a straight line with constant speed.
-body is either not rotating at all or is rotating at a constant rate.
When a body is in equilibrium, the resultant of all the forces acting on it is zero.
R = 0, ∑FX = 0, ∑FY= 0

NEWTON’S FIRST LAW (LAW OF INERTIA)

- Once a body has been set in motion it is no longer necessary to exert a force on it to
maintain it in motion.

NEWTON’S SECOND LAW (LAW OF ACCELERATION)

- the acceleration (a) of a body is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and
inversely proportional to its mass (m).

NEWTON’S THIRD LAW (LAW OF INTERACTION)

- Whenever one body exerts a force on another, the second always exerts on the first a
force which is equal in magnitude, is opposite in direction, and has the same line of
action.

NEWTON’S LAW OF UNIVERSAL GRAVITATION

- Every particle in the universe attracts every other particle with a force which is directly
proportional to the product of the masses of two particles and inversely proportional to
the square of the distance between the center of the mass.

FRICTION
- is the force that arises to oppose the motion or impending motion of two bodies in
contact.

Static friction – the force between two stationary

surfaces in contact that prevents motion between. It has
a certain maximum value called starting friction.
Dynamic or kinetic friction – occurs when there is a
relative (sliding) motion at the interface of the surface
in contact.

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Ff = µN
µ = tanØ
f s = µs N
fk = µ k N
where: µ = coefficient of friction
µs = coefficient of static friction
µk = coefficient of kinetic friction
µs > µk
Ff = frictional force
N = normal force
R = Reaction
P = applied force

Coefficients of Friction
Materials Static, µs Kinetic, µk
Steel on steel 0.74 0.57
Aluminium on steel 0.61 0.47
Copper on steel 0.53 0.36
Brass on steel 0.51 0.44
Zinc on cast iron 0.85 0.21
Copper on cast iron 1.05 0.29
Glass on glass 0.94 0.4
Copper on glass 0.68 0.53
Teflon on Teflon 0.04 0.04
Teflon on steel 0.04 0.04

Examples:
1. A rope is stretched between two rigid poles 40 feet apart. A load of 100 lbs F f = placed
was frictional
at force
the midpoint of the rope that caused it to sag 5 feet. What is the approximate tension in
the rope in lbs? N = Normal force

R = reaction

P = applied force

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2. A box being pulled by a force of 20 lb exerted in a rope inclined 30 degrees with

horizontal. What is the effective component of the force pulling the box?

3. An electric post is supported by a guy wire which exerts a pull of 100 N on the top of the
post. If the angle between the guy wire and the wire and the ground is 60 degrees,
determine the vertical component of the force supporting the pole.

4. What force T, an angle of 30 degrees above the horizontal, is required to drag a block
weighing 20N to the right at constant speed, if the coefficient of kinetic friction between
block and surface is 0.20?

5. A 100 kg weight rests on a 30 degrees incline plane. Neglecting friction how much pull
must one exert to bring the weight up the plane?

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RECTILINEAR MOTION
Motion – is a progressive change of position of the body.
Mechanics – deals with the relations of force, matter, and motion.
Kinematics – branch of mechanics concerned with forces and mathematical methods of
describing motion.
Rectilinear motion – motion of a single particle/body along a straight line or is moving in the
direction parallel to its displacement.

Uniform motion – a motion with constant speed or velocity.

S = Vt
where: V – is the uniform speed or velocity
t – time
S = distance

Uniformly accelerated motion – a motion with constant change in velocity or of uniform

acceleration.
𝟏
S = Vo (t) + 𝟐 𝒂 𝒕𝟐 where:
Vf = is the final velocity
Vf2 = Vo2 + 2as Vo = is the original or initial velocity
Vf = Vo + at S = is the distance travelled (displacement)
t = is the time
𝐕𝐨+𝐕𝐟
S=( ) (𝒕) a = is the acceleration
𝟐

Free Falling Body where:

𝟏 Vf = is the final velocity
h = Vo (t) + 𝟐 𝒈𝒕𝟐 Vo = is the original or initial velocity
g is (+) when going down
Vf = Vo + gt
g is (-) when going up
Vf2 = Vo2 + 2gh h = height
t = is the time of flight
g = 9.81 m/s2 = 32.2 ft/s2

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