Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able
to: Describe the nature of physics . Differentiate a physical law from a physical theory . Define the standard units of measurement Solve problems involving unit conversion Identify the number of significant figures in one measurement result

Recall: Nature & Scope of Physics

Physics has developed out of the efforts of

men and women to explain our

______________________ Physics study of matter, energy and interaction between the two. Physics is an experimental science. Physics quantitative (and qualitative) in nature. Physics employs idealized models.

physical environment

Recall: Nature & Scope of Physics

Physical Law -readily observable fact about physical phenomena

Physical Theory - is an advanced

hypothesis

(Recall: hypothesis?) - has a range of validity

Nature & Scope of Physics

PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITIES

STANDARDS & UNITS

MASS- is the amount of matter in a body; The standard unit of mass is 1 kg

STANDARDS & UNITS

LENGTH The standard unit of length is 1m. One meter =distance covered by light in 1/299,792,458 of a second

STANDARDS & UNITS

LENGTH The meter was originally defined as 1/10,000,000 of the distance from North Pole to Equator

The original one foot (France) was the length of the foot of King Louis XIV

STANDARDS & UNITS

TIME The standard unit of time 1s. When a Ce atom shifts from the higher energy state of its two lowest energy states, a microwave radiation is emitted. The duration for 9, 192, 631, 770 cycles of this radiation is one second

radiation

Cesium

STANDARDS & UNITS

TIME

Figure 1-3 This atomic clock, the NIST-F1, is considered one of the worlds most accurate clocks. It keeps time with an uncertainty of about one second in twenty million years.

UNITS

UNITS
length, mass, and time (as well as a few others), are regarded as ..

base quantities _____________________

fundamental quantities

Derived

quantities

are

combinations

of

Unit Prefixes and Conversion

Unit Prefixes and Conversion

Unit Prefixes and Conversion

UNIT CONSISTENCY ! 1 ft = 0.3048 m 1 mi = 1.609 km 1 hp = 746 W 1,000 liter = 1 m3 2.2 lb = 1 kg

MEASUREMENT
Measurement is a comparison of an unknown quantity called the measurand with a known amount of the same quantity called the standard The value of 4.0 m indicates that the outer diameter is four times that of one meter. Here the outer diameter is the measurand while one meter is the standard.

4.0 m

MEASUREMENT
Accuracy -How close it is likely to the true value Precision -How close the values are from one another

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Uncertainty

We might have read the measurement as 2.11 m or 2.12 m or so. But we are sure that it is 2.1_..

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Uncertainty

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
ADDITION When adding two or more measurement results, the sum should have the same number of decimal places as that of the addend with the smallest number of decimal places Eg., Find the sum of the following length values: 24.5 m, 35.672 m, 24.62108 m 24.5 m 35.672 m + 24.62108 m 84.79308 m 84.8

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
SUBTRACTION Same rule as that of addition: the measurement with the least number of decimal places dictates the number of decimal places for the difference Eg., 99.538 s - 21.45 s 120.988 s 121.99 s

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
MULTIPLICATION/ DIVISION The answer should be rounded off to n significant figures where n is the number of significant figures of the measurement involved in the operation of multiplication or division with the least number of significant figures

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
MULTIPLICATION/ DIVISION Find the area of a rectangular rice field with a length of 230.56 m and width of 154 m.

Common Mistakes
Forget/ interchange the conversion factors Cancellation of powers in unit conversion Not checking if the answers are reasonable Confusion on SF Rules for Addition/Subtraction as against that for Multiplication/ Division.

Summary of Topics Discussed

Physics as a science Standards and Units of measurement Base/ fundamental unit vs. Derived units Rules on Significant Figures --end of lesson--