GENERAL PHYSICS 1

PHYSICS
 PHYSICS

CLASSICAL MODERN
 MECHANICS

PHYSICS THERMODYNAMICS

CLASSICAL OPTICS

ELECTRICITY AND
MAGNETISM

WAVE MOTION
AND SOUND
 SPECIAL AND GENERAL
RELATIVITY

PHYSICS NUCLEAR PHYSICS

QUANTUM
MODERN MECHANICS

PARTICLE PHYSICS

OTHER DICOVERIES
FROM 1900 ONWARDS
Physical Properties
Physical
quantities can
be expressed in
terms of several
fundamental
quantities.
Mass, distance,
time are some
of these
fundamental
quantities.
How difficult will
it be in giving
mental picture
without a
standard
reference?
Determine the number of significant figures of the
values given below:

1. 0.0025 → ___________
2. 12.00030 → ___________
3. 3.1416 → ___________
4. 20.20 → ___________
5. 0.4 → ___________
Rules in determining the number of
significant figures:

1. All nonzero digits are significant.

2. All zeros between nonzero digits are significant.
3. All zeros before the first nonzero digit are NOT
significant.
4. All zeros to the right of the last nonzero digit are
significant.
Significant Figures

In adding or subtracting quantities, the least number of decimal

places in any of the numbers being added or subtracted should
also be the number of the decimal places in the answer.

Example:
2.15 m Two decimal places
+ 1.8 m One decimal place → LEAST
4.7 m ONE decimal place
Significant Figures

In multiplying or dividing quantities, the least number of significant

figures in the input number should also be the number of
significant figures in the answer.
Example:

10.58 cm Four significant figures

x 2.14 cm Three significant figures → LEAST
22.6 cm2 THREE significant figures
Determine the number of significant figures of the
values given below:

1. 0.0025 → ___________
2. 12.00030 → ___________
3. 3.1416 → ___________
4. 20.20 → ___________
5. 0.4 → ___________
 Scientific Notation

Scientific notation also called exponential notation

is a convenient way of writing values using the
power of ten notation wherein we can determine
the number of significant digits as well as the
place value of the digit. Place values are denoted
by prefixes.
 𝑒
Format: 𝐶. 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 × 10
where: 𝐶 - the characteristic digit (may be any digit from
0-9)
𝑀 - the mantissa digits (may be any digit from 0-9)
10 - base
𝑒 - exponent, the number of times the decimal
point is moved to either
towards left or right
Rules in expressing standard notation to
scientific notation:
1. When the decimal point is moved from right to left, the result is
positive exponent.
Example: 7806. 123 = 7. 806123 × 103 = 7.81 × 103

2. When the decimal point is moved left to right, the result is

negative exponent.
Example: 0.00007806123 = 7.806123 × 10−5 = 7.81 × 10−5
Rules converting scientific notation back to
standard notation are shown below.

1.Move the current decimal point according to the number

of places based on the exponent .
(+) positive exponent – move to the RIGHT

Example:

(−) negative exponent – move to the LEFT

Example:
Rules in Addition and Subtraction involving
scientific notation

1. When two or more quantities are added or subtracted, make sure the exponents
are the same. If not, choose one to adjust the decimal and exponent. Use LARS
(Left Add, Right Subtract).
2. Add/subtract the number. Keep the exponent the same.

Examples:
a. 6.2 × 103 + 1.74 × 103 = 6.2 + 1.74 × 103 = 7.94 × 103
b. 7.1 × 103 + 5.2 × 105 = 0.071 × 105 + 5.2 × 105 = 5.271 × 105
- Since exponents are not the same, choose one to adjust.
- LARS-𝐿𝑒𝑓𝑡 𝐴𝑑𝑑, 𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡 (here we will adjust 7.1 × 103 to have
an exponent of 105 )
- From 103 to 105, we will move two decimal places to the left since we
added two to the exponent, that becomes 0.071×105.
Rules in Multiplication and Division involving
scientific notation
1. Powers of ten are added in multiplication

Example:
1.50 × 102 1.20 × 103 = (1.50)(1.20) × 102+3 = 1.80 × 105

2. Powers of ten are subtracted in division

Example:
1.50×102 1.50
= × 102−3 = 1.25 × 10−1
1.20×103 1.20
 Parameter Measurement Scientific Notation
Distance from Earth to Sun 150, 000, 000 km
Mass of an average human cell 0.000000000001 kg
Diameter of the moon 3, 474, 000 m
Temperature at the core of the Sun 15, 600, 000 K
Parameter Measurement Standard Form
Mass of a proton 1.673 × 10−27 kg
Actual charge of proton 1.602 × 10−19 C
Unit Consistency and
Conversion of Units
There are two major systems of units in the world
namely; SI (derived from French Syteme
International) units also known as Metric system and
the English system. Although the system of units
used by engineers and scientists is the metric system
since 1960, some countries continue to use the
English system of units like for example the United
States of America. However, the conversions between
the SI unit and English system of units have been well-
defined.
Multiplying and/or dividing units just like ordinary algebraic expressions give an
easy way to convert a quantity from one unit to another to be dimensionally
consistent.
Examples:
(a)To convert 0.28 𝑚 to 𝑚𝑚
Conversion factor to be used: 1𝑚 = 1 000 𝑚𝑚

1000 𝑚𝑚
0.28 𝑚 × = 280 𝑚𝑚
1𝑚
(b) To convert 90 𝑘𝑚/ℎ in meters per second
Conversion factors to be used:
1𝑘𝑚 = 1, 000 𝑚; 1 ℎ𝑟 = 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛; 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 60 𝑠

𝑘𝑚 1000 𝑚 1ℎ 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛
90 × × × = 25 𝑚Τ𝑠
ℎ 1 𝑘𝑚 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛 60 𝑠
 𝑘𝑔 𝑔
(c) To convert 50 3 to
𝑚 𝑐𝑚3

Conversion factors to be used:

1 𝑘𝑔 = 1000 𝑔 ; 1 𝑚 = 100 𝑐𝑚
3
𝑘𝑔 1000 𝑔 1𝑚 𝑘𝑔 1000 𝑔 1𝑚3 𝑔
50 3 × × = 50 3 × × 3
= 0.05 ൗ𝑐𝑚3
𝑚 1 𝑘𝑔 100 𝑐𝑚 𝑚 1 𝑘𝑔 1,000,000𝑐𝑚
(d) Converting units with different prefixes.

(i). Example: convert 5 Megameter to meter

5 Mm → mega from the table above means 106

5 Mm = 5 × 106 m
(ii). Example: convert 7 milligrams to grams

7 mg → mili means 10-3 from the table

7 𝑚𝑔 = 7 × 10−3 𝑔

(iii). Example: 5 km to cm

Kilometer means 1 x 103 m and Centimeter means 1 x 10-2 m

1 × 103 𝑚 1 𝑐𝑚 5
5𝑘𝑚 𝑥( )×( −2
) = 5 × 10 𝑐𝑚 𝑜𝑟 500, 000 𝑐𝑚
1𝑘𝑚 1 × 10 𝑚
ANOTHER way to do this: 𝟓 𝒌𝒎 to 𝒄𝒎

Step 1: subtract exponents: kilo has exponent of 103 and centi has exponent of 10−2

3 subtract -2 → 3 - (-2) = 5
Step 2: move the decimal places according to difference of exponents to the
direction of the wanted unit. In this example, we move the decimal point 5
places to the right (toward centi).

(iv). Example: 384.0 𝑚𝑔 to 𝑑𝑔

milli means 10−3 so, 384.0 𝑚𝑔 = 384.0 × 10−3 𝑔
and 1𝑑𝑔 = 0.1 𝑔

−3 1 𝑑𝑔
384.0 × 10 𝑔 × = 3. 840 𝑑𝑔
0.1 𝑔
ANOTHER way to do this: 384.0 mg to dg

Step 1: subtract exponents: milli has exponent of 10-3 and deci has exponent
of 10-1

-1 subtract -3 → (-1) - (-3) = 2

Step 2: move decimal places according to difference of exponents to the
direction of wanted unit. In this example, we move the decimal point 2
places to the left (toward deci).
Fill-in the blanks with the correct values to justify the
relationship of the quantities given.

1. 15 𝑝𝑚 = _________ 𝑚 6. 0.005 𝑘𝑔 = ________ 𝑐𝑔

2. 25 𝑚𝑚 = ________ 𝑐𝑚 7. 60 𝑚𝑔 = ________ 𝑔

3. 90 𝑑𝑚 = ________ 𝑚 8. 100 L = ________ mL

4. 9.8 ℎ𝑚 = ________ 𝑑𝑚 9. 5, 000 𝑚𝐿 ________ 𝑘𝐿

5. 35 𝑔 = ________ 𝑚𝑔 10. 0.88 𝑘𝑙 = ________ 𝐿