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Introduction

Course Information
• Course of Physics for engineering
students (General Physics or University
Physics) consists of three parts:
 Physics I: Mechanics
Physics (Greek: physis – φύσις meaning "nature")
is the natural science which examines basic concepts  Physics II: Electromagnetics &
such as energy, force, and space, time and all that derives Thermal Physics
from these, such as mass, charge, matter and its motion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics
 Physics III: Optics & Quantum Physics

• Course has several components:

 Lectures Lectures
 Discussion sections (tutorials, problem
solving, quizzes) • Turn off your cell phone in lecture
 Homework
• Bring your textbook
 Labs: (group exploration of physical
phenomena) • Pls. NO chatting or private work in
• Exams and grading: lecture
 Scores on the components: homework, • Note taking:
lab works and mid-semester exams are – Lecture notes will be sent to your group’s
mail after each lecture
counted up with the weight 0.3
 Scores on the final exam are counted
with the weight 0.7

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The syllabus
How does Physics work? • References links
– http://course.physastro.iastate.edu/phys221/
units
– http://online.physics.uiuc.edu/courses/phys211/fall09/required_mater
ials.html
Observe • Lecturer contact: Communication by E-mail only
and tuoc.vungoc@hust.edu.vn
measure
• Textbook and other course material:
Build a – Young and Freedman - University Physics with Modern Physics w
model Solution 13e
– Halliday, Fundamentals of Physics Extended, 8e
check – Modern Physics Serway 3e
• On-line video lecturer:
Make a – http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01sc-physics-i-classical-
prediction mechanics-fall-2010/
– http://oyc.yale.edu/physics/phys-200
– http://muller.lbl.gov/teaching/physics10/pffp.html

Why study physics? • what are processes inside plants, animals,…

 Physics is one of the most • what are the nature and properties of
electricity, light, X-ray,
fundamental of the sciences:
Scientists of all disciplines • laser, and many, many things,…
(chemists, biologists,  The study of physics gives you the
engineers,…) sense of beauty as well as intelligence:
must have knowledge about • You can share some of the excitement of new
principles and laws of physics. discoveries of Galileo, Newton, Maxwell,
For example: Einstein…
• what is matter consists of ? • You have a satisfaction of finding answers to
the questions: why the sky is blue, how radio
(molecules, atoms, nuclears)
waves can travel through empty space, how a
• why there are different che- satellite can stay in orbit,…
mical elements in the nature,

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10-24 yocto- y
SI Units 10-21 zepto- z
Multiples of Units
10-18 atto- a
Used by scientific and engineering communities and almost 10-15 femto- f Formal conversion of units:
everywhere in the world.
10-12 pico- p
Multiply by the appropriate
Length: The meter (1 m = 3.281 ft) 10-9 nano- n
10-6 micro- 
representation of 1 to cancel
Mass: The kilogram (1 kg = 0.06585 slug) 10-3 milli- m
the unwanted units away:
Not the same as weight!
on Earth 1 kg weighs 2.205 lb
10-2 centi- c eg. convert 10 mph into m/s
on the Moon 1 kg weighs 0.368 lb 103 kilo- k
106 mega- M
Time: The second (s) 109 giga- G mile mile 1h 1609 m
10  10   
1012 tera- T h h 3600 s 1 mile
Combinations: 1015 peta- P  4.47 m/s
Unit of speed m/s 1018 exa- E
Unit of force (Newton) is 1 N =1 kg m/s² 1021 zetta- Z
1024 yotta- Y

Unit consistency and conversions Unit consistency and conversions

• An equation must be dimensionally consistent. • An equation must be dimensionally consistent.
Terms to be added or equated must always Terms to be added or equated must always
have the same units. (Be sure you’re adding have the same units. (Be sure you’re adding
“apples to apples.”) “apples to apples.”)

• OK: 5 meters/sec x 10 hours =~ 2 x 102 km

• OK: 5 meters/sec x 10 hours =~ 2 x 102 km
5 meters/sec x 10 hour x (3600 sec/hour)
= 180,000 meters = 180 km = ~ 2 x 102 km • NOT: 5 meters/sec x 10 kg = 50 Joules
(velocity) x (mass) = (energy)

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Consistency of Equations Significant figures

If A=B then A and B must have the same Measurement tools and human perception have limitations.
Eg. A distance measured with a ruler with millimeter markings
combination of units (dimensionality). cannot be 1.047243 m
Correct value is 1.047 m
The last three digits
are meaningless (4 significant figures)

• For example Keep track of that in calculations

(distance)=(speed)(time) Eg. Find the distance covered by a car moving at 31.6 mph for 35 minutes.
1h Last digit is meaningless, but you
[m] = ([m]/[s]) [s] 35 min
60 min
 0.583 h
can keep it…

miles
distance  31.6  0.583 h  18.4 miles
h
• Units provide a very powerful cross- Correct answer is 18 miles
check. (only 2 significant figures given for time)

Scientific notation and significant Measurement & Uncertainty

figures No measurement is exact; there is always
some uncertainty due to limited instrument
Number Significant figures
accuracy and difficulty reading results.
3.4 2

3.40 / 3.45 3

0.3 / 3 / 0.0003 1

30 1 or 2?

3× 102 1

3.0 × 102 2

3.00 × 102 3

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Measurement & Uncertainty Significant Figures

– The uncertainty of a measured quantity Number of significant figures = number of

is indicated by its number of significant “reliably known digits” in a number.
figures.
Often possible to tell # of significant figures by the way the number
• Ex: 8.7 centimeters is written:
–2 sig figs
• 23.21 cm = four significant figures.
– Specific rules for significant figures exist
• 0.062 cm = two significant figures
– In online homework, sig figs matter! (initial zeroes don’t count).

Significant Figures Rules for Significant Figures

Numbers ending in zero are ambiguous. •When multiplying or dividing numbers, or

Does the last zero mean uncertainty to a using functions, result has as many sig figs as
factor of 10, or just 1? term with fewest (the least precise).

Is 20 cm precise to 10 cm, or 1? We need rules!

•ex: 11.3 cm x 6.8 cm = 77 cm.

• 20 cm = one significant figure

(trailing zeroes don’t count w/o decimal point) •When adding or subtracting, answer is no
more precise than least precise number used.
• 20. cm = two significant figures
(trailing zeroes DO count w/ decimal point)

• 20.0 cm = three significant figures • ex: 1.213 + 2 = 3, not 3.213!

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Significant Figures Measurement and Uncertainty

•Calculators will not give right # of •Scientific notation is commonly used in

sig figs; usually give too many but physics; it allows the number of significant
sometimes give too few (especially if figures to be clearly shown.
there are trailing zeroes after a
decimal point).
•Ex: cannot easily tell how many
significant figures in “36,900”.
•top image: result of 2.0/3.0
•However, if we write 3.69 x 104, we
•bottom image: result of 2.5 x 3.2 know it has three; if we write 3.690 x
104, it has four.

Measurement & Uncertainty Uncertainty and significant figures

– Every measurement has uncertainty
No measurement is exact; there is always
some uncertainty due to limited instrument • Ex: 8.7 cm (2 sig figs)
accuracy and difficulty reading results. –“8” is (fairly) certain
–8.6? 8.8?
Photo illustrates this – it would
–8.71? 8.69?
be difficult to measure the
width of this board more
– Good practice – include uncertainty
accurately than ± 1 mm. with every measurement!
• 8.7  0.1 meters

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Uncertainty and significant figures Relative Uncertainty

– Uncertainty should match •Relative uncertainty: ratio of uncertainty to

measurement in the least precise measured value, multiplied by 100.
digit:
•ex. 8.8 ± 0.1 cm
• 8.7  0.1 centimeters
• 8.70  0.10 centimeters What is the relative uncertainty in this
• 8.709  0.034 centimeters measurement?
• 8  1 centimeters

Uncertainty and significant figures— Uncertainty and significant figures—

Figure 1.7 Figure 1.7

• Physics involves – As this train mishap

approximations; these can illustrates, even a small
affect the precision of a percent error can have
measurement. spectacular results!

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Conceptual Example: Significant figures Conceptual Example: Significant figures

Using a protractor, you measure an angle to be 30°. Using a protractor, you measure an angle to be 30°.

(a) How many significant figures should you quote in this (a) How many significant figures should you quote in this
measurement? measurement? What uncertainty?
2 sig figs! (30. +/- 1 degrees or 3.0 x 101 +/- 1
degrees)

Conceptual Example: Significant figures Conceptual Example: Significant figures

Using a protractor, you measure an angle to be 30°. Using a protractor, you measure an angle to be 30°.

(b) What result would a calculator give for the cosine of (b) What result would a calculator give for the cosine of
this result? What should you report? this result? What should you report?

0.866025403, but to two sig figs, 0.87!

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Accuracy vs. Precision Accuracy vs. Precision

Accuracy is how close a measurement comes Accuracy is how close a measurement comes
to the true value. to the true value. (established by % error)
ex. Acceleration of Earth’s gravity = 9.81 m/sec2 Precision is the repeatability of the
Your experiment produces 10 ± 1 m/sec2
measurement using the same instrument.
• You were accurate! How accurate? Measured by ERROR.
• |Actual – Measured|/Actual x 100% Precision is reflected by significant
• | 9.81 – 10 | / 9.81 x 100% = 1.9% figures in your measurements!

Accuracy vs. Precision Accuracy vs. Precision

Accuracy is how close a measurement comes Accuracy is how close a measurement comes
to the true value. (established by % error) to the true value. (established by % error)
Precision is the repeatability of the Precision is the repeatability of the
measurement using the same instrument. measurement using the same instrument.
ex. Your experiment produces 8.334 m/sec2 ex. Your experiment produces 8.334 m/sec2
for the acceleration of gravity (9.81 m/sec2) for the acceleration of gravity (9.81 m/sec2)

Were you accurate? Were you precise? Accuracy: 15% error (your subjective decision)
Precision: 4 sig figs (implying very precise)

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Order of Magnitude: Rapid Estimating

CHAPTER I
Quick way to estimate calculated quantity:
• round off all numbers in a calculation to Kinematics of Material
one significant figure and then
calculate. Point
• result should be right order of
§1. Motion in one dimension
magnitude
§2. Motion in two and three dimensions
• expressed by rounding off to nearest
power of 10 §3. Circular motion
• 104 meters
• 108 light years

Order of Magnitude: Rapid Estimating

An overview of Mechanics
Example: Volume of a lake
Mechanics: study of the motion of objects.
1. Kinematics: How do things move?
2. Dynamics: Why do things move? For some
problems, the Estimate how much
3. Conservation laws: math is easier
to handle with
water there is in a
•Work-energy
particular lake, which is
•Momentum (linear and angular) roughly circular, about
4. Some special cases: 1 km across, and you
•Rigid body motion guess it has an average
•Simple harmonic motion depth of about 10 m.
•Gravitational forces, Hooke’s law…

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Order of Magnitude: Rapid Estimating Order of Magnitude: Rapid Estimating

Example: Volume of a lake Example: Volume of a lake

Volume = p x r2 x depth Volume = p x r2 x depth

= ~ 3 x 500 x 500 x = 7,853,981.634 cu. m
10
~ 107 cubic meters
= ~75 x 105
= ~ 100 x 105
= ~ 107 cubic meters

Order of Magnitude: Rapid Estimating

Example: Thickness of a page.

Estimate the thickness

of a page of your
textbook.

(Hint: you don’t need

one of these!)

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