Physics (101)
Introduction
and
Chapter 1
Course Descriptions
PHY 101 PHYSICS I 3(2-2-1):
Properties of matter, surface tension,
viscosity, elasticity, fluids, applications.
Simple harmonic motion, damped and
resonance in harmonic motion, sound
waves, Doppler effect, light waves,
reflection, refraction, diffraction, dispersion,
mirrors and lenses, interference, diffraction
and polarization,
Weighting of Assessments
Quizzes 20 %
Mid-Term Examination 20 %
Final lab Examination 20 %
Final-Term Examination 40 %
Total 100 %
systems of units
cgs system
Length cm
Mass g
Time s
Mks system
Length m
Mass kg
British system
Length Foot (ft)
Mass Pound (Ib)
Time Second (s)
Measurements
Used to describe natural phenomena
Needs defined standards
Characteristics of Standards for Measurements
Readily accessible
Possess some property that can be measured
reliably
Must yield the same results when used by anyone
anywhere
Cannot change with time
Standards of Fundamental
Quantities
Standardized systems
Agreed upon by some authority, usually a
governmental body
SI – Systéme International
Agreed to in 1960 by an international committee
Main system used in this text
Fundamental Quantities and
Their Units
Quantity SI Unit
Length meter
Mass kilogram
Time second
Temperature Kelvin
Electric Current Ampere
Luminous Intensity Candela
Amount of Substance mole
UNITS (Systéme Internationale)
Dimension SI (mks) Unit Definition
Length meters (m) Distance traveled by light in
1/(299,792,458) s
Mass kilogram (kg) Mass of a specific platinum-
iridium allow cylinder kept by
Intl. Bureau of Weights and
Measures at Sèvres, France
Time seconds (s) 9,192,631,700 oscillations of
cesium atom
Standard Kilogram
Basic Quantities and Their
Dimension
Dimension has a specific meaning – it
denotes the qualitative nature of a physical
quantity
Dimensions are denoted with square
brackets
Length [L]
Mass [M]
Time [T]
The dimension of the SI base quantities:
Length [L]
Mass [M]
Time [T]
Electric charge [Q]
Electric current [I] = [QT-1]
Temperature [θ]
Amount of substance [S]
Luminous intensity [J]
Dimensional Analysis
Technique to check the correctness of an equation
or to assist in deriving an equation
Dimensions (length, mass, time, combinations) can
be treated as algebraic quantities
add, subtract, multiply, divide
Both sides of equation must have the same
dimensions
Any relationship can be correct only if the
dimensions on both sides of the equation are the
same
Cannot give numerical factors: this is its limitation
Dimensional Analysis,
example
Given the equation: x = vt +½ at 2
Check dimensions on each side:
1 L 2
L LT T 2 T L L L
T
The T2’s cancel, leaving L for the dimensions
of each side
The equation is dimensionally correct
There are no dimensions for the constant
Dimensional Analysis to
Determine a Power Law
Determine powers in a proportionality
Example: find the exponents in the expression x a t
m n
You must have lengths on both sides
Acceleration has dimensions of L/T2
Time has dimensions of T
Analysis gives x at
2
Symbols
The symbol used in an equation is not necessarily
the symbol used for its dimension
Some quantities have one symbol used consistently
For example, time is t virtually all the time
Some quantities have many symbols used,
depending upon the specific situation
For example, lengths may be x, y, z, r, d, h, etc.
The dimensions will be given with a capitalized,
nonitalicized letter
The algebraic symbol will be italicized
Example The speed of waves in shallow water
depends only on the acceleration due to gravity; g,
and on the water depth h. Which of the following
formulas for the wave speed v could be correct?
1 2
a ) v gh or b )v gh
2
Solution
LHS : v LT
1
1 2
RHS : gh LT 2 L2 L3T 2
2
As clear, the dimensions of both sides are not the
same, and
v 1/ 2 gh 2
is not correct.
LHS: v = LT -1
-2 12 1
2 -2 2
1
RHS: gh = LT L = L T = LT
2
-1
The dimensions of both sides are the
same and so
v= gh could be correct
1.4 How does the frequency f of a simple pendulum depend on the
mass m, the length of the string, and the acceleration due to gravity
g?
LHS: f T 1
f Km g x y z
RHS: Km x y g z M x L y LT
2 z
M x L y z T 2 z
T 1 M x L y z T 2 z
Or
M 0 L0T 1 M x L y z T 2 z
g
f K
Example 1.8 Consider a string of length and mass m stretched under a
tension T. If a transverse mechanical wave is propagating along it with
velocity v, how does v depends on , m, and T.
Example 1.9 The gravitational force between two masses m1 and m2
mm
separated by a distance r is given by: F G 1 2 2 where G is the
r
gravitational constant. Find the dimensions of G.
W 3
15. Check by the method of dimensions, the following equations 4bd 3Y
Where is the depression produced at the middle point of a light beam of
breadth b and thickness d placed symmetrically on two knife edges
length,
near its ends and loaded in the middle of a weight W. Y is the Young's
modulus of the material of beam
Conversion of Units
When units are not consistent, you may need
to convert to appropriate ones
Units can be treated like algebraic quantities
that can cancel each other out
Conversion
Factors
2.54cm 1 in
1 in 2,54cm or
1 in 2.54cm
Two conversion factors
Unit needed
Unit given Unit needed
Unit given
Conversion
Always include units for every quantity, you can
carry the units through the entire calculation
Multiply original value by a ratio equal to one
Example
15.0 in ? cm
2.54 cm
15.0 in 38.1cm
1in
Note the value inside the parentheses is equal to 1 since 1
in. is defined as 2.54 cm
Simple, One Step
Conversions
A rainbow trout is measured to be 16.2 in. long. What is
the length in cm?
2.54 cm
length in cm = 16.2 in x = 41.1 cm
1 in
Note the cancellation of units. To convert from
centimeters to inches, the conversion factor would be 1
in / 2.54 cm.
Simple, One Step
Conversions
CBS News reported the barometric pressure to be 99.6 kPa. Express this in mm Hg.
Conversion factor : 101.3 kPa = 760 mm Hg
Unit needed
760 mm Hg
pressure (mmHg) = 99.6kPa x 101.3 kPa = 747mmHg
Unit given
Unit given
Multiple Conversion
Factors
A baseball is thrown at 89.6 miles per hour. What is the
speed in meters per second?
Mile/hour m/hour m/s
1 mile = 1.609 km = 1.609 x 103 m; 1 h = 3600 s
miles 1.609 x 103m 1h
speed = 89.6 x x = 40.0 m / s
hour 1 mile 3600 s
Three sig. figs.
Units raised to a Power
The conversion factor must also be raised to that power.
A circle has an area of 28 in2. Calculate area in cm2.
in2 cm2
(1 in)2 = (2.54 cm)2
Area = 28 in x
2 (2.54 cm) 2
28 in2 x 6.45 cm 2
= = 1.8 x 102 cm2
(1 in)2 1 in 2
Two sig. figs.
Reasonableness of Results
When solving a problem, you need to check
your answer to see if it seems reasonable
Reviewing the tables of approximate values
for length, mass, and time will help you test
for reasonableness
Number Notation
When writing out numbers with many digits,
spacing in groups of three will be used
No commas
Standard international notation
Examples:
25 100
5.123 456 789 12
Prefixes
Prefixes correspond to powers of 10
Each prefix has a specific name
Each prefix has a specific abbreviation
Prefixes, cont.
The prefixes can be used with any basic units
They are multipliers of the basic unit
Examples:
1 mm = 10-3 m
1 mg = 10-3 g
Power Prefix Symbol Power Prefix 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
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
1. [ML-1T-2] is the dimensional formula of
a. Force b. coefficient of friction c. modulus of elasticity d. energy
Ans: C
2. The dimensional formula of coefficient of viscosity is
a. [MLT-1] b. [M-1L2T-2] c. [ML-1T -1] d. none of these
Ans: C
3. On the basis of dimensional equation, the maximum number of unknown that can
be found, is
a. One b. two c. three d. four
Ans: C
4. If v stands for velocity of sound, E is elasticity and d the density, then find x in the
equation
v = (d/E)x
a. 1 b. ½ c. 2 d. -1/2
Ans: D
5. The multiplication of 10.610 with 0.210 up to correct number of significant figure
is
a. 2.2281 b. 2.228 c. 2.22 d. 2.2
Ans: B
6. The measurement of radius of a circle has error of 1%. The error in
measurement of its area is
a. 1% b. 2% c. 3% d. none of these
Ans: B
7. Dimensional formula of latent heat
a. M0L2T-2 b. MLT-2 c. ML2T-2 d. ML2T-2
Ans: A
8. In case of measurement of ‘g’, if error in measurement of length of pendulum
is 2%, the percentage error in time period is 1 %. The maximum error in
measurement of g is
a. 1 % b. 2 % c. 4 % d. no error.
Ans: C
9. If length of pendulum is increased by 2%. The time period will
a. increases by 1% b. decreases by 1% c. increases by 2% d.
decreases by 2%
Ans: A
11. The S.I. unit of universal gas constant is
a. Watt K-1mol-1
b. N K-1mol-1
c. JK-1mol-1
d. erg K-1mol-1
Ans: C
12. The dimensional formula of couple
a. ML2T-2
b. MLT-1
c. ML-1T-1
d. M1L1T-2
Ans: A
13. An experiment measures quantities a, b, c and x is calculated from . If the
maximum percentage error in a, b and c are 1%, 3% and 2% respectively, the
maximum percentage error in x will be
a. 13%
b. 17%
c. 14%
d. 11%
Ans: A
14. Dimensional formula of thermal conductivity is
a. ML2T-3θ-1
b. ML2T-2θ-4
c. ML2T-2θ-1
d. MLT-3θ-1
Ans: D
15. Three measurements 7.1 J, 7.2 J and 6.7 J are made as experiment the result with correct
number of significant figures is
a. 7.1 J
b. 7.06 J
c. 7.0 J
d. 7J
Ans: C
16. If P represents radiation pressure, c represents speed of light and Q represents radiation
energy striking a unit area per second, then non-zero integers x, y and z, such that PxQycz is
dimensionless, may be
a. x = 1, y =1, z = 1.
b. x = 1, y =-1, z = 1.
c. x = -1, y =1, z = 1.
d. x = 1, y = 1, z = 1
Ans: B
