General Physics Reviewer (First Quarter)

1.1 Measurement in Physics

 Physics is an experimental science. It deals with the interaction of matter, force and energy.
Physics is divided into Classical and Modern Physics.

 Modern Physics started beyond 1900 with Max Planck’s discovery of blackbody radiation.

Major Areas of Modern Physics:

1. Nuclear Physics deals with the properties of and the reactions with the atomic nucleus.

2. General Relativity tells how matter curves space-time and how the curvature of space-time dictates
the trajectory of matter and light.

3. Special Relativity deals with phenomena associated when an object moves with speeds
approaching the speed of light.

4. Particle Relativity deals with the building blocks of matter called Elementary Particles.

5. Quantum Mechanics deals with the nature and behavior of matter and energy on the atomic and
subatomic levels.

 Classical Physics – started prior to 1900; deals with microscopic objects moving at speeds very
small compared to the speed of light in a vacuum

Branches of Classical Physics:

1. Mechanics deals with motion, force, work, energy and fluids.

2. Heat and Thermodynamics deals with effects of heat.

3. Optics deals with study of light and its properties (3 x 10 8 m/s / 300 000 000 m/s).

4. Electricity and Magnetism deals with phenomena associated with electrical charges, magnetism,
and relationship between electricity and magnetism.

5. Wave Motion and Sounds deals with the properties, transmission and perception of different types
of waves.

The Measuring Process

 Measurement – the process of comparing something with a standard to carry out measurements,
system of standards and a system of units should be defined.

The 2 System Units:

1. The Metric System – MKS system: meter, kilogram, second and CYS system: centimeter, grams,
second

2. The English System – FPS system: foot, pound, second

 Le Systeme International d'Unites – a French word where International System of Units comes
from.
  International System of Units is the modern form of metric system that the General Conference on
Weights and Measures has agreed upon and is legally enforced in almost all parts of the world.

 Physical Quantity – numbers used to describe measurement

Note: Numbers are just imaginary or imagination.

2 Types of Physical Quantity:

1) Fundamental Quantities – are basic quantities that are independent of one another. Example:
length, mass, time, thermodynamics temperature, electric current

2) Derived Quantities – combinations of fundamental quantities.

 Based or Fundamental Units – units corresponding to the fundamental quantities

Scientific Notation and Unit Conversion

 Scientific Notation – is a convenient and widely used method of expressing large and small
numbers. Any quantity maybe expressed in the form N x 10 n, where

o N – any number between 1 to 10

o n – is the appropriate power of 10

Example: 325,000,000,000 = 3.25 x 1011

o Positive exponent – whole number ang answer; move to the right

o Negative exponent – decimal ang answer, move to the left

Examples:
1. 6.46 x 10-4 = 0.000646 → 0.000646

2. 5.43 x 106 = 5,430,000 → 5,430,000

3. The speed of light is approx. 300 000 000m/s.

300 000 000 m/s = 3 x 108 m/s → 300 000 000

4. The mass of a strand of hair is approx. 0.000 000 62 kg = 6.2 x 10 -7 kg

→ 0.000 000 62 (62 hundred millionths)

(0.01 – one hundredths)

5. Convert (a) 55 km to meters and (b) 12 g to kilograms. Express the answer in scientific
notation.
a. 55 km = 55 km x 1000 m/1 km = 55 x 1000 m = 55 x 10 3 m
b. 12 g = 12 g x 1 kg/ 1000 g = 12 x 10-3 kg = 1.2 x 10-2 kg
6.

1.2 Uncertainty and Error Analysis

 Error is the deviation of a measured value from the expected or true value.

 Uncertainty is a way of expressing this error. The equation shows the relationship of these factors:
measured value = (true value +- uncertainty) units

 Accuracy refers to the closeness of a measured value to the expected or true value of a physical
quantity.

 Precision represents how close or consistent the independent measurements of the same quantity
are to one another.

 Random Errors – results from unpredictable or inevitable changes during data measurement. It
affects the precision of the measurements. These errors maybe reduce by increasing the number
of trials of measurement and averaging out the results.

Examples:
- Electronic noise from an electrical device
- Slight variation of temperature when the volume of a gas is being measured
- Uncontrollable presence of wind when determining the period of a simple pendulum

 Systematic Errors come from the measuring instrument or in the design of the experiment itself.
These errors limit the accuracy of results.

 Percentage Error or Percent Error – when there is an expected or true value of quantity.

Formula: percent error = l x - xT l / xT x 100

 Percent Difference is a measure of how far apart the different measured values are from each
other.

Formula: percent difference = l x 1 – x2 l / x1 + x2 / 2 x 100

 Uncertainty indicates the range of values…

 Absolute Uncertainty has the same unit as the quantity itself.

 Relative Uncertainty is dimensionless and is obtained by dividing the A.U by the numerical or
measured value. (in percent)

 Mean = add the given values/measurements then divide to the total number of the given
values/measurements.

 Range = get the difference between the highest and lowest values.
 Uncertainty = one-half of this range; range divided by 2.

 Least Count is the smallest value that can be read from any measuring device. (should be in ±)

 Independent Variable is the variable that is changed by an experimenter.

 Dependent Variable is the variable that is affected by the change is IV.

 Error Bars are used in graphs to represent the uncertainty in data derived from multiple
measurements.