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Brief Contents
Prologue: Getting Started 2 7.2 Electric Force and Coulomb’s Law 263
Why Learn Physics? 3 7.3 Electric Currents—Superconductivity 271
What Is Physics? 4 7.4 Electric Circuits and Ohm’s Law 274
How Is Physics Done? 5 7.5 Power and Energy in Electric Currents 280
How Does One Learn Physics? 6 7.6 AC and DC 283
Physical Quantities and Measurement 9 CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 1 Electromagnetism and EM Waves 292
The Study of Motion 12 8.1 Magnetism 293
1.1 Fundamental Physical Quantities 13 8.2 Interactions between Electricity
1.2 Speed and Velocity 18 and Magnetism 297
1.3 Acceleration 26 8.3 Principles of Electromagnetism 304
1.4 Simple Types of Motion 31 8.4 Applications to Sound Reproduction 306
8.5 Electromagnetic Waves 310
CHAPTER 2 8.6 Blackbody Radiation 318
8.7 EM Waves and Earth’s Atmosphere 325
Newton’s Laws 46
2.1 Force 47 CHAPTER 9
2.2 Newton’s First Law of Motion 51
2.3 Mass 55
Optics 336
2.4 Newton’s Second Law of Motion 57 9.1 Light Waves 336
2.5 The International System of Units (SI) 60 9.2 Mirrors: Plane and Not So Simple 345
2.6 Examples: Different Forces, Different Motions 60 9.3 Refraction 353
2.7 Newton’s Third Law of Motion 67 9.4 Lenses and Images 359
2.8 The Law of Universal Gravitation 70 9.5 The Human Eye 370
2.9 Tides 77 9.6 Dispersion and Color 373
9.7 Atmospheric Optics: Rainbows, Halos, and Blue Skies 375
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 10
Energy and Conservation Laws 86
3.1 Conservation Laws 87
Atomic Physics 390
3.2 Linear Momentum 88 10.1 The Quantum Hypothesis 390
3.3 Work: The Key to Energy 94 10.2 The Photoelectric Effect and Photons 394
3.4 Energy 99 10.3 Atomic Spectra 398
3.5 The Conservation of Energy 104 10.4 The Bohr Model of the Atom 400
3.6 Collisions: An Energy Point of View 111 10.5 Quantum Mechanics 405
3.7 Power 115 10.6 Atomic Structure 409
3.8 Rotation and Angular Momentum 118 10.7 X-Ray Spectra 417
10.8 Lasers 418
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 11
Physics of Matter 128
4.1 Matter: Phases, Forms, and Forces 128 Nuclear Physics 430
4.2 Pressure 138 11.1 The Nucleus 430
4.3 Density 143 11.2 Radioactivity 434
4.4 Fluid Pressure and Gravity 147 11.3 Half-Life 440
4.5 Archimedes’ Principle 153 11.4 Artificial Nuclear Reactions 445
4.6 Pascal’s Principle 161 11.5 Nuclear Binding Energy 446
4.7 Bernoulli’s Principle 162 11.6 Nuclear Fission 449
11.7 Nuclear Fusion 454
CHAPTER 5
Temperature and Heat 172 CHAPTER 12
5.1 Temperature 173 Special Relativity and Elementary Particles 468
5.2 Thermal Expansion 178 12.1 Special Relativity: The Physics of High Velocity 469
5.3 The First Law of Thermodynamics 184 12.2 Forces and Particles 476
5.4 Heat Transfer 188 12.3 Conservation Laws, Revisited 483
5.5 Specific Heat Capacity 193 12.4 Quarks: Order Out of Chaos 492
5.6 Phase Transitions 198 12.5 The Standard Model and GUTs 498
5.7 Heat Engines and The Second Law of Thermodynamics 204
CHAPTER 7
Index I-1
Electricity 260
7.1 Electric Charge 261
Brief Contents v
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Contents
Preface ix CHAPTER 3
vi Contents
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Radiation 190 7.6 AC and DC 283
Combinations 191 ■ Physics Family Album 285
5.5 Specific Heat Capacity 193 Summary 287 • Important Equations 287 • Mapping
■ Physics Potpourri: Energy Flow in Stars 194 It Out! 288 • Questions 288 • Problems 289 •
5.6 Phase Transitions 198 Challenges 291
Humidity 201
CHAPTER 8
5.7 Heat Engines and The Second Law
of Thermodynamics 204 Electromagnetism and
Heat Movers 207 EM Waves 292
Usable Energy 209 Metal Detectors 292
■ Physics Family Album 211
8.1 Magnetism 293
Heat 211
Summary 213 • Important Equations 213 • Mapping 8.2 Interactions between Electricity
It Out! 213 • Questions 214 • Problems 215 • and Magnetism 297
Challenges 217 8.3 Principles of Electromagnetism 304
8.4 Applications to Sound Reproduction 306
CHAPTER 6 Digital Sound 309
Waves and Sound 218 8.5 Electromagnetic Waves 310
Sound Medicine 218 Radio Waves 312
6.1 Waves—Types and Properties 219 Microwaves 313
Infrared 314
6.2 Aspects of Wave Propagation 227
Reflection 228 Visible Light 314
■ Physics Potpourri: The Hubble Relation—Expanding Ultraviolet Radiation 315
Our Horizons 230 X-Rays 315
Doppler Effect 230 ■ Physics Potpourri: N Rays: “C’est une erreur.” 316
Bow Waves and Shock Waves 233 Gamma Rays 317
Diffraction 233 8.6 Blackbody Radiation 318
Interference 235 Temperature Measurement 320
6.3 Sound 237 Detection of Warm Objects 321
Sound Applications 239 ■ Physics Potpourri: Cosmic Background Radiation
■ Physics Potpourri: Putting Sound to Work 240 (CBR)—A Relic of the Big Bang 322
6.4 Production of Sound 242 8.7 EM Waves and Earth’s Atmosphere 325
6.5 Propagation of Sound 245 Ozone Layer 325
6.6 Perception of Sound 248 Greenhouse Effect 326
Pitch 248 The Ionosphere 327
Loudness 248 Astronomy 327
Tone Quality 251 ■ Physics Family Album 329
■ Physics Family Album 254 Summary 332 • Important Equations 332 • Mapping
Sound 254 It Out! 332 • Questions 333 • Problems 334 •
Summary 255 • Important Equations 256 • Mapping Challenges 335
It Out! 256 • Questions 256 • Problems 257 •
Challenges 259 CHAPTER 9
Contents vii
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Image Formation 363 Atomic Bombs 450
Magnification 366 Nuclear Power Plants 451
Aberrations 367 11.7 Nuclear Fusion 454
■ Physics Potpourri: The Camera Obscura: Fusion in Stars 455
A Room with a View 368 ■ Physics Potpourri: Big Bang Nucleosynthesis 456
9.5 The Human Eye 370 Thermonuclear Weapons 458
Eye Surgery 373 Controlled Fusion 458
9.6 Dispersion and Color 373 Cold Fusion 460
■ Physics Family Album 461
9.7 Atmospheric Optics: Rainbows, Halos,
and Blue Skies 375 Summary 464 • Important Equations 464 • Mapping
Rainbows 375 It Out! 464 • Questions 464 • Problems 466 •
Halos 378 Challenges 467
Blue Skies 379
CHAPTER 12
■ Physics Family Album 381
Summary 384 • Important Equations 384 • Mapping Special Relativity and Elementary
It Out! 384 • Questions 385 • Problems 387 • Particles 468
Challenges 388 Antimatter: Available at a Medical Facility near You 468
CHAPTER 10 12.1 Special Relativity: The Physics of High Velocity 469
Postulates of Special Relativity 469
Atomic Physics 390 Predictions of Special Relativity 470
Something Old, Something New 390 12.2 Forces and Particles 476
10.1 The Quantum Hypothesis 390 The Four Forces: Natural Interactions among Particles 476
Blackbody Radiation 391 Classification Schemes for Particles 478
10.2 The Photoelectric Effect and Photons 394 Spin 479
10.3 Atomic Spectra 398 Elementary Particle Lexicon 481
■ Physics Potpourri: Cosmic Chemistry, “. . . To Dream 12.3 Conservation Laws, Revisited 483
of Such a Thing.” 400 New Conservation Laws 484
10.4 The Bohr Model of the Atom 400 Conservation of Baryon and Lepton Numbers 484
■ Physics Potpourri: Symmetry and Conservation
10.5 Quantum Mechanics 405
Laws 486
10.6 Atomic Structure 409
Conservation of Strangeness 488
10.7 X-Ray Spectra 417 ■ Physics Potpourri: Does Nature Distinguish
10.8 Lasers 418 Left from Right? 490
■ Physics Potpourri: Holograms—3-D Images, 12.4 Quarks: Order Out of Chaos 492
No Glasses Required 420 Quarks 494
■ Physics Family Album 424
12.5 The Standard Model and GUTs 498
Summary 425 • Important Equations 426 • Mapping
Charm, Truth, and Beauty 500
It Out! 426 • Questions 426 • Problems 427 •
The Electroweak Interaction and GUTs 503
Challenges 429
■ Physics Family Album 506
CHAPTER 11 Summary 507 • Important Equations 508 • Mapping
It Out! 508 • Questions 509 • Problems 510 •
Nuclear Physics 430 Challenges 511
Radioactive Sentinel 430
11.1 The Nucleus 430 Epilogue 512
11.2 Radioactivity 434 General Relativity 514
Alpha Decay 435 Cosmology 519
Beta Decay 436
Gamma Decay 437 Appendixes
Radioactivity and Energy 438 A Winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics A-1
Applications 438 B Math Review B-1
11.3 Half-Life 440 C Answers C-1
Dating 443 Glossary G-1
■ Physics Potpourri: Radiation: A Killer Turned
Index I-1
Lifesaver 444
Table of Conversion Factors and
11.4 Artificial Nuclear Reactions 445
Other Information Inside back cover
11.5 Nuclear Binding Energy 446
Periodic Table Inside back cover
11.6 Nuclear Fission 449
viii Contents
Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Preface
Welcome to the 7th edition of Inquiry Into Physics. In this edi- fusion, have shaped the political landscape of the world and
tion, we continue our emphasis on the inquiry approach to are likely to continue to do so in the future. A look back at the
learning physics. We ask readers to try things, discover rela- women and men who made many of these important discov-
tionships between physical quantities on their own, and look eries connects us with our past and gives us deeper insight into
for answers in the world around them rather than seek them the pathways that can lead to scientific understanding. These
only in books or on the Internet. As authors, we hope to serve aspects and others are blended throughout the text in an effort
as guides on a tour of the realm of the physical universe. It is to provide you with a sense of the unity both within the disci-
our fervent desire that you, our companions, not simply pline of physics and between the subject and its human prac-
remain on the tour bus the entire time, looking at the mar- titioners. The tools we use to present these facets of physics are
velous sights outside and listening comfortably to our enter- basic ones: the written word; visualizations and models in the
taining patter. Instead, we urge, perhaps even prod, you to get form of hundreds of photos, diagrams, and graphs; and sim-
out of the bus from time to time and walk about in this world, ple mathematics to show how the conceptual side of physics is
to examine things in a direct, hands-on fashion, and to be dar- inextricably woven together with its quantitative side. By these
ing and experiment on the various systems and structures that means, we hope that you will complete your introductory
surround you. Along the journey, give free reign to the innate study of physics having achieved a greater appreciation not
curiosity that we all possess from birth. Don’t be afraid to ask only for what we know about the physical universe but also
questions as we move from place to place in our travels. Keep how we came to know it.
in mind that learning is a more exciting, complete, longer
remembered, and enjoyable process when you are fully
engaged in it and not merely a passive recipient of facts and What’s New?
statistics offered by your instructors or other sources. Each chapter has been thoroughly reviewed, and many sec-
tions have been rewritten to improve the clarity and accuracy
of the prose. The text has been updated and in some cases
Our Intended Audience expanded to reflect the latest scientific discoveries and
This book is designed primarily for students who are taking an achievements in the fields of physics and astronomy, and new
introductory physics course, perhaps for the first time, to sat- material has been added to reflect current affairs and increas-
isfy collegiate requirements or who wish to satisfy their curios- ingly popular applications of physics principles in 21st-
ity and thirst for understanding about the structure and range century life. The art program has been substantially improved
of interactions that characterize our physical universe. It offers throughout the book to offer more contemporary and relevant
a broad survey of the fundamental definitions, laws, and prin- photos and figures to illustrate the connections between fun-
ciples of the discipline of physics, as well as a large sampling damental physical concepts and the modern world. An
of applications of these concepts in virtually every aspect expanded set of end-of-chapter (EOC) exercises, including
of human experience and even beyond. Inquiry Into Physics nearly 50 new questions and problems, has been provided, and
should be considered as a guidebook for a fascinating journey more than half the Explore It Yourself (EIY) application boxes
of exploration into those things that comprise our universe, have been modified to provide clearer instructions and out-
from the smallest subatomic particles to the largest galaxies, as comes.
well as the interactions that can occur between those things, Some specific changes on a chapter-by-chapter basis
from energy-releasing reactions among atomic nuclei to gut- include the following:
wrenching collisions between automobiles to gravitational
Chapter 1. Updated Physics Potpourri on time reflecting
interactions among stars and whole galaxies that result in cat-
current GPS technology. Three new EOC exercises added.
astrophic disruptions over time scales that dwarf modern
humankind’s 200,000-year history on Earth. In ways both Chapter 2. Improved discussion of static friction and
large and small, physics principles and applications touch our revised EIY box to accompany the new presentation.
lives literally from moment to moment: in the pumping action Three new EOC exercises added.
of the heart and the flow of blood in our arteries and veins, in Chapter 3. New chapter opener on forensic physics.
the electrical impulses that enervate our muscles and organs, Updated Physics Potpourris on energy conservation and
and in the processes that drive our senses of sight and sound consumption and neutron star physics that reflect the lat-
that permit us to see and hear the goings-on in the world est data and models for each. Four new EOC exercises
around us. have been added.
Physics also satisfies our intellectual curiosity by revealing Chapter 4. Updated Physics Potpourris on element
Nature’s secrets about things both mundane and exotic. Dis- nomenclature and superfluids to include the latest discov-
coveries in physics, like the processes of nuclear fission and eries and naming conventions for the heaviest elements
Preface ix
Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
and an emphasis on the “creep” effect in liquid helium-4. Physics in Action. Opening each chapter, these examples
Six new EOC exercises have been added. of physics as it plays out in everyday life serve to motivate
Chapter 5. Improved and expanded discussion of the per- the reader to immediately engage with the material by
fect gas law. New treatment of entropy and energy quality. showing how a common device or issue of current inter-
Four new EOC exercises have been added. est and importance connects to the concepts developed in
the chapter.
Chapter 6. Revised discussion of the Doppler effect with
enhanced art. Two new EOC exercises have been added. Examples. Worked exercises illustrating the roles of
physics principles and simple mathematics in real-world
Chapter 7. Revised and updated chapter opener on iProd-
situations are regularly presented as models for problem
ucts. Updated and improved instructions and outcomes
solving.
for nearly all the EIY boxes. Updated section on super-
conductivity to reflect recent developments in materials Explore It Yourself activities. These hands-on experi-
science. Refreshed Summary section. Three new EOC ments and exercises give students the chance to see and do
exercises have been added. physics without the need for specialized equipment or
highly sophisticated techniques. These investigations are
Chapter 8. Updated material on the Large Hadron Col-
generally strategically placed before the relevant text dis-
lider (LHC). Expanded discussion of uses of UV radiation
cussion, inviting the reader to directly experience the
in forensic physics. Explicit use of the Stefan–Boltzmann
upcoming concepts and to begin to formulate their own
law for blackbody radiation. Three new EOC exercises
understanding of them. Where appropriate, answers to
have been added.
these activities appear in an appendix.
Chapter 9. Revised discussion of refraction to properly
Learning Checks. Simple self-quizzes, designed to test the
account for phase relationships between the primary and
reader’s basic comprehension of the material on a section-
secondary (scattered) waves. New discussion of LASEK
by-section basis, are included throughout each chapter.
eye surgery. Three new EOC exercises have been added.
Physics Potpourris. These self-contained essays explore
Chapter 10. Improved discussion of energy and angular
selected topics drawn from astronomy, the history of sci-
momentum quantization in atomic systems. Expanded
ence, biophysics, and other areas and are provided to
treatment of the Pauli exclusion principle. Six new EOC
deepen and enrich the student’s understanding of physics
exercises have been added.
and its applications. Here the word potpourri (pro-
Chapter 11. New discussion of inverse beta decay. New nounced “po-pu-ree”) means a miscellaneous collection,
example highlighting the atomic mass unit in calcula- but two other metaphors based on its other meanings
tions. New discussion of neutron bombs and the 2011 might be helpful in expressing the purpose of these fea-
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan. New equa- tures in the book: an aromatic blend that arouses a sense
tions describing radioactive decay in the Important Equa- of mystery and intrigue, or a fine stew consisting of a mix-
tions section. Nine new EOC exercises have been added. ture of hearty ingredients and tangy spices personally
Chapter 12. Updated tables of subatomic particle proper- selected by a chef.
ties. Updated information on top quark experiments Concept Maps. Based on principles developed from edu-
using the LHC. Two new EOC exercises have been added. cational research, these visual displays offer an alternative
representation of the relationships between important
chapter concepts.
What’s the Plan? Physics Family Album. The final content section of each
The traditional organization of topics followed in many intro- chapter presents a look at the historical development and
ductory physics courses has been retained for this new edition. the human side of physics by describing aspects of the
Once again, we have eschewed the use of shorter, more nar- lives and work of some of the key men and women
rowly focused chapters and have continued with longer ones responsible for the discovery and expression of the laws
that offer the opportunity to present the overarching concep- and concepts presented in the chapter.
tual unity and continuity of the broad subdisciplines that
Summary. This is a brief, bulleted review of the key points
make up our subject (kinematics and dynamics, energy, ther-
in the chapter and a quick, helpful list of the major con-
modynamics, optics, atomic and nuclear physics, etc.). Each of
cepts to master when preparing for tests and quizzes.
the 12 numbered chapters is built around the following com-
mon features: Important Equations. An annotated list of the critical
equations included or developed in the chapter is pre-
Topic Trails. Unlike standard chapter outlines or topic sented for quick reference when problem solving.
lists, these flowchart-like diagrams show how the sections
Mapping It Out! These exercises, some intended for
in the various chapters are interconnected and reinforce
group collaboration, are included to help students use
one another as well as link with other related or depend-
concept-mapping techniques to organize, unify, and
ent topics elsewhere in the book.
improve their understanding of important concepts and
relationships introduced in each chapter.
x Preface
Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Questions. These end-of-chapter queries check students’ The YouBook, an interactive eBook, lets you tailor the textbook
basic understanding of the material and their ability to to fit your course and connect with your students by removing
extend that understanding to new and different situa- and rearranging chapters so assigned readings match your syl-
tions. A special icon () is used to distinguish the first labus exactly. Powerful editing tools let you change as much as
type of question from the second for ease of identification you’d like—or leave it just as it is. Highlight key passages, add
and selection. sticky notes, share them with your students, or keep them per-
Problems. These end-of-chapter exercises offer students sonal. Edit the narrative with text boxes or strike out text. With
opportunities to hone their critical thinking skills using logic a handy link tool, you can drop an icon at any point that links
and simple mathematics to solve problems based on realistic to your own notes, audio files, video lectures, or other files on
applications of the physics developed in each chapter. your Web site or anywhere on the Web. A widget lets you eas-
ily find and embed videos from YouTube. A discussion board
Challenges. More advanced questions and problems
allows students and instructors to chat with others in the class.
designed to test a reader’s mastery of the material at a
Students go beyond just reading the textbook with animations
deeper level are included at the close of each chapter for
that play at the point of learning and their own highlighting,
the benefit of highly motivated students. Many of these
note, and bookmark tools.
exercises can be used as starting points for small group or
whole class discussions.
Conveniently located in the appendices and endsheets of PowerLecture Instructor’s CD with
the book are several additional resources that are helpful in ExamView®
problem solving or in gaining further appreciation of the scope ISBN-13: 978-1-133-11273-0
of physics applications in the 21st century. These include: This digital library and presentation tool includes:
■ Selected Applications of physics concepts and ■ PowerPoint® lecture slides that instructors can
principles; customize by importing their own lecture slides
■ Tables of Conversion Factors and other information or other materials.
(for example, tables of metric prefixes, physical ■ Image libraries that contain digital files for figures,
constants, and other often-used data); photographs, and numbered tables from the text. Use
■ Periodic Table of the Elements; these files to print transparencies, create your own
■ Winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics; PowerPoint slides, and supplement your lectures.
■ Math Review; and ■ Digital files of the complete Instructor’s Solutions
■ Answers to the odd-numbered Problems and Manual revised by Thomas Sieland of Embry-Riddle
Challenges and to the Explore It Yourself activities Aeronautical University. These files provide accurate
(where appropriate). solutions and helpful information for instructors.
Features include:
There is more than enough material in the text than can usu-
ally be covered in a typical one-semester course. However, ■ Chapter Outline and Overview
about 30 of the more specialized sections may be omitted with ■ Learning Objectives
minimal impact on the later topics. Specifically, these include ■ Teaching Suggestions and Lecture Hints
the Physics Potpourris and the Physics Family Albums and ■ Common Misconceptions
sections 2.9, 4.6, 4.7, 5.2, 5.5, 5.7, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 8.4, 8.7, 9.5, 10.7, ■ Consider This (interesting points and additional
10.8, and 12.5. The Topics Trails at the beginning of each experiments)
chapter show more detail concerning the interdependence of ■ Answers to Mapping It Out, Questions, Even-
the various sections of the book. Numbered Problems, and Challenges
■ ExamView testing software that enables you to
create, deliver, and customize tests using the more
What Else Is There? than 1,800 test bank questions written specifically
What else is there? You’ve got it all. for this text. New questions and revisions are
Enhanced WebAssign® with Cengage YouBook provided by Thomas Sieland of Embry- Riddle
ISBN-13: 978-1-133-52516-5 Aeronautical University.
Exclusively from Cengage Learning, Enhanced WebAssign
offers an extensive online program for Physics to encourage
the practice that’s critical for concept mastery. The meticu- Instructor Companion Site
lously crafted pedagogy and exercises in our proven texts Supporting materials are available to qualified adopters. Please
become even more effective in Enhanced WebAssign. consult your local Cengage Learning sales representative for
Enhanced WebAssign includes: details. Go to login.cengage.com, find this textbook, and
choose Instructor Companion Site to request a desk copy or
■ All end-of-chapter problems
locate your sales representative.
■ PhET Interactive Simulations
■ The Cengage YouBook
Preface xi
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Visit CengageBrain.com about current trends in the publishing industry, particularly as
To access course resources like they impacted the preparation of this edition of Inquiry, and
flashcards, glossaries, and sug- for his support in identifying a wonderful cover image that
gested readings or to purchase Cengage products, please visit continues the dynamic, physics-filled series of images that
www.cengagebrain.com. At the CengageBrain.com home have graced prior editions of the book. As she did in the 6th
page, search for this textbook’s ISBN (from the back cover of edition, Brandi Kirksey, our development editor, provided pri-
your book). This will take you to the product page where mary oversight for this revision and offered valuable support
these resources can be found. (Instructors can log in at login. at any number of critical decision points during the develop-
cengage.com.) ment and editing process. Brendon Killian, our editorial assis-
tant, deserves kudos for his careful and effective handling of
several of the ancillaries for the book, including the Instruc-
CengageBrain.com App tor’s Manual. As content project manager, Jessica Rasile, was
Now students can prepare for class anytime and instrumental in smoothly and efficiently managing the day-to-
anywhere using the CengageBrain.com application day details of the copyediting and page proofing, including
developed specifically for the Apple iPhone® and coordinating the numerous file transfers with Charu Khanna,
iPod touch®, which allows students to access free the project manager at our publishing and printing partner,
study materials—book-specific quizzes, flashcards, related Macmillan Publishing Solutions in India. Finally, deep appre-
Cengage Learning materials and more—so they can study the ciation is expressed to Sara Golden, our photo researcher with
way they want, when they want to . . . even on the go. To learn PreMediaGlobal, Inc., whose efforts to locate just the right
more about this complementary application, please visit image or diagram to illustrate clearly and effectively the phys-
www.cengagebrain.com. Available on iTunes. ical concepts under consideration went above and beyond the
call of duty and were always carried out with composure, good
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Thanks are also due to the many instructors and students
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who have used Inquiry Into Physics since its first appearance in
1985. Your advice, encouragement, and suggestions for
improvement have been instrumental in keeping the book
Cengage Learning Custom Solutions faithful to its original philosophy and purposes, up-to-date
Cengage Learning Custom Solutions allows you to develop a with regard to important developments in the field, and clear
personalized version of this textbook to meet your course and accurate in its exposition. Each new edition offers the
needs. Match your learning materials to your syllabus and cre- authors a chance to combine a deep love and appreciation of
ate the perfect learning solution—your customized text will physics with an equally deep love and commitment to effective
contain the same thought-provoking, scientifically sound con- teaching practice. The fact that so many of you have taught
tent, superior authorship, and stunning art that you’ve come and learned the basics of the world of physics through the fruit
to expect from Cengage Learning, Brooks/Cole texts, yet in a of this fusion of professional passions for so long is both hum-
more flexible format. bling and gratifying. Thank you.
Visit www.cengage.com/custom to start building your Preparing this edition without the benefit of the advice,
book today! counsel and abiding friendship of my long-time co-author,
Vern Ostdiek, has been a special challenge, not simply because
of the additional work and responsibility that Vern’s absence
Who’s Responsible? produced, but because of the loss of his keen eye, clear head,
The production of this newest edition of Inquiry Into Physics and firm voice in support of relevant physics correctly pre-
involved the collaboration of many talented professionals at sented, elegantly exemplified and simply expressed. I hope I
Brooks/Cole|Cengage Learning. First, thanks goes to Charlie have fairly and adequately represented Vern’s philosophy and
Hartford, our publisher, for having confidence in and advocat- passion in this latest edition of Inquiry Into Physics.
ing for this project. Thanks are also due to our senior develop-
ment editor, Peter McGahey, who provided crucial advice Don Bord
xii Preface
Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the memory of Vern Ostdiek—friend, colleague,
and co-author—whose passion for physics and for teaching infuses every page.
Vern J. Ostdiek
1953–2008
Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
PROLOGUE: GETTING STARTED
In 1999, Time magazine, known for naming an annual “person of the year,” set out to
choose its “person of the century.” A daunting task it was, considering the events of the
Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy.
turbulent 20th century and the inevitable criticism that would come from those favoring
someone not named. Would it be a world leader who shaped significant spans of the cen-
tury—for good or bad—such as Franklin D. Roosevelt (a runner-up for person of the
century) or Joseph Stalin (1939 and 1942 person of the year)? Perhaps a military figure
such as Dwight D. Eisenhower (1944 person of the year) or a spiritual leader such as Pope
“In a century that will be remembered foremost for its John Paul II (1994 person of the year)? Would it be a champion of peace or justice such
science and technology—in particular for our ability to as Mahatma Gandhi (the other runner-up) or Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963 person of the
understand and then harness the forces of the atom and year)? In the end, the selection was someone with enormous name recognition, but whose
universe—one person clearly stands out as both the work most people would confess ignorance about: the physicist Albert Einstein.
greatest mind and paramount icon of our age: The Einstein was chosen because he symbolized the great strides made during the 1900s in
kindly, absent-minded professor whose wild halo of hair, deciphering and harnessing fundamental aspects of the material universe. But his style,
piercing eyes, engaging humanity, and extraordinary his manner, and his allure had something to do with it as well. At times, he dominated
brilliance made his face a symbol and his name a physics with spectacular results, in a way that is reminiscent of certain “athletes of the
synonym for genius, Albert Einstein.” (Time magazine.) 20th century” (Ali, Gretzky, Jordan, Montana, Navratilova, Aaron . . .). Like them, only his
last name is needed to identify him. In 1905, while working as a civil servant far removed
from the great centers of physics research, Einstein had three scientific papers—on three
different subjects—published in a German physics journal. They were so extraordinary
that any one of them would likely have led to his receiving a Nobel Prize in physics—then,
as now, the highest award in the field.
Had Time magazine been in business during previous centuries, the editors might
well have honored other physicists in the same way, perhaps Galileo or Newton for the
17th century or Maxwell for the 19th. Such is the high regard that Western civilization
has for the field of physics and those who excel in it. Partly, it is the impact their discov-
eries often have on our lives, by way of technological gadgets or civilization-threatening
weaponry. But often it is the intellectual resonance we have with the revolutionary
insights they give us about the universe (it is Earth that moves around the Sun, it is mat-
ter being converted into energy that makes the Sun shine . . .).
Welcome to the world of physics. You are embarking on an introduction to a field that
continues to fascinate people in all walks of life. Tell a friend or family member that you
are now studying physics. That will quite likely impress them in a way that most other
subjects would not. Whether it should do so is an interesting question. We hope that when
you finish this endeavor, you will answer yes.
one course, you can use physics to determine, for example, how large a raft has to be to
support you or whether using a toaster and a hair dryer at the same time will trip a cir- ● Figure P.1 It took a lot of physics to get
cuit breaker. But you are not going to make a living with your understanding of physics, astronaut Neil Armstrong to the Moon.
nor will you be using it (knowingly) every day. So why should you study physics? There
are both aesthetic and practical reasons for learning physics. Seeing the order that exists
in Nature and understanding that it follows from a relatively small number of “rules” can
be fascinating—similar to learning the inspirations behind a musician’s or an artist’s
work. Learning how common devices operate gives you a better understanding of how to
use them and may reduce any frustration you have with them. An elementary knowledge
of physics also helps you make more informed decisions regarding important issues fac-
What Is Physics?
Because physics is one of the basic sciences, it is important to first have an idea of just what
science is. Science is the process of seeking and applying knowledge about our universe.
Science also refers to the body of knowledge about the universe that has been amassed by
humankind. Pursuing knowledge for its own sake is pure or basic science; developing ways
to use this knowledge is applied science. Astronomy is mostly a pure science, whereas engi-
neering fields are applied science. The material we present in this book is a combination of
fundamental concepts that we believe are important to know for their own sake and of
examples of the many ways that these concepts are applied in the world around us.
There are other ways to classify the different areas of science besides pure and applied.
There are physical sciences (physics and geology are just two examples), life sciences
(biology and medicine), and behavioral sciences (psychology and sociology). As with
most such schemes, there are overlaps: the subfield of biophysics is a good example.
Physics is not as easy to define as some areas of science such as biology, the study of
living organisms. If you ask a dozen physicists to define the term, you are not likely to get
two answers exactly alike. One suitable definition is that physics is the study of the fun-
damental structures and interactions in the physical universe. In this book, you will find
much about the structures of things such as atoms and nuclei, along with close looks at
how things interact by way of gravity, electricity, magnetism, and so on. Within physics,
there is a wide range of divisions. ● Table P.1 lists some of the common areas based on
one measure of research activity. There is a lot of overlap between the divisions, and some
of them are clearly allied with other sciences like biology and chemistry.
The field of physics is divided differently when the basics are being taught to begin-
ners. The topics presented to students in their first exposure to physics are usually ordered
according to their historical development (study of motion first, elementary particles and
cosmology last). This ordering also approximates the ranking of areas by our everyday
experience with them. We’ve all watched people in motion and things collide, but few
people encounter the idea of quarks before taking a physics class—even though we and
all of the objects we deal with are mainly composed of quarks.
The vast majority of students who take an introductory course in physics are not
majoring in it. Most of those who do earn a degree in physics find employment in business,
industry, government, or education. The latest data compiled by the American Institute
of Physics indicate that the majority of individuals with bachelor’s and master’s degrees
are employed in the first two areas, whereas those with doctorates were mainly found in
the last two. In addition to the expected occupations like researcher and teacher, people
with physics degrees also have job titles like engineer, manager, computer scientist, and
technician. Often, physicists are hired not so much for their knowledge of physics as for
their experience with problem solving and advanced technology.
iStockphoto.com
with an example. Observation Car won’t start
istockphoto.com
Hypothesis Battery is dead
Don Nichols/
Experiment See if the radio works
istockphoto.com
charles taylor/
Outcome Yes. Battery No. Battery may
Filipp Bezlutskiy/
istockphoto.com
OK be dead
One of the architects of the scientific method was Galileo Galilei (1564–1642). He
thought a great deal about how science should be done and applied his ideas to his study of
motion. Galileo believed that science had to have a strong logical basis that included precise
definitions of terms and a mathematical structure with which to express relationships. He
introduced the use of controlled experiments, which he applied with great success in his
studies of how objects fall. By ingenious experimental design, he overcame the limitations
of the crude timing devices that existed in his era and measured the acceleration of falling
bodies. Galileo was a shrewd observer of natural phenomena from the swinging of a pen-
dulum to the orbiting of the moons of Jupiter. By drawing logical conclusions from what
he saw, he demonstrated that rules could be used to predict and explain natural phenom-
ena that had long seemed mysterious or magical. We will take a closer look at Galileo’s work
and life in Chapter 1.
The scientific method is important, particularly in the day-to-day process of filling in
the details about a phenomenon being studied. But it is not the whole story. Even a brief
look at the history of physics reveals that there is no simple recipe that scientists have fol-
lowed to lead them to breakthroughs. Some great discoveries were made by traditional
physicists working in labs, proceeding in a “scientific method” kind of way. Occasionally,
unplanned events come into play, such as accidents (Galvani discovered electric currents
while performing biology experiments) or luck (Becquerel stumbled on nuclear radiation
because of a string of cloudy days in Paris). Sometimes “thought experiments” were
required because the technology of the time didn’t allow “real” experiments. Newton pre-
dicted artificial satellites, and Einstein unlocked relativity this way. Often, it was hobby-
ists, not professional scientists, who made significant discoveries; the statesman Benjamin
Franklin and schoolteacher Georg Simon Ohm are examples. Sometimes, it is scientists
correctly interpreting the results of others who failed to “connect the dots” themselves
(Lise Meitner and her nephew Otto Frisch identified nuclear fission that way).
The point is that there are no “hard and fast” rules for making scientific discoveries,
and this is no less true in physics than it is in chemistry, biology, or any other scientific
discipline. One of the best ways to learn about the nature of scientific discovery is to study
the past. Throughout this book, the Physics Family Album sections, along with a few of
the Physics Potpourris, give you some idea of the variety of ways that discoveries have
been made and glimpses of the personalities of the discoverers.
The kinds of things a person might want to know about a system include: (1) its struc-
ture or configuration, (2) what is going on in it and why, and (3) what will happen in it in
the future. The first step is often relatively easy—identifying the objects in the system.
Protons, electrons, chromium atoms, heated air, a rock, and the Moon are some of the
things in the systems mentioned above. Often, the items in a physical system are already
familiar to us. But a host of other intangible things in a system must also be identified and
labeled before real physics can begin. We must define things like the speed of the rock, the
density of the air, the energy of the atoms in the laser tube, and the angular momentum of
a satellite to understand what is going on in a system and what its future evolution will be.
We will call these things and others like them physical quantities. Most will be unfamiliar
to you unless you have studied physics before. Together with the named objects, they form
what can be called the vocabulary of physics. There are hundreds of physical quantities in
regular use in the various fields of physics, but for our purposes in this book, we will need
only a relatively small fraction of these.
Physics seeks to discover the basic ways in which things interact. Laws and principles
express relationships that exist between physical quantities. For example, the law of fluid
pressure expresses how the pressure at some location in a fluid depends on the weight of the
fluid above. This law can be used to find the water pressure on a submerged submarine or
the air pressure on a person’s chest. These “rules” are used to understand the interactions in
a system and to predict how the system will change with time in the future. The laws and
principles themselves were formed after repeated, careful observations of countless systems
by scientists throughout history. They withstood the test of time and repeated experimen-
tation before being elevated to this status. You might regard physics as the continued search
for, and the application of, basic rules that govern the interactions in the universe.
Science
includes
Physics Biology
Biophysics
Thinkstock/Comstock/Thinkstock.
metric prefixes. You may not know what an ampere is, but you should see immediately
that a milliampere is one thousandth of an ampere.
The Physics Potpourri The Metric System: “For All People, for All Time” gives a brief
look at the origins of the metric system. More than 20 of these special features appear
throughout the book. They are intended to give you a deeper, richer view of selected top-
ics in the history and applications of physics.
Having to use two systems of units is like living near the border between two countries
and having to deal with two systems of currency. Most people who grew up in the United
States have a better feel for the size of English-system units such as feet, miles per hour,
and pounds than for metric-system units such as meters, kilometers per hour, and new-
tons. Often, the examples in this book will use units from both systems so that you can
compare them and develop a sense of the sizes of the metric units. A table relating the
units in the two systems is included in the inside back cover. Fortunately, we won’t have
to deal with two systems of units after we reach electricity (Chapter 7).
A prologue is an introductory development. This prologue is an introduction to the
field of physics, our approach to teaching it, and how to get started learning it. The
groundwork has been laid, and we are now ready to proceed.
© Vern Ostdiek
Assembly in 1790 to unify the system. The plan proposed two
changes: (1) the establishment of a decimal system of measurement
and (2) the adoption of a “natural” scale of length. Neither of these
two notions was new to scholars of this period. The first had been ● Figure P.7 Many countries have issued stamps commemorating the metric system.
discussed as early as 1585 by Simon Stevin, a hydraulic engineer These two, from Australia, highlight conversions between the metric and English units for
in Holland, in a pamphlet called De Thiende (i.e., The Tenth Part). length and volume.
The second notion was introduced in 1670 by Abbé Gabriel
Mouton, who proposed that a standard of length be defined in terms
of a fraction of the length of the meridian arc extending from the
North Pole to the equator. were frequently arrested as spies, often had their equipment confis-
The plan was finally adopted into law on 7 April 1795. The new cated, and were generally harassed at every turn. Finally in 1798,
legislation defined the meter as the measure of length equal to 1 ten- with the job done and the length of the centimeter accurately known,
millionth of the meridian arc passing through Paris from the North Lefèvre-Gineau and Fabbroni set about their work. They, too,
Pole to the equator encountered difficulties, largely having to do with reaching and
and the gram as the maintaining the required measurement temperature, but they com-
mass of pure water pleted their task in only one year.
contained in a cube Beginning in 1798, an international committee with representa-
1/100th of a meter tives from nine nations undertook to carry out the calculations
(a centimeter) on a required to produce the standards needed to define and extend the
side at the temperature new system of weights and measures. It submitted its report to the
of melting ice. It also French legislature for ratification on 27 June 1799, and the bill
made this system oblig- passed on 10 December of that year. That document is the first offi-
atory in France. cial text in which the metric system is mentioned. According to this
The tasks of actually law, the definitive standards of length and mass to be used in com-
determining the sizes mercial and scientific interactions throughout France were “the meter
of these newly defined and kilogram of platinum deposited with the legislative body” (see
units were assigned to ● Figure P.6).
Jean-Baptiste Delambre Since then, the definitions of the standards of length and mass
Courtesy National Institute of Standards and Technology
and Pierre Méchain, have undergone several revisions, and other units of measure have
who were to survey the been incorporated. Nevertheless, the basic tenets of the metric sys-
length of the meridian tem survive: simplicity and convenience stemming from its use of a
arc through Paris, and decimal system of measure, and uniformity and reproducibility deriv-
to Louis Lefèvre-Gineau ing from its reliance on a set of standards. Since its adoption in
and Giovanni Fab- Europe, first in France, then in Holland (1816) and Greece (1836),
broni, who were to the use of the metric system has proliferated so that no nation is
determine the absolute without knowledge of it (● Figure P.7). The metric system has
weight of water. As it become, in the motto adopted by its founders, a system “for all
turned out, these mea- people, for all time.”
surements were not The United States is one of only a few countries that have not
made without difficulty officially adopted the metric system for their manufacturing and com-
● Figure P.6 The international 1 kg standard of and, sometimes, dan- mercial activities, despite its arguable merits. What are your opin-
mass, a platinum–iridium cylinder. ger. For example, dur- ions and views on this matter? What do you believe would be the
ing the period between benefits of converting our economy to the metric system? What do
1792 and 1798, Delambre and Méchain made measurements you see as the downsides to such a transformation? Check out some
along the meridian between Dunkirk, France, and Barcelona, Spain, on-line resources for further information on this subject and to see
amid the riot and turmoil still present in many parts of Europe. They what the experts have to say on this issue.
Juli/Shutterstock.com
Physics Potpourri 11
Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Physical Quantities,
Metric System
(Prologue)
1.1 1.2
Fundamental Speed and Velocity
Physical Quantities
Mass,
Electric Charge
(Chapters 2, 7)
1T HE STUDY OF MOTION
Drag Racing
Acceleration, pure and simple. That’s the point of drag racing. Increase the speed of
the dragster as quickly as possible so it will travel the one-quarter of a mile (about 400
Leo Mason sports photos/Alamy
meters) faster than your opponent. The elite machines have engines that are much more
powerful than those on the largest airplanes in World War II (about 6,000 horse-
power). From a standing start, they reach speeds of more than 300 mph in times
shorter than it took you to read this sentence. And they subject their drivers to average
accelerations over four times that of gravity. At the end of their brief run, another criti-
cal feat must be accomplished: they have to be brought to a stop safely. How do you
Drag racer at the starting line.
slow a vehicle that is going much faster than a passenger jet when it lands? You
deploy a parachute.
Imagine driving such a machine: five seconds of forward acceleration pressing you
to the back of your seat, followed by many more seconds of acceleration in the oppo-
site direction—backward—that strains the straps holding you in. And for much of that
time you are going hundreds of miles per hour. The faint of heart need not apply for
this job.
This chapter is an introduction to the study of motion. One key concept in this area
of physics is acceleration, which is used to describe changes in motion. Drag racing
is one of the most dramatic examples of human beings deliberately accelerating them-
selves. The large attendance at these events suggests that many people are thrilled to
watch it happen.
Two types of acceleration are involved in drag racing: speeding up and slow-
ing down. Is there another type of acceleration? Can a car accelerate without
changing its speed? Read on to find out.
In this first chapter, we build on the groundwork for the study of physics that was begun
in the Prologue. Most of this chapter is an introduction to the branch of physics called
mechanics—the study of motion and its causes. The main topic of this chapter is motion
and how it is described using the concepts of speed, velocity, and acceleration—--
something called kinematics. Both examples and graphs are used to illustrate and define
these three concepts. An important example treated in detail is the motion of a body
undergoing free fall. We conclude with a brief account of the work of two men who
made important contributions to the development of mechanics.
Area and volume are examples of physical quantities that are based on other physical
quantities—in this case, just distance. Their units of measure are called derived units
because they are derived from more basic units (1 square meter 1 meter 1 meter
1 meter2). Until we reach Chapter 7, all of the physical quantities will have units that are
derived from units of distance, time, mass, or a combination of these.
The measure of time is based on periodic phenomena—processes that repeat over and
over at a regular rate. The rotation of Earth was originally used to establish the universal
unit of time, the second. The time it takes for one rotation was set equal to 86,400 seconds
(24 60 60). Both the metric system and the English system use the same units
for time.
Clocks measure time by using some process that repeats. Many mechanical clocks use
a swinging pendulum. The time it takes to swing back and forth is always the same. This
is used to control the speed of a mechanism that turns the hands on the clock face (see
● Figure 1.3). Mechanical wristwatches and stopwatches use an oscillating balance wheel
for the same purpose. Quartz electric clocks and digital watches use regular vibrations of University of Michigan-Dearborn
Pixellover RM 10/Alamy
fined as 1/31,556,925.9747 of the length of the year beginning in
January 1900. This ephemeris second is based on the motion of Earth
around the Sun, which is governed (as we shall see in Chapter 2)
by Newton’s laws of motion. As a result, its evaluation requires astro-
nomical observation and calculation and is not easily obtained with
high accuracy except after many years of careful work. Thus, although ● Figure 1.4 GPS navigation system display on a cell phone.
ephemeris time appears to be extremely uniform, it suffers from not
being able to be found quickly and accurately.
If all this discussion seems a bit complicated, that’s understandable.
In 1967, a new atomic second was defined that has become the
The topic of time and its determination is one that physicists and philoso-
basis for International Atomic Time (TAI). In this case, 1 second
phers have struggled with for centuries. The point to be emphasized is
equals the interval of time containing 9,192,631,770 oscillations of
that as more sophisticated experiments have been devised to probe
light waves given off by isolated cesium atoms (see Chapter 10 for
Nature’s secrets, the need for ever more reliable and stable clocks has
a discussion of atoms and their light-emitting properties). With mod-
grown. The development of atomic clocks is the latest attempt to meet
ern cesium clocks, such as those in use at the National Institute of
the requirements of scientists and engineers in this regard, and their use
Standards and Technology (NIST), it is possible to establish the
has now spilled over into our everyday lives. The adoption of UTC is
length of a second to an accuracy of less than one part in 1015;
an example. Another is the global positioning system (GPS). This sys-
such clocks neither gain nor lose a second in 60 million years. In
tem currently consists of an array of 31 active satellites, about 8 of
February 2010, a NIST-built quantum logic clock using individual
which are always visible from any point on the globe. Each satellite cir-
trapped ions of aluminum reached a level of precision that varies by
cles Earth every 12 hours and carries as many as 4 cesium and rubid-
less than 1 second over an astounding 1 billion years.
ium atomic clocks to generate the accurate time signals used in making
Time measurement is so accurate that the length of the standard
precise position measurements. Small handheld GPS receivers costing
meter is set by how long it takes light to travel that distance—
less than $100 are available that provide horizontal and vertical posi-
3.33564095 billionths of a second.
tional accuracies to better than 20 m and timing accuracies on the
The introduction of atomic time leaves us with a problem. Our
order of 15 109s or less. Originally developed for military missions,
daily lives are generally governed by day–night cycles—that is, by
the civilian use of GPS today extends to commercial ship and aircraft
the Earth–Sun clock, not by phenomena associated with cesium
navigation; nationwide truck and freight-car tracking; “precision” farm-
atoms. As Earth continues to spin down, the length of a mean solar
ing, land surveying, and geological studies; and worldwide digital
day (and hence the mean solar second) will continue to grow larger
communication networks (including some that control banking functions
relative to the atomic second. As time goes on, Earth–Sun clocks will
at local ATMs). GPS receivers have even been integrated with data-
gradually fall further and further behind atomic clocks. This is clearly
bases of maps and street directories and installed in autos to assist driv-
not a desirable situation.
ers in reaching their destinations. GPS technology is now routinely
In the early 1970s, the French Bureau International de l’Heure,
available as part of personal cell phone service (● Figure 1.4). But
the world’s official timekeepers, introduced Coordinated Universal
regardless of how it is measured or used by humankind, one fact about
Time (UTC). Under this system, the length or duration of the second
time remains true: tempus fugit, “time flies.”
is dictated by atomic time, but the time commonly reported by time
What personal use have you made of this innovation? Even if you
services is required to remain within 0.9 seconds of mean solar time.
do not employ GPS data directly in your daily life, the odds are that
In this system, a leap second is added or subtracted as needed to
you benefit from them in countless ways in terms of the goods and
compensate for changes in the rate of Earth’s rotation relative to
services you regularly purchase and enjoy. To learn just how reliant
atomic time. Recent criticism of the leap second has led to calls to
our society has become on this system, check out the World Wide
abandon it, but defenders argue that doing so will disrupt satellite
Web using any of the common search engines. The range of appli-
communications and cost millions in computer upgrades.
cation of the GPS is truly astounding!
Frequency The number of cycles of a periodic process that occur per unit time.
It is abbreviated f and has units s1 or hertz (Hz).
The standard unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz), which equals 1 cycle per second.
1 Hz 1/s 1 s1
The frequency of AM radio stations is expressed in kilohertz (kHz) and those of FM sta-
tions in megahertz (MHz). Mega- is the metric prefix signifying 1 million. So, 91.5 MHz
equals 91,500,000 Hz. Another metric prefix, giga-, is also commonly used with hertz. For
example, the “speed” of a computer’s processor—actually, the frequency of the electrical
signal it uses—might be 2 gigahertz, which is 2 billion (2,000,000,000) hertz.
The relationship between the period of a cyclic phenomenon and its frequency is sim-
ple: the period equals 1 divided by the frequency, and vice versa.
1
period
frequency
1
T
f
Also,
1
f
T
A mechanical stopwatch uses a balance wheel that rotates back and forth 10 times in Example 1.1
2 seconds. What is the frequency of the balance wheel?
frequency number of cycles per time
10 cycles
f
2s
5 Hz
What is the period of the balance wheel?
period time for one cycle
1 divided by the frequency
1
T
5 Hz
0.2 s
The balance wheel oscillates 300 times each minute.
The third basic physical quantity is mass. The mass of an object is basically a measure
of how much matter it contains. (This statement illustrates the sort of circular definition
that arises when one tries to define fundamental concepts.) We know intuitively that a
large body such as a locomotive has a large mass because it is composed of a great deal of
material. Mass is also a measure of what we sometimes refer to in everyday speech as
Mass is not in common use in the English system; note the unfamiliar unit, the slug.
Weight, a quantity that is related to, but is not the same as mass, is used instead. We can
contrast the two ideas: when you try to lift a shopping cart, you are experiencing its
weight. When you try to speed it up or slow it down, you are experiencing its mass (see
● Figure 1.5). We will take another look at mass and weight in Chapter 2 to better clarify
their relationship.
(a) (b)
Learning Check
Simple quizzes such as this one are included at the end of most (c) distance, time, and speed
sections. Though not designed to be a thorough examination of (d) distance, area, and volume
the prior material, if you have trouble answering these questions, 2. (True or False.) When the period of a pendulum is less
it probably means you should go back and reread the section. than 1 second, the frequency is always greater than
Answers are given at the end of each Learning Check. 1 hertz.
1. Three of the fundamental physical quantities in physics 3. One kilogram is the same as grams.
are
(a) distance, time, and weight ANSWERS: 1. (b) 2. True 3. 1,000
(b) distance, time, and mass
nikkytok/Shutterstock.com
A couple of aspects of speed are worth highlighting. First, speed is relative. A person
running on the deck of a ship cruising at 20 mph might have a speed of 8 mph relative to
the ship, but the speed relative to the water or a nearby pier would be 28 mph (if headed
toward the front of the ship). If we use the ship as the reference point, the speed is 8 mph.
With the water or a pier as the reference point, the speed is 28 mph (● Figure 1.6). If you
are traveling at 55 mph on a highway and a car passes you going 60 mph, its speed is
5 mph relative to your car. Most of the time speed is measured relative to Earth’s surface;
this will be the case in this book, unless stated otherwise.
Second, it is important to distinguish between average speed and instantaneous speed.
An object’s average speed is the total distance it travels during some period of time
divided by the time that elapses:
total distance
average speed
total elapsed time
If a 1,500-mile airline flight lasts 3 hours, the airplane’s average speed is 500 mph. Of
course, the airplane’s speed changes during the 3 hours, so its speed is not 500 mph at
each instant. (You can average 75% on four exams without actually getting 75% on each
or even any one test.) Similarly, a sprinter who runs the 100-meter dash in 10 seconds has
an average speed of 10 m/s but is not traveling with that speed at each moment of the
race. This gives rise to the concept of instantaneous speed—the speed that an object has
at an instant in time. A car’s speedometer actually gives instantaneous speed. When it
shows 55 mph, it means that, if the car traveled with exactly that speed for 1 hour, it
would go 55 miles. How can one determine the instantaneous speed of something that is
not equipped with a speedometer? Instantaneous speed can’t be measured exactly using
the basic meaning of speed (distance traveled divided by the time it takes) because an
“instant” implies that zero time elapses. But we can get a good estimate of an object’s
instantaneous speed by timing how long it takes to travel a very short distance:
very short distance
instantaneous speed
very short time
For example, given sophisticated equipment, we might measure how long it takes a car
to travel 1 meter. If that time is found to be 0.05 seconds (not an “instant” but a very short
time), a good estimate of the car’s instantaneous speed is
1m
instantaneous speed 20 m>s 44.8 mph
0.05 s
In drag racing (see p. 12), the maximum instantaneous speed of a dragster is estimated by
timing how long it takes to travel the final 60 feet (about 18 meters) of the quarter-mile
race. This is typically less than 0.15 seconds, yielding an instantaneous speed of about
269 mph (120 m/s).
GPS receivers used by pilots, drivers, hikers, and others employ radio signals from
satellites to determine location. They can compute the device’s approximate instanta-
neous speed by computing how far it travels in a short time and then dividing by that
time. One common GPS receiver updates its position every second, so it can estimate
instantaneous speed using 1 second as its “short time.” A typical bicycle speedometer uses
a sensor on the front wheel. The device can time how long it takes the wheel to make one
rotation and estimate the instantaneous speed by using the circumference of the wheel
(typically around 2.1 meters) as the “short distance.”
In some cases, an object may have been traveling for a while and already moved some
distance before we start taking measurements to determine its speed (average or instanta-
neous). Perhaps we want to measure a sprinter’s average speed during the last part of a
race. Then the distance and time that we use would be the values at the end of the segment
being timed (the final values) minus the values at the beginning of the segment (the ini-
tial values)—that is, the changes in distance and time. The general expression for speed is
change in distance dfinal dinitial
speed
change in time t final t initial
RON KUNTZ/AFP/Getty Images
¢d
v
¢t
(The symbol is the capital greek letter delta and is used to represent a “change in” a
physical quantity.) This equation can represent both average and instantaneous speed.
When t is the total elapsed time for a trip, v is the average speed. When t is a very short
● Figure 1.7 Florence Griffith Joyner, who set
time, then v is the instantaneous speed.
world records in the 100 meters and 200 meters.
Example 1.2 An analysis of a videotape of Olympic gold-medal winner Florence Griffith Joyner
(1959–1998; ● Figure 1.7) running a 100-meter dash might yield the data shown in the
margin table. Compute her average speed for the race and estimate her peak instanta-
d (meters) t (seconds)
neous speed. For the entire race, this would be as follows:
0 0
60 6.85 ¢d dfinal dinitial
average speed v
70 7.76 ¢t t final t initial
80 8.67
100 m 0 m 100 m
90 9.58 v
100 10.50 10.50 s 0 s 10.50 s
9.52 m/s ( 21.3 mph)
I see increasing reason to believe that the view formed some time
back as to the origin of the Makonde bush is the correct one. I have
no doubt that it is not a natural product, but the result of human
occupation. Those parts of the high country where man—as a very
slight amount of practice enables the eye to perceive at once—has not
yet penetrated with axe and hoe, are still occupied by a splendid
timber forest quite able to sustain a comparison with our mixed
forests in Germany. But wherever man has once built his hut or tilled
his field, this horrible bush springs up. Every phase of this process
may be seen in the course of a couple of hours’ walk along the main
road. From the bush to right or left, one hears the sound of the axe—
not from one spot only, but from several directions at once. A few
steps further on, we can see what is taking place. The brush has been
cut down and piled up in heaps to the height of a yard or more,
between which the trunks of the large trees stand up like the last
pillars of a magnificent ruined building. These, too, present a
melancholy spectacle: the destructive Makonde have ringed them—
cut a broad strip of bark all round to ensure their dying off—and also
piled up pyramids of brush round them. Father and son, mother and
son-in-law, are chopping away perseveringly in the background—too
busy, almost, to look round at the white stranger, who usually excites
so much interest. If you pass by the same place a week later, the piles
of brushwood have disappeared and a thick layer of ashes has taken
the place of the green forest. The large trees stretch their
smouldering trunks and branches in dumb accusation to heaven—if
they have not already fallen and been more or less reduced to ashes,
perhaps only showing as a white stripe on the dark ground.
This work of destruction is carried out by the Makonde alike on the
virgin forest and on the bush which has sprung up on sites already
cultivated and deserted. In the second case they are saved the trouble
of burning the large trees, these being entirely absent in the
secondary bush.
After burning this piece of forest ground and loosening it with the
hoe, the native sows his corn and plants his vegetables. All over the
country, he goes in for bed-culture, which requires, and, in fact,
receives, the most careful attention. Weeds are nowhere tolerated in
the south of German East Africa. The crops may fail on the plains,
where droughts are frequent, but never on the plateau with its
abundant rains and heavy dews. Its fortunate inhabitants even have
the satisfaction of seeing the proud Wayao and Wamakua working
for them as labourers, driven by hunger to serve where they were
accustomed to rule.
But the light, sandy soil is soon exhausted, and would yield no
harvest the second year if cultivated twice running. This fact has
been familiar to the native for ages; consequently he provides in
time, and, while his crop is growing, prepares the next plot with axe
and firebrand. Next year he plants this with his various crops and
lets the first piece lie fallow. For a short time it remains waste and
desolate; then nature steps in to repair the destruction wrought by
man; a thousand new growths spring out of the exhausted soil, and
even the old stumps put forth fresh shoots. Next year the new growth
is up to one’s knees, and in a few years more it is that terrible,
impenetrable bush, which maintains its position till the black
occupier of the land has made the round of all the available sites and
come back to his starting point.
The Makonde are, body and soul, so to speak, one with this bush.
According to my Yao informants, indeed, their name means nothing
else but “bush people.” Their own tradition says that they have been
settled up here for a very long time, but to my surprise they laid great
stress on an original immigration. Their old homes were in the
south-east, near Mikindani and the mouth of the Rovuma, whence
their peaceful forefathers were driven by the continual raids of the
Sakalavas from Madagascar and the warlike Shirazis[47] of the coast,
to take refuge on the almost inaccessible plateau. I have studied
African ethnology for twenty years, but the fact that changes of
population in this apparently quiet and peaceable corner of the earth
could have been occasioned by outside enterprises taking place on
the high seas, was completely new to me. It is, no doubt, however,
correct.
The charming tribal legend of the Makonde—besides informing us
of other interesting matters—explains why they have to live in the
thickest of the bush and a long way from the edge of the plateau,
instead of making their permanent homes beside the purling brooks
and springs of the low country.
“The place where the tribe originated is Mahuta, on the southern
side of the plateau towards the Rovuma, where of old time there was
nothing but thick bush. Out of this bush came a man who never
washed himself or shaved his head, and who ate and drank but little.
He went out and made a human figure from the wood of a tree
growing in the open country, which he took home to his abode in the
bush and there set it upright. In the night this image came to life and
was a woman. The man and woman went down together to the
Rovuma to wash themselves. Here the woman gave birth to a still-
born child. They left that place and passed over the high land into the
valley of the Mbemkuru, where the woman had another child, which
was also born dead. Then they returned to the high bush country of
Mahuta, where the third child was born, which lived and grew up. In
course of time, the couple had many more children, and called
themselves Wamatanda. These were the ancestral stock of the
Makonde, also called Wamakonde,[48] i.e., aborigines. Their
forefather, the man from the bush, gave his children the command to
bury their dead upright, in memory of the mother of their race who
was cut out of wood and awoke to life when standing upright. He also
warned them against settling in the valleys and near large streams,
for sickness and death dwelt there. They were to make it a rule to
have their huts at least an hour’s walk from the nearest watering-
place; then their children would thrive and escape illness.”
The explanation of the name Makonde given by my informants is
somewhat different from that contained in the above legend, which I
extract from a little book (small, but packed with information), by
Pater Adams, entitled Lindi und sein Hinterland. Otherwise, my
results agree exactly with the statements of the legend. Washing?
Hapana—there is no such thing. Why should they do so? As it is, the
supply of water scarcely suffices for cooking and drinking; other
people do not wash, so why should the Makonde distinguish himself
by such needless eccentricity? As for shaving the head, the short,
woolly crop scarcely needs it,[49] so the second ancestral precept is
likewise easy enough to follow. Beyond this, however, there is
nothing ridiculous in the ancestor’s advice. I have obtained from
various local artists a fairly large number of figures carved in wood,
ranging from fifteen to twenty-three inches in height, and
representing women belonging to the great group of the Mavia,
Makonde, and Matambwe tribes. The carving is remarkably well
done and renders the female type with great accuracy, especially the
keloid ornamentation, to be described later on. As to the object and
meaning of their works the sculptors either could or (more probably)
would tell me nothing, and I was forced to content myself with the
scanty information vouchsafed by one man, who said that the figures
were merely intended to represent the nembo—the artificial
deformations of pelele, ear-discs, and keloids. The legend recorded
by Pater Adams places these figures in a new light. They must surely
be more than mere dolls; and we may even venture to assume that
they are—though the majority of present-day Makonde are probably
unaware of the fact—representations of the tribal ancestress.
The references in the legend to the descent from Mahuta to the
Rovuma, and to a journey across the highlands into the Mbekuru
valley, undoubtedly indicate the previous history of the tribe, the
travels of the ancestral pair typifying the migrations of their
descendants. The descent to the neighbouring Rovuma valley, with
its extraordinary fertility and great abundance of game, is intelligible
at a glance—but the crossing of the Lukuledi depression, the ascent
to the Rondo Plateau and the descent to the Mbemkuru, also lie
within the bounds of probability, for all these districts have exactly
the same character as the extreme south. Now, however, comes a
point of especial interest for our bacteriological age. The primitive
Makonde did not enjoy their lives in the marshy river-valleys.
Disease raged among them, and many died. It was only after they
had returned to their original home near Mahuta, that the health
conditions of these people improved. We are very apt to think of the
African as a stupid person whose ignorance of nature is only equalled
by his fear of it, and who looks on all mishaps as caused by evil
spirits and malignant natural powers. It is much more correct to
assume in this case that the people very early learnt to distinguish
districts infested with malaria from those where it is absent.
This knowledge is crystallized in the
ancestral warning against settling in the
valleys and near the great waters, the
dwelling-places of disease and death. At the
same time, for security against the hostile
Mavia south of the Rovuma, it was enacted
that every settlement must be not less than a
certain distance from the southern edge of the
plateau. Such in fact is their mode of life at the
present day. It is not such a bad one, and
certainly they are both safer and more
comfortable than the Makua, the recent
intruders from the south, who have made USUAL METHOD OF
good their footing on the western edge of the CLOSING HUT-DOOR
plateau, extending over a fairly wide belt of
country. Neither Makua nor Makonde show in their dwellings
anything of the size and comeliness of the Yao houses in the plain,
especially at Masasi, Chingulungulu and Zuza’s. Jumbe Chauro, a
Makonde hamlet not far from Newala, on the road to Mahuta, is the
most important settlement of the tribe I have yet seen, and has fairly
spacious huts. But how slovenly is their construction compared with
the palatial residences of the elephant-hunters living in the plain.
The roofs are still more untidy than in the general run of huts during
the dry season, the walls show here and there the scanty beginnings
or the lamentable remains of the mud plastering, and the interior is a
veritable dog-kennel; dirt, dust and disorder everywhere. A few huts
only show any attempt at division into rooms, and this consists
merely of very roughly-made bamboo partitions. In one point alone
have I noticed any indication of progress—in the method of fastening
the door. Houses all over the south are secured in a simple but
ingenious manner. The door consists of a set of stout pieces of wood
or bamboo, tied with bark-string to two cross-pieces, and moving in
two grooves round one of the door-posts, so as to open inwards. If
the owner wishes to leave home, he takes two logs as thick as a man’s
upper arm and about a yard long. One of these is placed obliquely
against the middle of the door from the inside, so as to form an angle
of from 60° to 75° with the ground. He then places the second piece
horizontally across the first, pressing it downward with all his might.
It is kept in place by two strong posts planted in the ground a few
inches inside the door. This fastening is absolutely safe, but of course
cannot be applied to both doors at once, otherwise how could the
owner leave or enter his house? I have not yet succeeded in finding
out how the back door is fastened.