GENERAL PHYSICS 1
o Cry physics / Cryogenics
WHAT IS PHYSICS?
 It is the science that deals with the
structure of matter and the interactions
between the fundamental components
of the observable universe.
 In the broadest sense,physics (from the
Greek physikos) is concerned with all
aspects of nature on both the
macroscopic and submicroscopic levels.
Two broad categories of physics
1. Classical Physics
 Before the turn of the 19th
century, physics concentrated
on the study of mechanics,
light, sound and wave motion,
heat and thermodynamics, and
electromagnetism.
 Classical physics fields that were
studied before 1900 (and
continue to develop and be
taught today) include:
o Acoustics
o Astronomy
o Chemical Physics
o Computational Physics:
o Electromagnetism
o Electronics.
o Fluid Dynamics / Fluid
Mechanics
o Geophysics
o Mathematical Physics:
o Mechanics
o Meteorology / Weather
Physics
o Optics / Light Physics
o Statistical Mechanics
o Thermodynamics
2. MODERN PHYSICS
 Modern physics embraces the
atom and its component parts,
relativity and the interaction of
high speeds, cosmology and
space exploration, and
mesoscopic physics, those
pieces of the universe that fall
in size between nanometers
and micrometers.
 Some of the fields in modern
physics are:
o Astrophysics
o Astrophysics
o Biophysics
o Chaos
o Cosmology
/Low-Temperature
Physics
o Crystallography
o High Energy Physics
o High-Pressure Physics
o Laser Physics
o Molecular Physics
o Nanotechnology
o Nuclear Physics
o Particle Physics
o Plasma Physics
o Quantum
Electrodynamics
o Quantum Mechanics /
Quantum Physics
o Quantum Optics
o Quantum Field Theory
o Quantum Gravity
o Relativity
o String Theory /
Superstring Theory
MEASUREMENTS
 It is the process of associating numbers
with physical quantities and
phenomena.
 Fundamental to the sciences; to
engineering, construction, and other
technical fields; and to almost all
everyday activities.
Ancient Instrument
 Footstep
 Handspun
 Rope
 Arm length
Modern Instrument
 Ruler
 Measuring tape
 Screw Gauge
 Verner caliper
PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
 quantities that can be measured.
 To describe a physical quantity we first
define the unit in which the
measurement is made.
 The modernized version of the metric
system is called International System of
Units, officially abbreviated as SI.

SI UNITS
 In 1960, however, the General
Conference of Weights and Measures,
the international authority on units,
proposed a revised metric system called
the International System of Units
(abbreviated SI, from the French
Système Internationale d’Unites).
Base quantities are physical quantities that
cannot be defined in terms of other quantities.
Derived quantities, are defined in terms of the
seven base quantities via a system of quantity
equations. The SI derived units for these derived
quantities are obtained from these equations
and the seven SI base units.
Prefixes are used to simplify the description of
physical quantities that are either very big or
very small in SI units.
UNIT CONVERSION AND CONVERSION
FACTORS
 A unit conversion expresses the same
property as a different unit of
measurement.
 A conversion factor is a number used to
change one set of units to another, by
multiplying or dividing.
Steps to construct a unit conversion problem
1. Identify the unit you have. These are
the Starting Units.
2. Identify the unit you want. These are
the Desired Units.
3. Identify appropriate unit conversion
factor(s). These are the Linking (or
Ratio) Unit(s).
4. Cancel units and perform the math
calculations
5. Evaluate the result.
PRECISION AND ACCURACY
The terms precision and accuracy are often used
in discussing the uncertainties of measured
values.
Precision is a measure of how closely individual
measurements agree with one another.
Accuracy refers to how closely individual
measurements agree with the correct, or “true,”
value.
Errors in Measurements
Systematic Error: occurs as a result of a flaw in
the experimental design or apparatus
Random Error: caused by unpredictable
changes in the experiment
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Rules for Determining If a Number Is Significant
or Not
1. All non-zero digits are considered
significant. For example, 91 has two
significant figures (9 and 1), while
123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2,
3, 4, and 5).
2. Zeros appearing between two non-zero
digits (trapped zeros) are significant.
Example: 101.12 has five significant
figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, and 2.
3. Leading zeros (zeros before non-zero
numbers) are not significant. For
example, 0.00052 has two significant
figures: 5 and 2.
4. Trailing zeros (zeros after non-zero
numbers) in a number without a
decimal are generally not significant
(see below for more details). For
example, 400 has only one significant
figure (4). The trailing zeros do not
count as significant.

5. Trailing zeros in a number containing a
decimal point are significant. For
example, 12.2300 has six significant
figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0, and 0. The number
0.000122300 still has only six significant
figures (the zeros before the 1 are not
significant). In addition, 120.00 has five
significant figures since it has three
trailing zeros. This convention clarifies
the precision of such numbers. For
example, if a measurement that is
precise to four decimal places is given
as 12.23, then the measurement might
be understood as having only two
decimal of precision available. Stating
the result as 12.2300 makes it clear that
the measurement is precise to four
decimal places (in this case, six
significant figures).
6. The number 0 has one significant figure.
7. Any numbers in scientific notation are
considered significant. For example,
4.300 x 10- 4 has 4 significant figures
Scientific notation or standard index notation
 a way of writing any number between
1 and 10 multiplied by an appropriate
power of 10 notations.
 a shorthand method of writing
numbers that are very large or very
small.
 Involves writing the number in the form
M x 10n, where M is a number between
1 and 10 but not 10, and n is an integer.
 NOTE: Integer is a positive and negative
whole number.
VECTORS
REPRESENTING VECTORS
 Vector quantities are often represented
by scaled vector diagrams.
 Vector diagrams depict a vector by use
of an arrow drawn to scale in a specific
direction.
 Vector diagrams were introduced and
used in earlier units to depict the forces
acting upon an object.
 a vector arrow (with arrowhead) is
drawn in a specified direction.
The vector arrow has a head and a tail.
REPRESENTING A MAGNITUDE OF A VECTOR
 the magnitude of a vector in a scaled
vector diagram is depicted by the length
of the arrow
 the arrow is drawn a precise length in
accordance with a chosen scale
VECTOR AND SCALAR QUANTITY
 Scalars and vectors are differentiated
depending on their definition.
SCALAR QUANTITY
 Scalar quantity is defined as the
physical quantity with magnitude and
no direction.
 Some physical quantities can be
described just by their numerical value
(with their respective units) without
directions (they don’t have any
direction).
 Mass
 Speed
 Distance
 Time
 Area
 Volume
 Density
 Temperature
VECTOR QUANTITY
 A vector quantity is defined as the
physical quantity that has both direction
as well as magnitude.
 A vector with the value of magnitude
equal to one and direction is called unit
vector represented by a lowercase
alphabet with a “hat” circumflex. That is
“û“.
 Linear momentum
 Acceleration
 Displacement
 Momentum
 Angular velocity
 Force
 Electric field
Vectors may be added either graphically or
analytically.
The graphical method is also known as the
geometrical method and requires no
computation. Addition of vector is equivalent to
composition of vectors, and the sum of vectors
is the resultant of the vectors.
1. Triangle law of vector addition states
that when two vectors are represented
as two sides of the triangle with the of
magnitude and direction, then the third
side of the triangle represents the
 magnitude and direction of the signs and vectors with SOUTH
resultant vector. and WEST direction has
negative signs.

2. Parallelogram Law of Vector Addition:

If two vectors can be represented by the
two adjacent sides (both in magnitude
and direction) of a parallelogram drawn
from a point, then their resultant sum
vector is represented completely by the
diagonal of the parallelogram drawn
from the same point.
3. POLYGON METHOD

Pythagorean Theorem

 Useful method for determining the

result of adding 2 vectors that make a
right angle to each other
 A mathematical equations that relates
Sine Law
the length of the sides of a right triangle
to the length of the hypotenuse of a  The ratio of any length of a side of a
right triangle triangle to the sine of the angle
opposite that side is the same for all
ANALYTICAL METHOD OF VECTOR ADDITION
sides and angles in a given triangle
RESOLUTION OF VECTORS
Cosine Law
 the splitting of a single vector into two
 The square on any one side of a triangle
or more vectors in different directions
is equal to the difference between the
which together produce a similar effect
sum of the square of the other two
as is produced by a single vector itself.
sides and twice the product if the other
 The vectors formed after splitting are
two sides and cosine of the angle
called component vectors.
opposite to the first side.
Horizontal Component Definition
UNIFORMLY ACCELERATED MOTION
 The horizontal component of a force as
MECHANICS
the part of the force that moves directly
in a line parallel to the horizontal axis.  The branch of Physics dealing with the
study of motion when subjected to
Vertical Component Definition
forces or displacements, and the
 The vertical component as that part or subsequent effects of the bodies on
a component of a vector that lies their environment.
perpendicular to a horizontal or level
KINEMATICS
plane.
 The branch of classical mechanics that
COMPONENT METHODs
deals with the study of the motion of
 Using trigonometry, find the x- points, objects and a group of objects
component and the y- component for without considering the causes of
each vector. motion
1. Draw the vector  The word kinematics originated from
2. Make a table the Greek word “kinesis”, meaning
3. Get the sum of same x and y motion.
components, know the signs of
the components use the
directions from the given
vectors.
4. All vectors with NORTH and
EAST direction has positive
HORIZONTAL MOTION

 If an object is under constant

acceleration and moves on the x-axis
plane, it is known as a uniformly
accelerated motion on the horizontal
plane or dimension.

The rate of change of the velocity of a particle

with respect to time is called its acceleration.

If the velocity of the particle changes at a

constant rate, then this rate is called the
constant acceleration.

FREE FALL

 It was not until Galileo studied the

motion of falling objects that it became
clear that, in the absence of air
resistance, gravity causes all objects to
fall at the same rate.
 acceleration due to gravity, (g), was
found to have a constant value of
9.80 m/s 2 which varies slightly with
location on earth.

FREELY-FALLING MOTION

 It is a uniformly accelerated motion.

 In the absent of air resistance, there is
only one force acting freely falling body,
gravity.
 Free fall is any motion of a body where
gravity is the only force acting upon it.

VERTICAL MOTION

 An object moves upward must be given

an initial velocity. This velocity in its
ascent decreases because of the force
of gravity until it reaches a point
(maximum height) where it stops
momentarily and then start to descend.
Consider the time travel of the object
from the ground up to the maximum
height or peak point is equal to the time
travel of the object downward.