Handling Numbers

• SCIENTIFIC NOTATION- Used when working with

very large and very small numbers
• SIGNIFICANT FIGURES- the meaningful digits in a
measured or calculated quantity
• ACCURACY refers to how closely a measured
value agrees with the correct value.
• PRECISION refers to how closely individual
measurements agree with one another.
 Accuracy Vs Precision

(a) Good accuracy and good precision. (b) Poor

accuracy and good precision. (c) Poor accuracy
and poor precision. The blue dots show the
positions of the darts.
 Handling Numbers
SCIENTIFIC NOTATION
- Used when working with very large and very
small numbers
• all numbers can be expressed in the form
N x 10n
• where N is a number between 1 and 10 and n,
the exponent, is a positive or negative integer
(whole number).
 Scientific Notation Example
197 grams of gold contains approximately
602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 gold atoms
6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.
= 6.02 x 1023 atoms If the decimal point has to be moved
to the left, then n is a positive integer

The mass of one gold atom is approximately

0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 327 gram
0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 327
= 3.27x10 -22 g If the decimal point has to be moved
to the right, n is a negative integer.
Express the following in scientific notation
1. 0.00000772 L
2. 4,300,000 g
3. 234, 000 mL
4. 0.00000000000090 m
5. 0.00000064 km
 Handling Numbers
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
• the meaningful digits in a measured or
calculated quantity
• When significant figures are used, the last
digit is understood to be uncertain.
 Guidelines for Using Significant Figures
1. Any digit that is not zero is significant.
845 cm has three significant figures
1.234 kg has four significant figures

2. Zeros between nonzero digits are significant.

606 m contains three significant figures
40,501 kg contains five significant figures

3. Zeros to the left of the first nonzero digit are not

significant. Their purpose is to indicate the
placement of the decimal point.
0.08 L contains one significant figure
0.0000349 g contains three significant figures
 Guidelines for Using Significant Figures
4. If a number is greater than 1, then all the zeros
written to the right of the decimal point count
as significant figures.
2.0 mg has two significant figures,
40.062 mL has five significant figures
If a number is less than 1, then only the zeros
that are at the end of the number and the
zeros that are between nonzero digits are
significant.
0.090 kg has two significant figures
0.3005 L has four significant figures
 Guidelines for Using Significant Figures
5. For numbers that do not contain decimal points, the
trailing zeros (that is, zeros after the last nonzero
digit) may or may not be significant. We cannot know
which is correct without more information. By using
scientific notation, however, we avoid this ambiguity.
400 cm may have one significant figure (the digit 4)
two significant figures (40), or three significant figures
(400)
express the number 400 as 4 x102 for one significant
figure, 4.0 x102 for two significant figures, or 4.00x102
for three significant figures.
Determine the number of significant figures in the
following measurements
1. 478 cm
2. 6.01 g
3. 0.825 m
4. 0.043 kg
5. 1.310 x1022 atoms
6. 7000 mL
How to handle significant figures in calculations
1. In addition and subtraction, the answer
cannot have more digits to the right of the
decimal point than either of the original
numbers.
How to handle significant figures in calculations
2. In multiplication and division, the number of
significant figures in the final product or
quotient is determined by the original number
that has the smallest number of significant
figures.
Determine the number of significant figures in the
following measurements and carry out the following
operations using the correct significant figures.
(0.316) 2
6.
1. 0.00236g (0.042)(0. 042)
2. 1.030mg
7. (2.03)( 4.0)
3. 6.203mL
8. 7.30 + 0.016
4. 375,000,000 atoms
9. 5,006 - 45.02
5. 3.502 m
10. ( 7.050) ( 0.030)
 Making measurements; Using units.
• Physics is a mathematical science. The
underlying concepts and principles have a
mathematical basis.
• Theories in physics are developed on the basis
of experimental observations, or are tested by
comparing predictions with the results of
experiments.
• Being able to carry out experiments and
understand their limitations is a critical part of
physics or any experimental science.
 Making measurements; Using units.
The International System of Units (SI) or the
Metric system
• the current international standard metric
system and is also the system most widely used
around the world.
English system
• defined as the measurement system used in
many countries including the United States
using feet, pounds and seconds.
 The base units.
Their current definitions.
• LENGTH - UNIT: METER (m)
– Path length traveled by light in vacuum during a
time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second.
 Examples
1. Convert 3 feet into meters

2. Convert 5 kilometers into inch

3. convert 8 meters into feet

 The base units.
Their current definitions.
• MASS - UNIT: KILOGRAM (kg)
– One kilogram is the mass of a Platinum-Iridium
cylinder kept at the International Bureau of
Weights and Measures in Paris.
 Examples
1. Convert 10 ounces to grams
2. Convert 2.5 pounds to kilograms
3. Convert 900 grams to pounds
 Temperature
- Measures the average kinetic energy of the
particles that composed the substance.

Conversion
oC 5
=
oF - 32 9

K= o C + 273
 Examples
Carry out each of the following conversions.
a. 58 oF to oC
b. 48 oC to K
c. 543K to oC
 Mathematical Quantities
• The mathematical quantities that are used to
describe the motion of objects can be divided
into two categories.
• The quantity is either a vector or a scalar.
 Scalars
• A scalar quantity is a quantity that has
magnitude only and has no direction in space

Examples of Scalar Quantities:

 Length
 Area
 Volume
 Time
 Mass
 Vectors
• A vector quantity is a quantity that has both
magnitude and a direction in space
Examples of Vector Quantities:
 Displacement
 Velocity
 Acceleration
 Force
 Example
• Categorize each quantity as being either a
vector or a scalar.
 Vector Quantities
• Vectors are represented by an arrow ().
The tail of the arrow will always be placed
at the point of origin for the measurement
of the desired quantity.
• The length of the arrow indicates the
magnitude of the vector.
• The orientation of the arrow indicates the
direction.
 Representing Vectors Example
N
1cm=5m
a. 15m 45oN of E
b. 20 N 60oE of S a
45o
W E

60o b

S
 Plot the following vectors
1. 100 N 25oW of S
2. 45m W
3. 70 Kg 30o W of N
 Resultant of Two Vectors
 The resultant is the sum or the combined effect of
two vector quantities

Vectors in the same direction:

6N 4N = 10 N

6m
= 10 m
4m
Vectors in opposite directions:
6 m s-1 10 m s-1 = 4 m s-1

6N 10 N = 4N
 Vector Addition
1. When two or more vectors act at the same
point in the same direction (in other
words, the angle between each of the
vectors is 0), the resultant is determined
by adding all the component vectors
together.
2. The direction of the resultant vector is in
the direction of the component vectors.
Vector Addition
• If you walk 5 m to the right,
stop, and then walk 3 m to
the right, the total
displacement is: 5 m + 3 m
= 8 m.
• The 5 m vector and the 3 m
vector are the component
vectors.
• Resultant displacement = 8
m to the right
• Properties of Vectors (HRW)
 Vector Subtraction
1. When two vectors act at the same point,
but in opposite directions (the angle
between each vector is 180), the resultant
is equal to the difference between the two
vector quantities (subtract).
2. The direction of the resultant is in the
direction of the component vector with the
largest magnitude.
Vector Subtraction
• If you walk 5 m to the right,
stop, and then walk 3 m to
the left, the total
displacement is:
• 5m–3m=2m
• The 5 m vector and the 3 m
vector are the component
vectors.
• Resultant displacement = 2 m
to the right.
• Subtraction of Vectors (HRW)
Three Methods For Adding Vectors
1. POLYGON METHOD or HEAD TO TAIL
METHOD
2. PARALLELOGRAM METHOD
3. METHOD OF COMPONENTS or
TRIGONOMETRIC METHOD
 Head to Tail Method
• When two or more vectors
act at the same time
(concurrently) on the same
point, the resultant can be
determined by placing the
vectors head to tail.
• The tail of the first vector
(A) will begin at the origin
and the tail of the next
component vector (B) is
placed at the head of the
vector A.
 Head to Tail Method
• The tail of vector C is placed
at the head of vector B.
• Each component vector is
drawn with the correct
orientation.
• The order in which the
vectors are drawn does not
matter as long as the
magnitude and direction of
each vector is maintained
when drawn.
 Head to Tail Method
• The resultant vector R
would be the vector
beginning at the origin
and extending in a
straight line to the
head of the last vector.
The determination of
the magnitude will
involve use of the
Pythagorean theorem
or the law of cosines.
• Consider two vectors and acting in the directions as
shown below:
a b

• Add the vectors and solve for the resultant.

N b
Measure the length of
a R the resultant and the
angle
W E

S
The Parallelogram Law

 When two vectors are joined tail to

tail
 Complete the parallelogram
 The resultant is found by drawing
the diagonal
• Consider two vectors and acting in the directions as
shown below:
a b

• Add the vectors and solve for the resultant.

N b
Measure the length of
a R a the resultant and the
b angle
W E

S
 Trigonometric Method
• The trigonometric method of vector resolution
involves using trigonometric functions to determine
the components of the vector.
• trigonometric functions are used to determine the
components of a single vector
Trigonometric functions
 x and y components
F=100 N 25oN of E X-component
X-component
Cos 25= F
N X-component = F cos 25
= 100N cos 25
X-component =90.6N
Y-component F
25o
Y-component
W E
Sin 25 = Y-component
F
Y-component = F sin 25
= 100N sin 25
=42.3N

S
 x and y components
F1=100.0 N 25oN of E F X Y
F2= 50.0 N 30oN of W component component
N
-x,y x,y F1 F1cos
90.625N F1sin
42.325 N

F2 -F2cos
-43.330N F2sin
25.030N
F1
F2 sum
30o 25o 47.3 N 67.3 N
W E

-x,-y x,-y

S
 Resultant
F1=100.0 N 25oN of E F X Y
F2= 50.0 N 30oN of W component component
N sum 47.3N 67.3 N
-x,y x,y
R2=x2 + y2
R R= x2 + y2
= (47.3)2 + (67.3)2
W E = 82.3 N
tan = Y
-x,-y X
x,-y 67.3
= Tan -
47.3
=54.9 o N of E
S
 Find The Resultant

1: 30 meters, west Leg X- Y-

component component
2: 65 meters, 32 degrees
East of South 1 30 m 0m

3: 130 meters, east

2
4: 42 meters, 22 degrees
West of North
3 130 m 0m

4
 65 meters, 32 degrees East Leg X- Y-
component component
of South
1 30 m 0m

2
34.44 m 55.12 m
65cos32 =
55.12 m
65 m
32 3 130 m 0m
v.c
h.c.
4
65sin32 =34.44 m
 Leg X- Y-
42 meters, 22 degrees West component component
of North
42sin22 =15.73 m 1 30 m 0m
h.c.

2 34.44 m 55.12 m
22 v.c
42 m
42cos22=38.94 m
3 130 m 0m

4
15.73 m 38.94 m
 Leg X- Y-
1: 30 meters, west component component

2: 65 meters, 32 degrees 1 - 30 m 0m
East of South
3: 130 meters, east 2 34.44 m - 55.12 m
4: 42 meters, 22 degrees
West of North 3 130 m 0m

4 - 15.73 m 38.94 m
 Leg X- Y-
component component
1: 30 meters, west
1 -30 m 0m
2: 65 meters, 32 degrees
East of South 2 34.44 m -55.12 m
3: 130 meters, east
4: 42 meters, 22 degrees 3 130 m 0m
West of North
118.71 m 4 -15.73 m 38.94 m
-16.18 m
Tota 118.71 m -16.18 m
l
 30 m, W 118.71 m
q -16.18 m
32
65 m 42 m 22

130 m, E

R  118.712  (16.18) 2  119.81m

16.18
Tanq   0.136
118.71
q  Tan1 (0.136)  7.76
Final Answer: 119.81 m, 7.76 degrees, South of East
1. You fly 32.0 km in a straight line in still air in
the direction 35.0º south of west. (a) Find
the distances you would have to fly straight
south and then straight west to arrive at
the same point.
2. Suppose a pilot flies 40.0 km in a direction
60º north of east and then flies 30.0 km in
a direction 15º north of east. Find her total
distance R from the starting point and the
direction θ of the straight-line path to the
final position.