INTRODUCTION TO

PHYSICS
ARLYN JOY D. OLAIRA
PHYSICS TEACHER
What is
Physics?
It deals with the
behavior and
structure of matter.
Physics is divided
into Classical
physics and modern
physics.
Classical Physics includes:
◦Motion
◦Fluids
◦Heat
◦Sound
◦Light
◦Electricity
◦Magnetism
Modern Physics includes:
◦ Relativity
◦Atomic Structure
◦Condensed Matter
◦Nuclear Physics
◦Elementary Physics
◦Cosmology
◦Astrophysics
Models, Theories, Laws and Principles
◦ Model is the scientific sense , is a kind of analogy or mental image of the phenomena in terms of
something else we are already familiar with.
Example is the wave model of light.
◦ Theory more detailed, and can give quantitatively testable prediction, often with great precision.
◦ Law the general statement about how nature behaves ( example energy is conserved). Sometimes the
statement takes the form of a relationship or equation between quantities such as Newtons second law
F= ma. When its validity has been tested over a wide range of cases, and when any limitations and the
range of validity are clearly understood.
◦ Principles a statement must be found experimentally valid over a wide range of observed phenomena
such as Archimedes' Principle
Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant
Figure
◦ Uncertainty
There is an uncertainty associated with every measurement. Among the most important sources of
uncertainty, other than blunders, are the limited accuracy of every measuring instrument and the inability to
read an instrument beyond some fraction of smallest division.

Technical Difference between “Precision” and ‘’Accuracy”.

Precision refers to the repeatability of the measurement using a given instrument.
Accuracy refers how close a measurement is to the true value.
Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant
Figure
◦ Significant Figures
The number of reliably known digits in a
number.
Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant
Figure
◦ Significant Figures
The number of reliably known digits in a
number.
Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant
Figure
◦ Significant Figures
The number of reliably known digits in a
number.
Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant
Figure
◦ Scientific Notation
We commonly write numbers in “powers of ten’’
or “ scientific ‘’ notation. One of the advantage
of scientific notation is that it allows the
number of significant figure to be clearly
expressed.
Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant
Figure
Absolute Error 
is the amount of error in your measurements. It
is the difference between the measured value
and “true” value. For example, if a scale states
90 pounds but you know your true weight is 89
pounds, then the scale has an absolute error of
90 lbs – 89 lbs = 1 lbs.
Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant
Figure
Relative error (RE)
when used as a measure of precision—is the
ratio of the absolute error of a measurement to
the measurement being taken. In other words,
this type of error is relative to the size of the
item being measured. RE is expressed as a
percentage and has no units..
Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant
Figure
Percent Error
he most common error calculation is 
percent error, which is used when comparing
your results against a known, theoretical, or
accepted value. As you probably guess from the
name, percent error is expressed as a percentage.
It is the absolute (no negative sign) difference
between actual or experimental value and the
expected/theoretical value, divided by the
expected/theoretical value, multiplied by 100%
to give the percent:
Forms of Error
Types of Errors in Measurement System.
Generally errors are classified into three types:
systematic errors, random errors and blunders.
1, Random errors usually result from the
experimenter's inability to take the same
measurement in exactly the same way to get
exact the same number. 
2. Systematic errors, by contrast, are
reproducible inaccuracies that are consistently in
the same direction. 
Causes of Error in Doing Laboratory
Experiments:
1. Inadequate
2. Unable to include a factor
3. Factors due to the environment
4. Limited scale of instrument
5. Unable to calibrate or check zero scale of the instrument
6. Variation in the physical measurement
7. Parallax
8. Personal Error
Conceptual Exercises:
Instructions: Use Short Size Bond Paper, use black ink for the given, required and solutions and put inside the box the final answer
using blue ink.

1. Using a protractor measure an angle 30º. How many significant figures should you quote in this
measurement?
2. Use a calculator to find cosine of the angle you measured. Refer to no.1.
3. Calculate the area of a rectangle 4.5cm by 3.25 cm. Use the rules of significant figures.
4. The age of the universe is thought to be about 14 billion years. Assuming two sig. figures, write this in
power of ten in (a) years (b) seconds.
5. How many significant figures does each of the following numbers have: (a) 214 (b) 7.03 ( c) 21.8 (d)
0.219 ( e). 444
6. Calculate the relative error of 0.95± 0.2 s .
7. What is the area, and approximately uncertainty, of a circle of radius 3.8 x10  cm.
Conceptual Exercises:
8. Express the sine 30º with the correct number of significant figure.
9. A driver's speedometer says his car is going 60 miles per hour (mph) when it's actually going 62 mph.
Calculate the absolute error and relative error.
10. You measure the book and find it to be 75 mm ±1mm, What is the absolute error?