Phys 061 Physics 1

Chapter 1 Units and Measurements

Standards and Units

Any number that is used to describe a physical phenomenon quantitatively is called a physical
quantity.
When we measure a quantity, we always compare it with some reference standard. When we say
that a Ferrari 458 Italia is 4.53 meters long, we mean that it is 4.53 times as long as a meter stick, which we
define to be 1 meter long. Such a standard defines a unit of the quantity. The meter is a unit of distance,
and the second is a unit of time.
The system of units used by scientists and engineers around the world is commonly called “the
metric system,” but since 1960 it has been known officially as the International System, or SI (the
abbreviation for its French name, Système International).

Time
From 1889 until 1967, the unit of time was defined as a certain fraction of the mean solar day, the
average time between successive arrivals of the sun at its highest point in the sky. The present standard,
adopted in 1967, is much more precise. It is based on an atomic clock, which uses the energy difference
between the two lowest energy states of the cesium atom. When bombarded by microwaves of precisely
the proper frequency, cesium atoms undergo a transition from one of these states to the other. One second
(abbreviated s) is defined as the time required for 9,192,631,770 cycles of this microwave radiation.

Length
In 1960 an atomic standard for the meter was also established, using the wavelength of the orange-
red light emitted by atoms of krypton (80Kr) in a glow discharge tube. Using this length standard, the speed
of light in vacuum was measured to be 299,792,458 m/s. In November 1983, the length standard was
changed again so that the speed of light in vacuum was defined to be precisely 299,792,458 m/s. Hence the
new definition of the meter (abbreviated m) is the distance that light travels in vacuum in 1 299,792,458
second. This provides a much more precise standard of length than the one based on a wavelength of light.

Mass
The standard of mass, the kilogram (abbreviated kg), is defined to be the mass of a particular
cylinder of platinum–iridium alloy kept at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures at Sèvres,
near Paris. An atomic standard of mass would be more fundamental, but at present we cannot measure
masses on an atomic scale with as much accuracy as on a macroscopic scale. The gram (which is not a
fundamental unit) is 0.001 kilogram.

Unit Prefixes
The names of the additional units are derived by adding a prefix to the name of the fundamental
unit. For example, the prefix “kilo-,” abbreviated k, always means a unit larger by a factor of 1000; thus

1
Phys 061 Physics 1

The British System

Finally, we mention the British system of units. These units are used only in the United States and
a few other countries, and in most of these they are being replaced by SI units. British units are now
officially defined in terms of SI units, as follows:

Length: 1 inch = 2.54 cm

Force: 1 pound = 4.4482 newtons

Ex 1.1 The world land speed record is 763.0 mi/h, set on October 15, 1997, by Andy Green in the jet-engine
car Thrust SSC. Express this speed in meters per second.
Solution
 763 mi  1.609 km  1000 m  1 h 
763 mi/h      
 h  1 mi  1 km  3600 s 
 341.0 m/s

Ex 1.2 The world’s largest cut diamond is the First Star of Africa (mounted in the British Royal Sceptre
and kept in the Tower of London). Its volume is 1.84 cubic inches. What is its volume in cubic
centimeters? In cubic meters?

Questions
1. What is your height in centimeters?
2. Starting with the definition find the number of (a) kilometers in 1.00 mile and (b) feet in 1.00 km.
3. How many nanoseconds does it take light to travel 1.00 ft in vacuum?
4. How many years older will you be 1.00 gigasecond from now? (Assume a 365-day year.)

2
Phys 061 Physics 1

3
Phys 061 Physics 1

Chapter 2 Vectors
Classification of Quantities
1. Scalar quantity – a quantity that possesses magnitude only.
Examples: distance, speed, mass, time
2. Vector quantity – a quantity that possesses both magnitude and direction.
Examples: displacement, velocity, force

Some things about vectors

If two vectors have the same direction, they are parallel. If they
have the same magnitude and the same direction, they are equal,
no matter where they are located in space.
The negative of a vector is a vector having the same magnitude as
the original vector but the opposite direction.
When two vectors and have opposite directions, whether their
magnitudes are the same or not, we say that they are
antiparallel.

Vector addition
vector addition is commutative; the order in vector addition
doesn’t matter, as shown in Figure 2.1.
Only when two vectors 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵 ⃗⃗ are parallel does the magnitude of
their sum equal the sum of their magnitudes (Fig. 2.2 (a))
When 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵 ⃗⃗ are antiparallel, the magnitude of their sum equals
the difference of their magnitudes: |𝐶⃗| = |𝐵 ⃗⃗ − 𝐴⃗| (Fig. 2.2 (b))

Figure 2.1 Three ways to add two vectors

Methods used in adding vectors
1. Graphical Method
Tools: meterstick/ruler and protractor
Steps:
a. make a scale similar to legend in map in order to represent the
magnitude of vectors by lengths of arrows in the graph.
b. draw the vectors in a head-to-tail process, that is, draw the first
vector and the tail of the second vector is drawn at the head of
the first vector and so on.

Ex 2.1 A car travels 20.0 km due north and then 35.0 km in a

direction 60.0° west of north. Find the magnitude and direction
of the car’s resultant displacement, using Graphical method.
Given:
𝐴⃗ = 20.0 km, North Figure 2.2 Adding two vectors when they
are (a) parallel and (b) antiparallel to each
⃗⃗ = 35.0 km, 60° West of North
𝐵 other.
Scale: 1 in = 33.33 km
Solution
1 in
|𝐴⃗| = 20.0 km × = 0.60 in
33.33 km

4
Phys 061 Physics 1

1 in
⃗⃗| = 35.0 km ×
|𝐵 = 1.05 in
33.33 km

Solving for R
33.33 km
|𝑅⃗⃗ | = 1.45 in × = 48.33 km
1 in
By, using a protractor, the angle β is 380.
Therefore,
𝑅⃗⃗ = 48.33 km, 380 West of North.

Figure 2.1 Graph of Example 2.1

Ex 2.2 A postal employee drives a delivery truck along the route shown in Fig. 2.2. Determine the
magnitude and direction of the resultant displacement by drawing a scale diagram.

Figure 2.4

2. Component Method
Steps:
a. Draw all the given vectors from the same origin.
b. Resolve each vector into x- and y- components.
c. Add all the x-components. Similarly, add all the y-components. The results are the x- and y-components
of the resultant vector, respectively.
d. Draw these three in a new xy coordinate system: The x- and y- components of the resultant vector, and
the real resultant vector. Then use Pythagorean theorem to determine the magnitude of the resultant
vector.
e. Use any of the three trigonometric functions to solve for the angle that can contribute to the description
the resultant vector’s direction.

Ex 2.3 A hiker begins a trip by first walking 25.0 km southeast from her car. She stops and sets up her tent
for the night. On the second day, she walks 40.0 km in a direction 60.0° north of east, at which point she
discovers a forest ranger’s tower. Find her resultant displacement using component method.

5
Phys 061 Physics 1

Given:
𝐴⃗ = 25.0 km, southeast
𝐵⃗⃗ = 35.0 km, 60° North of East

Solution

Figure 2.5 The two given

vectors drawn from the same
origin

Vector x-component y-component

𝐴⃗ Ax= + A cos (450) Ax= - A sin(450)
= + (25.0 km) cos (450) = - (25.0 km) sin(450)
= + 17.68 km = - 17.68 km
⃗⃗
𝐵 Bx = + Bcos (600) By= + Bsin (600)
= + (35.0 km) cos(600) = + (35.0 km) sin (600)
= + 17.5 km = + 30.31 km

Solving for Rx Solving for Ry

Rx  Ax  Bx Ry  Ay  By
Rx =17.68 km +17.5 km Ry  17.68 km  30.31 km
Rx =35.18 km Ry  12.63 km

Solving for R
R  Rx2  Ry2
Figure 2.6 Step d in the
R  (35.18 km) 2  (12.63 km)2
Component Method for Ex 2.3.
R  37.38 km

Solving for 
Ry
tan  =
Rx
12.63 km
  tan 1
35.18 km
  19.75
Thus, her resultant displacement is 37.38 km, 19.750 North of East.

Ex 2.4 Your dog is running around the grass in your back yard. He undergoes successive displacements
3.50 m south, 8.20 m northeast, and 15.0 m west. What is the resultant displacement?

6
Phys 061 Physics 1

Questions
1. A map suggests that Atlanta is 730 miles in a direction of 5.00° north of
east from Dallas. The same map shows that Chicago is 560 miles in a
direction of 21.0° west of north from Atlanta. Figure P3.24 shows the
locations of these three cities. Modeling the Earth as flat, use his
information to find the displacement from Dallas to Chicago. Use
graphical and analytical methods.
2. A person walks in the following pattern: 3.1 km north, then 2.4 km west,
and finally 5.2 km south. (a) Sketch the vector diagram that represents
this motion. (b) How far and (c) in what direction would a bird fly in a
straight line from the same starting point to the same final point?
3. A car is driven east for a distance of 50 km, then north for 30 km, and then in a direction 30° east of north
for 25 km. Sketch the vector diagram and determine (a) the magnitude and (b) the angle of the car’s total
displacement from its starting point.
4. An explorer is caught in a whiteout (in which the snowfall is so thick that the ground cannot be
distinguished from the sky) while returning to base camp. He was supposed to travel due north for
5.6 km, but when the snow clears, he discovers that he actually traveled 7.8 km at 50° north of due east.
(a) How far and (b) in what direction must he now travel to reach base camp?

7
Phys 061 Physics 1

Chapter 3 Kinematics: Describing Motion

Mechanics – study of motion of objects and related concepts of force and energy

Two parts of Mechanics

1. Kinematics – quantitative description of an object’s motion
2. Dynamics – deals with a force and why objects move as they do.

Kinematics

Speed - Specifies how fast an object moves.

- A scalar quantity.

Two kinds of speed

1. Instantaneous speed – is speed at any instant.
2. Average speed – is defined as:
total distance covered
vav 
travel time
Velocity - specifies how fast and in what direction an object moves.
- A vector quantity.
1. Instantaneous velocity – is velocity at any instant.
2. Average velocity – is defined as:
displacement
v
travel time

Ex 3.1 A car travels 60 km east and then 80 km north, or a total

distance of 140 km in a time of two hours. (a) What is the
car’s average speed? (b) What is the car’s average
velocity?

acceleration – is the time-rate of change of velocity

v  v0
a Figure 3.1 Motion of the car in Ex 3.1
t
Equations for Linear Motion with Constant Acceleration
Eq.(1) v  v0  at
v  v0
Eq.(2) v 
2
Eq.(3) x  x0  vt
1
Eq.(4) x  x0  v0t  at 2
2
Eq.(5) 2a ( x  x0 )  v 2  v0 2

8
Phys 061 Physics 1

Steps in Solving Problems in Kinematics

1. Read the problem carefully. Make a motion diagram showing the location of the body at times of interest.
Superimpose the axis. It is often helpful to place the origin at the initial position of the body; then
x0 = 0 at t = 0.
2. Identify the physical quantities that appear in the equations (1 to 5) and assign the appropriate signs.
Some will be known and some will be unknown.
3. Decide which of the unknowns are the target variables.
4. Identify the applicable equation(s). Usually you’ll find a single equation that contains only one of the
target variables. Sometimes you must find two equations, each containing the same two unknowns.
5. Take a hard look at your results to see whether they make sense. Are they within the general range of
values that you expected?

Ex 3.2 An automobile travels east in the positive x direction at +20 m/s and needs to pass a truck. The
automobile’s velocity is increased to +25 m/s in 2 s; it still moves toward the east. Calculate its
acceleration.
Ex 3.3 The driver of a car traveling at 25 m/s needs to quickly reduce the car’s speed to 16 m/s to round a
curve in the highway. If the car’s deceleration has a magnitude of 6 m/s2, how far does it travel while
reducing its speed?

Free Fall

If it were not for the resistive force of air on falling objects their acceleration would be constant. This
acceleration is caused by the gravitational force of the earth pulling down on the objects. This force
– weight – causes them to accelerate toward the center of the earth with what is called gravitational
acceleration.
The magnitude of this acceleration has a value at the earth’s surface equal to 9.8 m/s2
Ex 3.4 A person can test your reaction time by dropping a ruler between your fingers. The distance the ruler
falls before you catch it indicates the time the ruler falls and hence your reaction time. What is your
reaction time if the ruler falls 20 cm before your catch it?

Projectile Motion
A projectile is any body that is given an initial velocity and then follows a path determined entirely by the
effects of gravitational acceleration and air resistance. A batted baseball, a thrown football, a package
dropped from an airplane, and a bullet shot from a rifle are all projectiles. The path followed by a
projectile is called its trajectory.

The analysis of Projectile motion is easier if it is resolved into two components: horizontal and vertical
components.
Horizontal component Vertical component
 has no acceleration  has constant acceleration (due to
gravity).
 Horizontal component of velocity  Vertical component of velocity
stays the same changes by 9.8 m/s every after 1 s.
 equal horizontal distances are  unequal vertical distances are
covered per equal small time covered per equal small time
intervals intervals

9
Phys 061 Physics 1

Equations
Horizontal component Vertical component
vx = vox vy  v0y  gt
x  v0x t vy 2  v0y 2  2 g ( y  y0 )
1
y  y0  v0 y t  gt 2
2

For a projectile fired at initial velocity v0 at an angle α above the horizontal, the x- and y-components of its
initial velocity are:
v0 x  v0 cos  v0 y  v0 sin 
And the projectile’s speed at any time t is
v  vx2  v y2
where vx and vy are x- and y-components of velocity at time t, respectively.

Figure 3.2 Projectile Motion. If air resistance is negligible, the trajectory of a projectile is a combination of horizontal
motion with constant velocity and vertical motion with constant acceleration.

Ex 3.5 A batter hits a baseball so that it leaves the bat at speed 37.0 m/s at an angle 53.10 above horizontal.
(a) Find the position of the ball and its velocity (magnitude and direction) at (b) Find the time when
the ball reaches the highest point of its flight, and its height h at this time. (c) Find the horizontal
range R—that is, the horizontal distance from the starting point to where the ball hits the ground.

Questions

1. A car traveling east in the positive x direction at +20 m/s comes up behind a large truck and is unable to
pass. The car slows to +15 m/s in a time of 2 s. Calculate the car’s acceleration.
2. A high-jumper leaps into the air with an initial speed of 5.8 m/s. How high will she be at the top of her
flight, when v = 0?

10
Phys 061 Physics 1

3. A ball is thrown with enough speed straight up so that it is in the air several seconds. (a) What is the
velocity of the ball when it reaches its highest point? (b) What is its velocity 1 s before it reaches its
highest point? (c) What is the change in its velocity during this 1-s interval? (d) What is its velocity
1 s after it reaches its highest point? (e) What is the change in velocity during this 1-s interval? (f)
What is the change in velocity during the 2-s interval? (Careful!) (g) What is the acceleration of the
ball during any of these time intervals and at the moment the ball has zero velocity?
4. What is the instantaneous velocity of a freely falling object 10 s after it IS released from a position of
rest? What is its average velocity during this 10-s interval? How far will it fall during this time?
5. A certain automobile manufacturer claims that its deluxe sports car will accelerate from rest to a speed
of 42.0 m/s in 8.00 s. (a) Determine the acceleration of the car. (b) Find the distance the car travels
in the first 8.00 s.
6. A ball starts from rest and accelerates at 0.500 m/s while moving down an inclined plane 9.00 m long.
When it reaches the bottom, the ball rolls up another plane, where it comes to rest after moving 15.0
m on that plane. (a) What is the speed of the ball at the bottom of the first plane? (b) During what
time interval does the ball roll down the first plane?
7. A pole vaulter after crossing the bar lands on a foam cushion. His downward speed as he first touches
the cushion is 6.8 m/s, and he sinks 25 cm into the cushion before stopping. Estimate his acceleration,
assumed constant, while being stopped by the cushion.
8. The boy on the tower in Figure 4.5 throws a ball 20 m downrange. What is his pitching speed?

9. In a carnival booth, you win a stuffed giraffe if you toss a quarter into a small dish. The dish is on a shelf
above the point where the quarter leaves your hand and is a horizontal distance of 2.1 m from this
point. If you toss the coin with a velocity of 6.4 m/s at an angle of 60° above the horizontal, the coin
lands in the dish. You can ignore air resistance. (a) What
is the height of the shelf above the point where the
quarter leaves your hand? (b) What is the vertical
component of the velocity of the quarter just before it
lands in the dish?

References:

 Young and Freedman, University Physics with Modern Physics, 13 th ed.

 Resnick and Halliday, Fundamentals of Physics, 9 th ed
 Serway and Jewett, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 9 th ed.

11