COURSE CODE: PHYS 211-MECHANICS AND HEAT

Module 1(Lecture)

Week 1: September 5-11, 2022 | 1st Semester, S.Y. 2022-2023

Introduction
The primary goal of Physics is to describe an observable natural phenomenon
in terms of the basic concepts and to be able to use these descriptions to predict
the outcome of an observation. Physical quantities are used to describe natural
phenomena so it is necessary to identify the quantities that are used to describe
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and the relationship between these quantities.

To compare quantities, two things must be specified: a number and the unit of
measure, referred to as magnitude of a physical quantity.

In 1971, the 14th General Conference on Weights and Measures defined SI as made
up of seven basic units.

Aside from these base units there are derived units that defined from a
combination of base units or with other derived units to describe their
relationships in the form of an algebraic equation.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to show understanding on how derived units be define
from a combination of base units and described their relationships in the
form of an algebraic equation.
• Students will be able to describe the difference between vector and scalar
quantities and identify the magnitude and direction of a vector.

Topic 1 – Units Consistency and Conversion of Units

- Units can be multiplied and/or divided just like ordinary algebraic

expressions. This gives an easy way to convert a quantity from one unit to another
to be dimensionally consistent.

Examples:
𝑟𝑒𝑣 𝑟𝑎𝑑
a) To convert 6 to
𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛
Conversion factor to be used: 1 rev= 2πrad; 1min=60s

𝑟𝑒𝑣 2𝜋𝑟𝑎𝑑 60𝑠 𝒓𝒂𝒅

6 x( )𝑥( )= 2269.15
𝑠 1𝑟𝑒𝑣 1𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝒎𝒊𝒏
 𝑘𝑔 𝑔
b) To convert 50 to
𝑚3 𝑐𝑚3
Conversion factor to be used: 1 kg= 1000g; 1m=100cm
𝑔 1𝑚 3 𝑔 1𝑚3
𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔
50 𝑚3 x 1000 𝑥 ( ) = 50 𝑚 3 x 1000𝑘𝑔 x 1,000,000𝑐𝑚 3
𝑘𝑔 100𝑐𝑚

𝒈
= 0.05
𝒄𝒎𝟑
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𝑚
c) x=vt where v= 5 and t= 20min
𝑠
If x is measured in meters, then the product vt must also be
expressed in meters. To solve, first convert the unit of t from
minutes to seconds using the conversion factor 1min=60ses. Then
multiply to the value of v.

𝑠
20 min x 60 = 1200s
𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑚
X= 5 x 1200s = 6000m
𝑠

EXERCISE No. 1
1. The density of lead is 11.3 g/cm3. What is this value in kilograms per
cubic meter?
2. The following conversions occur frequently in physics and area very
useful.

a) Use 1 mi = 5280ft and 1 h = 3600 s to convert 60 mph to units

of ft/s.
b) The Acceleration of a freely falling object is 32 ft/s2. Use 1 ft =
30.48cm to express this acceleration in units of m/s2.
c) The density of water is 1.0 g/cm 3. Convert this density to units
of kg/m3.
3. A square field measuring 100.0 m by 100.0 m has an area of 1.00
hectare. An acre has an area of 43,600 ft 2. If a country lot has an area
of 12.0 acres, what is the area in hectares?
 Topic 2 – Scientific Notation and Significant Figures

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION
Physical quantities vary from very large numbers to very small numbers. A
more convenient and compact way of writing these values uses the powers of ten
notation, exponential notation or scientific notation wherein one can determine
the number of significant digits immediately as well as the place value of the digit.
Prefixes are used to denote these place values.
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Format: C.MMMMM X 10e

where:
C - the characteristics digit, may be any digit from 1 to 9
M - the mantissa digit, may be any digit from 1 to 9
10 - the base
e - the exponent, the number of times the decimal is moved to either
towards left or right
Rule 1: Positive exponent results when the decimal point is moved from right to
left direction.
Example: 98067.5321 = 9.80675321 x 104 = 9.81 x 104

Rule 2: Negative exponent results when the decimal point is moved from left to
right direction.
Example: 0.000980675321 = 9.80675321 x 10-4 = 9.81 x 10-4
10410-4
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

The number of significant figures is the number of digits about which we have
some degree of certainty. It is a measure of the degree of reliability of a certain
measurement.
Rules in Determining the Number of Significant Figures:

1. All nonzero digits area significant.

Example: 3.1416 5 significant figures

2. All zeros between nonzero digits are significant.

Example: 5.0046 5 significant figures

3. All zeros before the first nonzero digit are not significant.

Example: 0.0001 1 significant figure

4. All zeros to the right of the last nonzero digit are significant.

Example: 77.800 5 significant figures

 In adding or subtracting significant quantities, the number of decimal places
in the answer should be the same as the least number of decimal places in any of
the numbers being added or subtracted.
Example:
5.67 m (two decimal places)
+ 1.1 m (one decimal place) –least number of decimal places
+ 0.9378 m (four decimal places)
7.7 m (one decimal place)
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In multiplication and division, the number of significant figures in the

answer is the same as the number of significant figures in the input number that
has the fewest.

Example:
11.63 cm (four significant figures)
x 5.74 cm (three significant figures)–least number of S.F.
66.8 cm2 (three significant figures)

EXERCISE No. 2
1. Calculate the following, round-off to the correct number of significant figures
and express your results in scientific notation:

a) 200.9 x 56.4=________________

b) 0.000000513 x 62.3 x 107=________________

c) 28,401 + 5.78 x 104=_________________

d) 5.007 – 2.89=_________________

e) 63.25  4.17 x 10-3=_______________

 Topic 3- Scalar and Vector Quantities SS
Scalar Quantity -physical quantity that is completely described by its magnitude
only, hence it can be operated ordinarily using the four
fundamental arithmetic operations.
Vector Quantity -physical quantity that is completely described by a magnitude
and direction.
-denoted usually by an alphabet with arrow over it to indicate
its direction.
Example: A
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-graphically represented by scaled line with an arrow at the tip

and a label:
𝐴⃑

METHOD OF ADDING VECTOR QUANTITIES:

Resultant, 𝑅⃑⃑ - total displacement or vector sum of two or more vectors.

𝑅⃑⃑ = 𝐴⃑ + 𝐵
⃑⃑ + 𝐶⃑ + ….

1. Graphical Method:

Magnitude of 𝑅⃑⃑ - measured using ruler

Distance of 𝑅⃑⃑ - measured using protractor
Types:
a) Parallelogram Method- a line is drawn parallel to the given vector
whose length is equal to the vector. The resultant vector is drawn
from the origin to the tip of the intersection of the parallel lines and
the resultant direction is measured from the horizontal.

𝑅⃑⃑
⃑⃑
𝐵
Ɵ𝑅

𝐴⃑

b) Polygon Method- head-to-tail connection of vectors and the

resultant is connected from the tail of the first vector to the head of
the last vector added. It is more convenient to use when adding
more than two vectors.

𝐶⃑

𝑅⃑⃑

⃑⃑
𝐵

Ɵ𝑅
𝐴⃑
 2. Analytical Method

a) Law of Cosine and Sine Method – requires basic Trigonometry

knowledge in adding two vectors

⃑⃑ – obtained using Law of Cosine

Magnitude of 𝑅

R2 = A2 + B2 -2AB cos 
where,  is the angle between 𝐴⃑ & 𝐵 ⃑⃑
Direction of 𝑅⃑⃑ – obtained using Law of Sine
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sin Ɵ𝑅 sin 𝑎 𝐵 sin 𝑎

= Ɵ𝑅 = sin−1 ( )
𝐵 𝑅 𝑅

𝑅⃑⃑
⃑⃑
𝐵

Ɵ𝑅

For a special case when two vectors are perpendicular to each other:
Magnitude of 𝑅⃑⃑ –obtained using Pythagorean Theorem

R2 = A2 + B 2
Direction of 𝑅⃑⃑ – obtained using
𝐵
Ɵ𝑅 = tan−1 ( )
𝐴

𝑅⃑⃑
⃑⃑
𝐵
Ɵ𝑅 𝐴⃑

b) Component Method – each vector is resolved into its components

Components ⃑⃑
Vectors 𝐵
X Y
λ 𝐴⃑
𝐴⃑ Ax = A cosƟ Ay = A sinƟ

𝐵⃑⃑ Bx = -B cosλ By = B sinλ
𝐶⃑ Cx = C cos Cx = -C sin 𝐶⃑
𝑅⃑⃑ R x = A x + B x + C x R y = A y + B y + Cy
Ry
Magnitude of 𝑅⃑⃑ : R =√(𝑅𝑥 2 + 𝑅𝑦 2 ) Direction of 𝑅⃑⃑ : ƟR = tan−1 ( )
Rx
 Unit Vector -has a magnitude of 1 and points in a particular direction of a
vector in space.

𝑖̂ − points in the positive x-axis direction

𝑗̂ − points in the positive y-axis direction
̂𝑘 − points in the positive z-axis direction

Vector sum in terms of unit vectors

𝐴⃑ = Ax𝑖̂ + Ay𝑗̂ + Az ̂𝑘
𝐵⃑⃑ = Bx𝑖̂ + By𝑗̂ + Bz ̂𝑘
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⃑⃑ = (Ax+ Bx ) 𝑖̂ + (Ay + By)𝑗̂ + (Az + Bz) ̂𝑘

𝑅⃑⃑ = 𝐴⃑ + 𝐵

Product of Vectors

1. Scalar or Dot Product – the resulting product is a scalar quantity.

Equations:
a) 𝐴⃑ • 𝐵
⃑⃑ = AB cosø (Definition) (1-
1)
where, ø = angle between the two vectors

b) 𝐴⃑ • 𝐵
⃑⃑ = AxBx + AyBy + AzBz (Component) (1-
2)

Example: 𝑖̂ • 𝑖̂ = 
𝑗̂ • 𝑖̂ = 

Application: Work, W = 𝐹̂ • 𝑠̂

2. Vector or Cross Product – the resulting product is a vector quantity.

Magnitude of resulting product is obtain using:

⃑⃑ =  sinø
a) 𝐴⃑ x 𝐵 (Definition) (1-
3)
⃑⃑ = Cx + Cy + Cz
b) 𝐴⃑ x 𝐵 (Component) (1-
4)
where,
Cx = (AyBz –AzBy) 𝑖̂
Cy = (AzBx –AxBz) 𝑗̂
Cz = (AxBy –AyBx) ̂𝑘

𝑖̂ 𝑗̂
̂𝑘
c) 𝐴 x 𝐵 = Ax
⃑ ⃑⃑ Ay Az (matrix)
Bx By Bz
= (AyBz –AzBy) 𝑖̂ + (AzBx –AxBz) 𝑗̂ + (AxBy –AyBx) ̂𝑘 (1-
5)
 Direction of resulting product is obtained using the :

⃑⃑ place your right hand along the length of 𝐴⃑

Right-Hand Rule- In 𝐴⃑ x 𝐵
and curl your fingers toward 𝐵 ⃑⃑. Your thumb then points
to the direction of the resulting product vector.
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Example: 𝑖̂ x 𝑖̂ = 
𝑖̂ x 𝑗̂ = ̂𝑘
⃑⃑ = 𝑟⃑⃑⃑x 𝐹⃑
Application: Torque, 𝑇
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EXERCISE No. 3
1. John, in going to his Physics class, walks 30m, 450 N of E, then 40m,
600 W of S and finally 50m, straight south. Use polygon method to
determine the resultant vector 𝑅̂ and check your result using component
method.

2. Find the vector sum of the following three vectors:

𝐴⃑ = 2𝑖̂ - 3𝑗̂ ; 𝐵
⃑⃑ = -9𝑖̂ - 5𝑗̂ ; 𝐶⃑ = 4𝑖̂ + 8𝑗̂

3. Let 𝐹⃑ 1 = 10𝑖̂ - 15𝑗̂ – 20𝑘̂ and 𝐹⃑ 2 = 6𝑖̂ + 8𝑗̂ – 12𝑘̂ . Find their dot product
and the angle between them.

4. Let 𝐹⃑ 1 = 10𝑖̂ - 15𝑗̂ – 20𝑘̂ and 𝐹⃑ 2 = 6𝑖̂ + 8𝑗̂ – 12𝑘̂ . Find their cross
product.
 References
• Mechanics Workbook 8th Edition, 2014
• University Physics 11th Edition
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