Applied Physics

[RISG1312]

BS Robotics and Intelligent Systems

Credit hours – 2+0

Units, Physical Quantities and Vectors

Department of Mechanical Engineering
BS Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Capital University of Science and Technology
Islamabad, Pakistan

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 1 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Learning Outcomes
Three fundamental quantities of physics and the units
physicists use to measure them.
How to keep track of significant figures in your
calculations.
The difference between scalars and vectors, and how to
add and subtract vectors graphically.
What the components of a vector are, and how to use
them in calculations.
What unit vectors are, and how to use them with
components to describe vectors.
Two ways of multiplying vectors.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 2 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 The Nature of Physics
Physics is an experimental science in which physicists
seek patterns that relate the phenomena of nature.
The patterns are called physical theories.
A very well established or widely used theory is called a
physical law or principle.
Physics deals with the nature and properties of matter and
energy.
Common language is mathematics.
Physics is based on experimental observations and
quantitative measurements.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 3 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 The Nature of Physics
Physics is divided into six major areas
1. Classical Mechanics
2. Relativity
3. Thermodynamics
4. Electromagnetism
5. Optics
6. Quantum Mechanics

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 4 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 The Nature of Physics
 Classical mechanics deals with the motion and equilibrium
of material bodies and the action of forces.
 Classical Mechanics: Theory that predicts qualitatively &
quantitatively the results of experiments for objects that are
NOT
• Too small: atoms and subatomic particles – Quantum
Mechanics
• Too fast: objects close to the speed of light – Special
Relativity
• Too dense: black holes, the early Universe – General
Relativity
 Classical mechanics concerns the motion of objects that are
large relative to atoms and move at speeds much slower than
the speed of light (i.e. nearly everything!)
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 5 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 Standards and Units
 Any number that is used to describe a physical
phenomenon quantitatively is called a physical quantity.
 For example, two physical quantities that describe you
are your weight and your height.
 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.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 6 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Standards and Units
 How tall is Ming Yao? How about is weight?

Height: 2.29 m

Weight: 141 kg

Number Unit

 “thickness is 10.” has no physical meaning.

 Both numbers and units necessary for any meaningful

physical quantities

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 7 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Standards and Units
 Length, time, and mass are three fundamental quantities of
physics.
 The International System (SI for Système International) is
the most widely used system of units.
 In SI units, length is measured in meters, time in seconds,
and mass in kilograms.
Fundamental Quantities and Their Units
Quantity SI Unit Quantity SI Unit
Length Meter (m) Thermodynamic Temperature Kelvin (K)
Mass Kilogram (kg) Luminous Intensity Candela (Cd)
Time Second (s) Amount of Substance Mole (mol)
Electric Current Ampere (A)

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 8 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Standards and Units
 Why We Should Care About Units !!!
 Mars Climate Orbiter:
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orb
iter#Cause_of_failure
 SEPTEMBER 23, 1999: Mars Climate Orbiter
Believed To Be Lost
 SEPTEMBER 24, 1999: Search For Orbiter
Abandoned
 SEPTEMBER 30, 1999: Likely Cause Of
Orbiter Loss Found . The findings indicate that
one team used English units (e.g., inches, feet
and pounds) while the other used metric units for
a key spacecraft operation.
 Project Cost : $327.6 million US dollars
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 9 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 Standards and Units
 Unit Prefixes

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 10 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Standards and Units
 Prefixes for powers of 10

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 11 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Units Consistency and Conversations
 An equation must be dimensionally consistent.
 Terms to be added or equated must always have the same
units. (Be sure you’re adding “apples to apples.”)
 Always carry units through calculations.
 Necessary either to derive a math expression, or equation or to
check its correctness.
 Quantities can be added/subtracted only if they have the same
dimensions.
 The terms of both sides of an equation must have the same
dimensions.
 a, b, and c have units of meters, s = a, what is [s] ?
 a, b, and c have units of meters, s = a + b, what is [s] ?
 a, b, and c have units of meters, s = (2a + b)b, what is [s] ?
 a, b, and c have units of meters, s = (a + b)3/c, what is [s] ?
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 12 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 Units Consistency and Conversations
 Example 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
Solution:this speed in meters per second.
1 mile = 1.609 km
1 km = 1000 m
1 h = 3600 s

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 13 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Units Consistency and Conversations
 Practice Problem
Convert 75 mil/h to m/s
 Solution:
1 mile = 1.609 km
1 km = 1000 m
1 h = 3600 s

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 14 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Units Consistency and Conversations
 Example 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?
 Solution:
1 in. = 2.540 cm & 1 m = 100 cm

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 15 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Units Consistency and Conversations

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 16 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Units Consistency and Conversations
 Exercise Problem 1.1 (Page 28)
Starting with the definition 1 in. = 2.54 cm, find the number of
(a) kilometers in 1.00 mile and (b) feet in 1.00 km

Helping Data: 1 in. = 2.54 cm, 1 km = 1000 m, 12 in. = 1 ft,

1 mile = 5280 ft

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 17 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Units Consistency and Conversations
 Exercise Problem 1.4 (Page 28)
The density of gold is 19.3 g/cm3. What is this value in
kilograms per cubic meter?

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 18 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Units Consistency and Conversations
 Take Home Practice Problem:
According to the label on a bottle of salad dressing, the
volume of the contents is 0.473 liter (L). Using only the
conversions 1L = 1000 cm3 and 1 in. = 2.54 cm, express this
volume in cubic inches.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 19 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Units Consistency and Conversations
 Class Room Practice:
While driving in an exotic foreign land you see a speed limit sign
on a highway that reads 180,000 furlongs per fortnight. How
many miles per hour is this? (One furlong is 1/8 mile and a
fortnight is 14 days. A furlong originally referred to the length of
a plowed furrow.)

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 20 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Measurement Uncertainty: Every measurement has some level of
uncertainty or error.
 Example with a Ruler:
• Measurement: 3 mm using a standard ruler.
• Limitation: Cannot discern whether the actual thickness is 3.00 mm,
2.85 mm, or 3.11 mm due to the tool's precision.
 Example with a Micrometer Caliper:
• Measurement: 2.91 mm with precision up to 0.01 mm.
• Advantage: Less uncertainty and more accurate compared to the ruler.
 Uncertainty vs. Accuracy:
• Uncertainty/Error: Indicates the likely maximum deviation from the true
value.
• Influencing Factor: Dependent on the measurement technique and the
tool's precision.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 21 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 The accuracy of a measured value is often indicated by a method—that is,
how close it is likely to be to the true value—by writing the number, the
symbol ± and a second number indicating the uncertainty of the
measurement.
 Example: If the diameter of a steel rod is given as 56.47 ± 0.02 mm, this
means that the true value is unlikely to be less than 56.45 mm or greater
than 56.49 mm.
 The accuracy can also be expressed in terms of maximum likely fractional
error or percent error (also called fractional uncertainty and percent
uncertainty)
 Example 1: A resistor labeled “47 ohms ± 10 %” ; true resistance differs
from 47 ohms by no more than 10 % of 47 ohms i.e. by about 5 ohms.
 Example 2: For the diameter of steel given above, the fractional error is
(0.02 mm) / (56.47 mm) or about 0.0004; the percent error is therefore
(0.0004)(100 %) or about 0.04 %.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 22 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Significant Figures:
• Significant figures are the reliably known digits in a
measurement, plus one estimated (uncertain) digit that provides
the best possible approximation of the true value.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 23 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Rules for Significant Figures:
1. All non-zero numbers are significant.
2. Zeros between non-zero numbers are significant.
3. Leading zeros are NEVER significant.
4. Zeros on the end of a number are significant only if there is a
decimal point.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 24 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Rule # 1
 All non-zero numbers are significant.

00340.003210

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 25 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Rule # 2
 Zeros between non-zero numbers are significant

00340.003210

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 26 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Rule # 3
 Leading zeros are NEVER significant.

00340.003210

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 27 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Rule # 4
 Zeros on the end of a number are significant if there is a
decimal

00340.003210

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 28 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Exercise
 How many significant figures ?

00340.00
00340.00
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 29 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Exercise
 How many significant figures ?

800.1
800.1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 30 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Exercise
 How many significant figures ?

0800.10
0800.10
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 31 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Exercise
 How many significant figures ?

140
140
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 32 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Exercise
 How many significant figures ?

0.50
0.50
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 33 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Using Significant Figures when Adding & Subtracting
1. Determine the number of significant figures in the decimal
portion of each of the numbers in the problem.
2. Add or subtract the numbers.
3. Round the answer to match the least number of places in
the decimal portion of any number in the problem.
892.592 g
The least amount of significant figures to
20.629 g the right of the decimal in the numbers is
0.18 g 2; therefore, the answer should only have 2
4.20 g significant figures to the right of the
917.551 g decimal. i.e. 917.55 g
Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 34 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics
 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Using Significant Figures when Adding & Subtracting
Example:

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 35 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Using Significant Figures when Multiplying & Dividing
1. Determine how many significant figures each number
being multiplied or divided has, and note which number
has the fewest.
2. Complete the calculation.
3. Write the answer using the same number of significant
figures as the least number of significant figures found in
the numbers used in the calculation.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 36 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Using Significant Figures when Multiplying & Dividing
 Example

28.3 cm x 5.0 cm = ____ cm 2

 Solution:

140 cm2 because 28.3 has 3 significant figures, and 5.0

has 2 significant figures; therefore, the answer 141.5
should be written 140, so that it only has 2 significant
figures.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 37 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Using Significant Figures when Multiplying & Dividing
 Example
 454.02 g of aluminum hydroxide multiplied by 5.2 g
equals how many grams?
 Solution:
2400 g2 because 454.02 has 5 significant figures and
5.2 has 2 significant figures; therefore, the answer
2360.904 should be written as 2400, so that it only has
2 significant figures.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 38 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Using Significant Figures when Multiplying & Dividing
 Example:
The rest energy E of an object with rest mass m is given by Einstein’s
famous equation, E = mc2, where c is the speed of light in vacuum. Find
E for an electron for which (to three significant figures) m = 9.11 x 10 -31
kg. The SI unit for E is the joule (J); 1 J = 1 kg. m 2 / s2.
 Solution: Since the value of m was
Speed of Light = c = 2.99792458 x 108 m/s. given to only three
significant figures, we
must round this to

E = 8.19 x 10-14 kg. m2/s2

= 8.19 x 10-14 J

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 39 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Exercise:

The density of a material is equal to its mass divided by its

volume. What is the density in (in kg/m3) of a rock of mass 1.80 kg
and volume 6.0 x 10-4 m3?

i. 3 x 103 kg / m3
ii. 3.0 x 103 kg / m3
iii. 3.00 x 103 kg / m3
iv. 3.000 x 103 kg / m3
v. Any of these - all of these answers are mathematically equivalent

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 40 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Exercise Problem 1.14 (Page 29):

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 41 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics

 Uncertainty and Significant Figures
 Exercise Problem 1.14 (Page 29):

Department of Mechanical Engineering, CUST 42 PHME 1012 - Applied Physics