Physics Notes
Physics Notes
Physics Notes
Calculating volume
When calculating the volume of a regular block of
material, we measure the lengths of the sides by
ruler or metre rule.
When talking about a block of material, regular
means that the faces of the object meet at right
angles to each other.
4mm
6mm
10mm
The volume of the block= 10mm x 6mm x 4mm
=240mm^3
If the shape of the material is irregular, then we work
out the volume using the displacement method which
means that you put object in the cylinder water and
then the volume of water will increase. So, you can
measure it easily.
Density means mass per unit volume
Formulas and equations of density, mass and volume
Density= mass/volume
Mass= density multiply by volume
Volume= mass/density
If mass is in g and volume is in cm^3 then the density will
be in g/cm^3.
If mass is in kg and volume is in m^3 then the density will
Be in kg/m^3.
Using the example of the Using the example of the
block of iron polystyrene
Volume= 1cm multiply 1 Volume= 1 cm multiply 1
cm multiply 1 cm cm multiply 1 cm
Mass= 7.9g Mass= 0.05g
Density=7.9/1 Density=0.05/1
=7.9g/cm^3 =0.005g/cm^3
Density of iron= 7.9g/cm^3 Density of iron=
0.005g/cm^3
Gases have lower densities than liquids or solids
because the particles in a gas are far apart.
A material get packed closer together, the density of
the material increases. So, the materials with the
highest densities are all solid.
If something is more dense than water it will sink in
water.
If something is less dense than water, it will float in
water.
Density of water=1.0g/cm^3
How do the ship float in water?
Ships are not solid blocks of steel. There are large
spaces inside ships that contain only air.
That means the ship has a very large volume, so
the average density of the whole ship is less than
density of water.
It depends on the ship masses or density such as;
cargo, passengers and fuel.
Questions
1. Look at the densities of these materials:
Pine wood 0.41g/cm^3
Polycarbonate 1.2g/cm^3
Polyethene 0.95g/cm^3
Water 1.0g/cm^3
(a) Which of these materials has the lowest
density?
Pinewood
(b) (i)Which of these materials will sink in
water?
Polycarbonate
(ii)Explain why the material will sink in
water.
The density of polycarbonate is greater
than that of water
2. (a)Copy and completer the equation for density
Density=mass/volume
(b)A block of aluminium has a volume of 5.0cm^3
and mass of 13.5g. Calculate the density of the
aluminium. Give your answer in g/cm^3?
Density=mass/volume
=13.5g/5cm^3
=2.7g/cm^3
(c)Explain whether the block of aluminium will
float or sink in water.
The block of aluminium will sink in water because
the density of aluminium is greater than that of
water.
3, The diagram shows a block of wood
(a) Calculate the volume of the block of wood.
Give your answer in cm^3.
Volume of block= L multiply b multiply h
=6cm multiply 3cm multiply
4cm
=72cm^3
(b) The block of wood in the diagram has a mass
of 54g.
Calculate the density of the wood. Give your
answer in g/cm^3
Density=mass/volume
=54g/72cm^3
=0.75g/cm^3
(c) Explain whether the block of wood will float
or sink in water.
The block of wood will float in water because
the density of wood is less than the density
of water.
4. Water from the sea is placed in a tank. The
volume of the water from the sea is 10m^3.
The mass of the water is 10300kg
(a) Calculate the density of the water from
the sea. Give your answer in kg/m^3
Density=mass/volume
=10300kg/10m^3
=1030kg/m^3
(b)Pure water that has a density of
1000kg/m^3. Explain what will happen to
a block of material with a density of 1030
kg/m^3 when placed into
(i) water from the sea
The material will float because its density
is less than that of sea water.
(ii) pure water
The material will sink because its density is
greater than that of pure water.
5. Copper has a density of 8.96 g/cm^3.
(a) Calculate the mass of copper that has a
volume of 20cm^3
Density=mass/volume
Mass=density multiply volume
= 8.96 multiply 20
=179.2g
(b)Calculate the volume of copper that has
a mass of 4.5g
Density= mass/volume
Volume=mass/density
=4.5/8.96
=0.50cm^3
6.(a) The volume of the toy car=78-50
=28cm^3
(b)density=mass/volume
=84/28
=3g/cm^3
(c)Any two from:
Plastic is less dense than steel
The result from part b is the average
density of all the materials
The toy is hollow or contains air
3.1
Focus
1. Gas
2. B
3. R
4. The density of a solid block should be less than the
density of water.
3.1B
1. The mass of a certain volume of substance
2.density=mass/volume
3.a.A 10g mass of water that has a volume of 10cm^3
Density=mass/volume
=10/10
=1g/cm^3
b. A 170g mass of brass that has a volume of 20cm^3
density=mass/volume
=170/20
=8.5g/cm^3
c. density=mass/volume
=56/100
=0.56g/cm^3
0.56g/cm^3
4.a. Calculate the volume of the cube
Volume of block=L multiply b multiply h
=2cm multiply 2cm multiply 2cm
=8cm^3
b. density=mass/volume
=71.2/8
=8.9g/cm^3
Liquids of different density
When liquids are added together carefully, the less
dense liquids will float on the more dense liquids. The
liquids will form separate layers. Crude oil is less dense
than water. So, when crude oil spills out of ships, the
oil floats on the water. Oil spilling from ships is a major
source of water pollution.
Unit 3.4
Feeling heat
Hotter means at a higher temperature.
Thermal energy moves from the drink, through the
container and into your hand.
Colder means at a lower temperature.
When thermal energy is removed from a hot object,
we say that the thermal energy has dissipated.
Feeling cold
Cold is not a type of energy.
Cold means there is less thermal energy.
When you hold the ice, thermal energy transfers
away from your hand and into the ice. You feel cold
because thermal energy has been transferred away
from your hands.
When it is colder outside and you open a window,
the inside cools down. This is because thermal
energy from the hotter inside moves to the colder
outside.
Dissipation
Dissipation is used to describe energy that
spreads out and becomes less useful.
(Dissipated energy is the energy that spreads
out and become less useful.)
When thermal energy moves from a hotter
place to a colder place, thermal energy has
dissipated from the hotter place. The rate, or
speed of thermal energy transfer increases
when the temperature difference between the
hot place and the cold place increases.
Energy is always conserved, so the thermal
energy has not disappeared or been destroyed,
it has just spread out and moved to a colder
place.
Unit 3.5
Conduction
Conduction is the flow of thermal energy through
matter from places of higher temperature to
places of lower temperature without movement
of the matter as a whole.
Metals are the best conductors of heat.
Just as with electricity, the opposite of a
conductor is an insulator.
Clothes for cold weather are made from materials
that are good insulators. That slows down the
conduction of thermal energy away from the
body.
Conduction does not work well in liquids because
the particles move around more when heated,
rather than vibrating.
Conduction does not work well in gases because
the particles are far apart and the collisions are
not very frequent.
Convection
Convection is the flow of heat through a fluid from
places of higher temperature to places of lower
temperature by movement of the fluid itself.
Since, density=mass/volume
From this equation, when volume increases and
mass stays the same, then density will decrease.
Less dense substances float in more dense
substances.
This upward movement of warmer liquid or gas
is called convection.
The convection current causes all of the liquid
or gas to eventually become heated.
Convection can happen in liquids and gases
because the particles are free to move.
Convection cannot happen in a solid because
the particles are not free to move. The particles
in a solid can only vibrate about fixed positions.
Convection cannot happen in a vacuum as there
are no particles to move.
Radiation
Radiation is the flow of heat from one place to
another by means of electromagnetic waves.
Radiation is a type of wave that we cannot see.
It is also a different way for transferring the
thermal energy from the Sun to Earth.
It can transfer quickly about nine minutes to
reach the Earth from the Sun.
All objects give out thermal energy through
radiation
The hotter the object, the more radiation it will
emit.
The Sun and other hot objects emit thermal
energy by radiation.
Cooler objects absorb thermal energy by
radiation from hotter ones.
Radiation can pass through a vacuum because
radiation does not need particles. Radiation can
also pass through transparent solids, liquids and
gases.
The colour and texture of an object affects its
ability to emit or absorb thermal energy by
radiation.
The best emitters and absorbers of radiation:
are dull
are black
have a large surface area.
The worst emitters and absorbers of radiation:
are shiny
are white or silver
have a small surface area
Shiny, white or silver surfaces reflect radiation away.
Unit 3.6
Boiling Evaporation
occurs at a fixed occurs at any
temperature temperature
occurs throughout the occurs on the surface of
liquid substance
bubbles are visible bubbles are not visible
fast process slow process
heat is supplied to a heat is absorbed by
substance by an energy substance from the
source surroundings
Evaporation
The most energetic (highest energy) particles can
escape the surface of the liquid and become
particles of a gas.
Medium energy particles can escape form the
liquid but get pulled back into the liquid.
Lowest energy particles remain in the liquid.