Physics (first term)

Unit 1 Making measurements

Physics = a branch of science which deals with the study of matter and energy

- Density = the mass per unit of volume of a substance

 Density = mass/volume
 ρ = m/v
 Unit = kg/m3 or g/cm3
 Density of pure water = 1000kg/m3 (or) 1g/cm3
 Density of solid > liquid > gas

- Volume = amount of space occupied (unit -> m3)

1. Volume of regular solid is calculated with correct formula
 V = length x breadth x height
2. Volume of irregular solid can be found by using measuring cylinder along with displacement method
1. Select a measuring cylinder that will fit water + the object
2. Water -> cylinder
3. Measure the volume of the water
4. Object -> water
5. Measure the volume of the object + water
6. Calculate the changes in volume by subtracting initial volume of water from volume of water + object
- Mass
1. The quantity of matter in a body
2. The mass of an object is the same everywhere
3. Unit = kg
4. Instrument = balance
- Weight
1. The measure of the force of gravity acting on a body
2. Mass gravitational field strength
3. w = mg (weight = mass x gravity)
4. Unit = N (1N = 1kg/s2)
5. Instrument = balance
6. Weight on an object varies from place to place – depends on the gravitational force
7. Effect of weight
 Downward force of gravity
 Objects stay firmly on the ground
 Satellites are kept in orbit
 Weight = mass
 No gravity in outer space = weight may change depending on the area’s gravitational force
(gravity is lower on the Moon than Earth which means the weight will be lower – lighter)

- Physical quantity = quantity that can be measured

1. Can be divided into two types:
 Basic quantity
 Basic quantity SI unit Symbol of unit
Length Meter m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second s
Electric current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Amount of substance Mole mol
Luminous intensity Candela Cd

 Derived quantity

Types of quantity Basic quantity Derived quantity

Length Weight
Mass Density
Time Area
Example 
Temperature Volume
Current Force
Expressed by
Explanation Only measured combining
--> in SI unit suitable basic
quantities

- System of unit
1. British system (FPS) – foot (ft), pound (p), second (s)
2. Metric system

CGS Mks
(cm,gm,s) (m,kg,s)
3. SI unit (system international)
 Modified version of Mks

Prefix Abbreviation Power

Nano n 10^-9
Micro µ 10^-6 Instrument Use for length Accuracy
Milli m 10^-3 Measuring tape Long 0.1cm
Centi c 10^-2 Meter rule Medium 0.1cm
Deci d 10^-1 Vernier caliper Short 0.01cm
Kilo K 10^3 Micrometer screw gauge Very short 0.01mm
Mega M 10^6 (0.001cm)
Giga G 10^9
- How to use a measuring cylinder
1. Select the correct measuring cylinder
2. Clean the measuring cylinder
3. Dry the cylinder
4. Read the volume
 Look at the liquid level from the eye level and look at the bottom of the
- The higher the temperature, the higher the pressure
1. Temperature and pressure are directly proportional
2. P = volume(/constant) x T

2 Describing motion

2.1 Understanding speed

- Scalar
 1. The quantity that has only magnitude (no direction)
 E.g – length, mass, time, area, volume, temperature, …
- Vector
1. The quantity that has both magnitude and direction
 E.g – weight, force, velocity, acceleration, …
- Distance (d)
1. Total length taken between two points
2. Scalar
3. Unit = meter (m)
- Displacement (s)
1. The distance travelled along a particular direction
2. Vector
3. Unit = meter (m)
- Speed
1. The rate of change of distance travelled
2. Speed = distance travelled/time taken
V = d/t
3. Scalar
4. Unit = m/s (or) cm/s
- Average speed
1. The ratio of the total distance travelled to the total time taken
2. Average speed = total distance travelled/total time take
= d/t
3. Scalar
4. Unit = m/s (or) cm/s
- Velocity (v)
1. The rate of change of displacement
2. Velocity = displacement/time
3. V = s/t
4. Vectar
5. Unit = m/s or cm/s
- Distance / time -> speed
- Displacement / time -> velocity / time -> acceleration
- Acceleration
1. the rate of change of velocity
2. acceleration = change of velocity speed/time
3. a = v-u/t

where v = final velocity, u = initial velocity

 m/s2

- Motion graphs
1. Distance/displacement – time graph
2. Speed/velocity – time graph
3. Acceleration – time graph

Motion graphs
4. Distance/displacement – time graph
5. Speed/velocity – time graph
6. Acceleration – time graph

(1) When the object is at rest (stationary/0),

 [displacement] [velocity] [acceleration]

(2) When the object is moving at constant speed/velocity, ------ speed constant

(3) When the object is moving at positive constant

acceleration,

(4) When the object is moving at negative

constant acceleration, ------ deceleration

(5) When the object is moving with increasing acceleration,

(depends on force)
  Uniform motion = motion with constant velocity
 Accelerated motion = motion with changing velocity
 Slope
Slope of distance-time graph = speed
Displacement-time graph = velocity
Speed – time graph = acceleration
Velocity – time graph = acceleration
 From distance-time graph, gradient (slope) = speed
 From displacement-time graph, gradient (slope) = acceleration
 From velocity-time graph, gradient (slope) = acceleration
 From speed-time graph, area of the graph = distance travelled
- Area of triangle = ½ bh
- Area of rectangle = lh
- Area of trapezium = (a+b)h/2

Freefall : falling with gravitational force only

- Acceleration of freely falling body = 9.8m/s^2  10m/s^2
Acceleration due to gravity (gravitational force)
- All objects accelerate uniformly towards the earth if air resistance is ignored.
 Acceleration due to gravity
Symbol -> g (gravity)
If you release a stone without applying force, it starts from rest (0).
Release -> u (initial velocity) = 0 m/s, a (acceleration) = g (gravity ) = 9.8m/s^2
If you throw a stone upwards, the stone decelerates to the top. Then it stops momentarily at top, and it starts free falling.
Throwing upwards -> v = 0m/s, a = -g = -9.8 m/s^2
- Initial velocity = 0 m/s ; Acceleration = + 9.8 m/s^2 ---- falling downwards
- Initial velocity = 0m/s ; acceleration = - 9.8 m/s^2 ---- going upwards

Falling through air resistance

- At the start of the fall, air resistance is ignored .
- Air resistance increases with increasing speed.
- As the object falls faster, air resistance increases and eventually the air resistance and the weight of the object balances
out
- Net force on object is zero and acceleration is zero
(the object falls with constant velocity when the a.r and weight is balanced out and this is called terminal velocity)

Unit 3 Force and Motion

Force

- a push or pull exerted by one object on another

- can change the state of motion of an object or shape of the object
 - unit = N (newton)
- vector
 Force and acceleration are directly proportional ; inversely proportional to mass

Newton’s law of motion

- First law (law of inertia)

o When no net external force acts upon an object, a particle at rest will remain at rest and a particle in motion at
a constant velocity will continue to move with the same constant velocity
o If fnet = 0, v = 0 (or) v = constant
∴a=0
F=axk (< - in maths)
F = ma (resultant force)
unit = kgm/s^2
 Inertia – the property of a body that resist a change to its motion
 Resultant force – if two or more forces act on an object, they can be simplified
- The single force that has same effect on body as two or more forces
^ mass = ^ inertia
- Second law (law of force and acceleration)
o The net force acting on an object is the product of mass and acceleration

Unit 9 The kinetic particle model of matter

9.1 State of Matter Volume

Solid & liquid has fixed volume

Ice water vapor
Solid = volume can be measured using formulas since it
has a fixed volume

Solid liquid gas Liquid = volume can be measured using instruments (such
as measuring cylinders)

- Evaporation
o Occurs at any temperature
o Only occurs on the surface Definition
- Boiling
o Occurs only at 100°C or above Fixed temperature = the temperature during a process
is constant cuz the heat energy is used to increase the
o 100°C = pure water, fixed temperature
kinetic energy in particles
o Occurs at fixed temperature
o Occurs throughout the liquid
- Melting
o Ice freezes at > 0°C
o Ice melts at 0°C
o The temperature is constant when melting but once temperature rises after the melting process the
temperature changes
 E.g (when ice is melting, the temperature is the same even when the bottom part of the container is
water. The temperature only starts changing after the melting process is complete)