GENERAL

PHYSICS 1
(Specialized Subject – First Semester)
 GENERAL PHYSICS - Convenient and widely used method to express
large and small numbers
LESSON 1: MEASUREMENTS
- IN TERMS OF THE EXPONENT: if exponent
- Measurement: art of comparing unknown is positive, it means the number is big (move the
values to a standard set of rules decimal point to the left). If the exponent is
- Units of measurement: standards in which negative, it means the number is small (move
physical quantities are expressed the decimal point to the right).

TWO TYPES OF SYSTEMS OF UNITS SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

- Metric system: 1900s - Digits that are known with certainty plus first
- International System of Units (SI): 1960s uncertainty
- RULE: All nonzero digits are significant (1-9)
PHYSICAL QUANTITIES - NOTE: All zeros in between 2 significant digits
FUNDAMENTAL DERIVED are significant
Independent to one Computed using different
another formulas; combination of To get the significant figures:
fundamental quantities
EX: length, time, mass, EX: speed, acceleration, 1. Locate the decimal place
temperature, luminous density, work, energy and 2. Look for the first nonzero digit from left and
intensity, electric current, etc. count the no. of digit after
amount of substance Ex. 0.01030 > 4 significant figures
3. If the decimal point is absent, start from the right
FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITIES AND SI UNITS Ex. 130 010 200 > 7 significant figures
QUANTITY SYMBOL UNIT
Length l Meter (m) CONVERSION OF UNITS
Mass m Kilogram (kg)
Time T Second (s) - The process of changing a value expressed in
Electric current I Ampere (A) one type of unit to another unit
Temperature T Kelvin (K) LENGTH MASS
Amount of n Mole (mol) 1 km 1000 m 1 kg 1000g 2.21lb
substance 1m 100 cm 1g 100 mg
Luminous Candela (cd) 1 cm 10 mm 1 slug 14.59
intensity Subscript v 1 in 2.54 cm 1 metric ton 1000 kg
denotes a 1 ft 12 in AREA
photometric 1m 1.094 yd 1 10.76
quantity
1m 3.28 ft 1 929
DERIVED QUANTITIES AND SI UNITS 1m 39.370 in 1 ha 10 000 2.471
QUANTITY SYMBOL UNIT acres
1m 6.214xmi 1 acre 43 560
Area A
1 mi 1.61 km 1 1 000 000
Volume V
1 dm 10 m 1 10 000
Density ρ 1 Hm 10 dm VOLUME
Speed/velocity s/v (with arrow m/s 1 km 10 Hm 1 mL 1 cc or
at the top)
1 mm 1000 km 1L 1000 1.057
Acceleration a (with arrow at mL qt
the top)
1 Gm 1000 mm 1 1000 L 35.31
Force/weight F or W (with N or kg.
1 7.481 28.32
arrow at the gal L
top)
1 gal 3.785 L
Pressure P Pa or N/
1L 1
Work W J or N.m
Power P W or N.m/s
SCIENTIFIC NOTATION
 ACCURACY AND PRECISION magnitudes
Requires 2 things: Requires 3 things:
ACCURACY PRECISION 1. A value 1. A value
Refers to the closeness of a Refers to how close or 2. Appropriate unit 2. Appropriate unit
measured value to the consistent the independent - Distance 3. A direction
expected or true value of a measurements of the same - Volume - Displacement
physical quantity quantity are to one another - Velocity
- Time
*how close a measurement *how close measurements - Speed - Acceleration
is to the true or accepted of the same item are to - Force
value each other
- Errors: are deviation of measured value from
the expected true value. Also the difference
between the actual value and calculated value of VECTOR DIAGRAM
any physical quantity.
- A vector is represented by an arrow
RANDOM ERRORS SYSTEMATIC ERRORS - Length of the arrow: magnitude
Results from unpredictable Comes from measuring - Head of the arrow: direction
changes during data instruments in the design of
measurement experiment itself or
incorrect handling of
instruments
*can occur in measuring *when there is something
instruments or wrong about the
environmental conditions instrument or because the
instrument was wrongly
used
Unavoidable in an One that can be lessened
experiment, almost natural
ESTIMATING ERRORS USING VARIANCE
- Variance: measures the squared deviation of
each number in the set of a mean
- Standard deviation: how diverse or spread out
are a set of measurements from their average

LESSON 2: VECTORS
SCALAR VECTOR
Don’t need directions, Described by both
only described by their magnitude and directions
 VECTOR ADDITION

- The process of finding a single vector which will

produce the same effect produced by the given
vectors.
- Resultant: single vector SOLVING USING ANALYTICAL METHOD
- Two ways to solve: graphical and analytical

GRAPHICAL
Also known as polygon or head-to-tail method
Where vectors are connected until the resultant vector is
determined
*scale is used to show greater value
STEPS:
- Draw the first vector
- Connect the second vector’s arrowhead to the
tail of the first vector
- Add their magnitudes if they are at the same
direction
- Subtract their magnitudes if they are at the
opposite directions
- Use protractor to determine the direction of the
resultant
*Note: resultant is always drawn at the tail first up
to the arrowhead of the last vector

ANALYTICAL
The inverse of graphical method
Requires the concept of trigonometry as well as its
idea of the components.
*trigonometry: observes the relationship of sides of
and angles of triangles
Sine
Cosine
Tangent
 body is said to be moving
with constant
LESSON 3: KINEMATICS acceleration
Kinematics FREE FALL

- The motion of objects without references to - Motion caused only by gravity

forces - All objects fall at the same time
- Study of motion without delving into what - Presence of gravity, absence of air resistance
caused the motion - From starting point going down > velocity of the
- Science that describes motion using words, object will increase
diagrams, numbers - Acceleration of gravity:

Motion USE OF FORMULAS

= + gt to determine the
- Change in position with respect to reference velocity of a falling
point object after time
- Always relative d=)g to calculate the distance
- Reference frame: a physical entity to which the fallen after a time
position and motion of an object is relative = (+)
- Translational: motion along a line or a curve d = (+) t
- Rotational: motion that changes the orientation d=t+ g
of a body; when an object spins = + 2gd

KINEMATIC QUANTITIES
GRAPHING MOTION
Time Change or interval over
which change occurs Graph: used in analysis of the motion of the body and
SI unit: second (s) gives a representation of the motion of an object
Distance Length of an actual path TYPES OF GRAPHS
taken to go from source
to destination DISPLACEMENT VS. VELOCITY VS. TIME
TIME
SI unit: meter (m)
Rise: y axis = Rise: y axis = velocity
=+…
displacement
d=s*t
Run: x axis = time Run: x axis = time
Displacement Length of the straight
Find the slope to identify Find the slope to identify
line joining the source to
the velocity the acceleration
the destination
Use of Pythagorean
theorem
SI unit: meter (m)
Speed Distance covered by an
object in a given time
S = d/t
SI unit: m/s
Velocity Rate of an object’s
displacement over time
V (with arrow at the top)
= d (with arrow at the
top)/time
SI unit: m/s
Acceleration Rate of change in
velocity
SI unit:
*when a moving body
changes its velocity, the