Biophysics

Dr. Mohaned Mohmmed

Physics department, Faculty of Science, Assiut
University
Contact Information

Dr. Mohaned Mohammed

Email
[email protected]
[email protected]

Office hours: 2 hour/week

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Introduction
Lectures will be delivered face-to-face .

Textbooks:
• Physics for Scientists and Engineers, R.A. Serway and J.W. Jewett, 8th Edition, Thomson Books/Cole 2013.
• College Physics, PAUL PETER URONE, ROGER HINRICHS, OpenStax

Evaluation:
• Mid-term exam 20 Marks
• Oral exam 10 Marks
• Practical exam 20 Marks
• Final exam 50 Marks

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Course Topics & Timeline
Topic No. of Weeks
Topic (1) Units and Dimensions 1
Topic (2) Statics and Torque 2
Topic (3) Fluid Statics 2
Fluid Dynamics and Its Biological and Medical
Topic (4) 2
Applications
MID Term
Topic (5) Physics of Hearing 2
Topic (6) Optics 3
Topic (7) LASER 2
Final EXAM
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 CHAPTER 1
Units and Dimensions
• Topics:
1. Standards of length, mass and time
2. Conversion of units
3. Dimensional Analysis

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1. Standards of length, mass and time
The laws of physics are expressed in terms of basic quantities that require a clear
definition.

Physical Quantities Mechanics Basic Quantities

Force Velocity Volume ……etc. Length Mass Time

L M T

Any physics quantity in mechanics can be expressed in terms of these three basic
quantities.

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International System (SI) of units : In 1960, an International committee
established a set of standards for the three basic quantities as follows:
Quantity Unit
Mass Kilogram (kg)
Mechanics Length Meter (m)
Time Second (s)

Electric current Ampere (Amp)

Other Temperature Kelvin (K)
Quantities Luminous intensity Candela
Amount of substances mol

cgs mks British Eng. System

Other Systems
Length Mass Time Length Mass Time Length Mass Time
cm gm s m kg s Foot (ft) slug s

Closely related to SI
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2. Conversion of units
Sometimes it is necessary to convert units from one system to another.
Examples :
1 mile = 1609 m=1.609 km
1 ft= 0.3048 m = 30.48 cm
1 inch =0.0254 m = 2.54 cm
1m= 100 cm
1kg =1000 gm
Ex. 4: The mass of a solid cube is 856 g, and each edge has a length of 5.35 cm. Determine the
density  of the cube in basic SI units?
1g = 10-3 kg 1cm = 10-2 m
Volume = L3=(5.35x10-2 )3 =1.53x10-4 m3
Mass=856x10-3= 0.856 kg
Density = 5.59x103 kg /m3

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3. Dimensional Analysis
Dimension: denotes the physical nature of a quantity.
Basic quantities in mechanics: Length L
Mass M
Time T

Dimension of some physics quantities:

Area [A] =L.L = L2
Volume [V] =L.L.L = L3
Velocity [ν] =L / T = LT-1
Acceleration [a] =L / T2 = LT-2
Momentum [P] = [m]. [ν] = MLT-1
Kinetic Energy [K.E] = [1/2].[m]. [ν2] = M((LT-1)2) = ML2T-2
Potential Energy [P.E] = [m]. [g]. [h] = M(LT-2) L = ML2T-2
Note that [K.E] = [P.E]

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Dimensional Analysis:

A method that can be used to assist in

Checking the validity of a specific formula Deriving some formulas

Example 2 : A car started from rest and moves with a constant acceleration a. What
is the distance x travelled in a time t.
1) If we know the formula and want to check it. x=½ a t2
[L.H.S] = [x ] = L
[R.H.S] = [ ½] [a] . [t2]
[R.H.S] = LT-2 . T2 = L
[R.H.S]= [L.H.S]
Since dimensions of both side are the same: The formula is correct.

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(2) If we wish to derive the formula
We assume the factors that affect x which are the Acceleration and the Time

 x  t n am
 x  tn
[ x]  [t ] n [ a]m
 x  am
L  T n  ( LT  2 ) m
L  T n  LmT 2 m m 1
L  Lm  T n 2 m n  2m  0  n  2m  2

 x  t 2 a1
x  at 2
x  k at2 k : can not be determined by this method

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Ex. 3 Analysis of a power law:
Suppose we are told that the acceleration of a particle moving with a uniform
speed v in a circular orbit of radius r is proportional to some power of r say rn
and some power of v say vm. How can we determine the power of r and v?

a  r n ( LT -2
)  (L) n .(LT -1
)m
a  v m LT - 2  L n L m
T -m

nm
a  r n
v m LT - 2  L T -m

1 n m  -2  -m
akr n
v m

m2
2
n  1  2  1 a  k
r
a kr  1 2

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Quick Quizzes

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Answer to Quick Quizzes

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HW- 1 Serway Version 6 P.5,7,15 and 17
5. What mass of a material with density is required to make a hollow spherical shell having inner
radius r1 and outer radius r2?

7. Calculate the mass of an atom of (a) helium, (b) iron, and (c) lead. Give your answers in grams.
The atomic masses of these atoms are 4.00 u, 55.9 u, and 207 u, respectively.

15. Which of the following equations are dimensionally correct?

(a) vf = vi + ax
(b) y = (2 m)cos(kx), where k = 2 m–1.
Mm
F G
17. Newton’s law of universal gravitation is represented by r2
Here F is the gravitational force exerted by one small object on another, M and m are the masses of
the objects, and r is a distance. Force has the SI units kg·m/s2. What are the SI units of the
proportionality constant G?

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 Problem5:
What mass of a material with density “ρ”is required to make a
hollow spherical shell having inner radius r1and outer radius r2?

Solution
4
Volume of inner sphere V1   r13
3
4
V2   r23
Volume of outer sphere 3
4
VS   ( r23  r13 )
Volume of the shell 3

m  V
4
mS  VS   ( r23  r13 )
3
Exercise: Same as above . Assume r1& r2 and ρ are given numerically
Solution: left to you.
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 𝑀𝑚
Prob.17: Newton’s Law of universal gravitation is 𝐹 = 𝐺 2
𝑟
where F is the force of gravity and M,m are masses; and r is a
length. If the Force have the SI units of kg m/s2. What are the units
of G?

Mm
F G 2 M m
r
r

kg m kg kg
2
 [G]. 2
s m
𝑚3
[𝐺] =
𝑘𝑔. 𝑠 2

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Problem :The period of a pendulum t is measured in time units and is

t  2
g
  length of the pendelium
g  free - fall accelerati on measured in length divided by square of time

Show that the equation is dimensionally correct .


t  2
g
1/ 2
R.H.S  2 1/ 2
g
[ L]1/ 2
[ R.H.S] 
[ LT  2 ]1/ 2
1/ 2 [R.H.S] = T = [L.H.S]
L 1
[ R.H.S]   T
L1/ 2T  2 T 1
Equation is dimensionally correct.
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End of Lecture

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