Scribd
Upload
18 views8 pages

Key Points - Topic 04 Materials - Edexcel Physics A-Level

Uploaded by

daaim.shah.roots
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
18 views8 pages

Key Points - Topic 04 Materials - Edexcel Physics A-Level

Uploaded by

daaim.shah.roots
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

Edexcel Physics A-level

Topic 4: Materials
Key Points

www.pmt.education
Density
Density is defined as the mass per unit volume of an object. As an equation this is:
m
ρ=
V
Consequently, the unit for density is kgm-3
Calculating the volume of an object in order to find its density, can be done in two main
ways:
1. For regular shapes, you can measure the dimensions required and then apply a
standard formula for the volume of the given shape
2. For irregular shapes, you need to use a submersion method, where you measure
the volume of water that is displaced when the object is submerged into a beaker of
water

www.pmt.education
Floating and Sinking
An object in a fluid will experience two main forces:
1. Weight
2. Upthrust
Whether an object floats or sinks, depends on the balance between these two forces. If
the weight exceeds the upthrust, the object will sink.
The weight of the object can be calculated using W = mg, whereas the magnitude of the
upthrust acting on an object is governed by Archimedes’ Principle:
‘When a body is fully or partially submerged in a fluid, it experiences an upthrust equal
to the weight of the fluid it has displaced’
This means that an object that is denser than the fluid it is placed in will always sink since
the weight of the fluid it displaces will always be less than the weight of the object itself.

www.pmt.education
Stoke’s Law
An ball moving through a fluid will always experience a drag force. This force resists the
motion of the object. The magnitude of this force on the ball can be calculated using
Stoke’s Law:
F = 6π𝜂 rv
Where:
● r = the radius of the ball
● 𝜂 = viscosity of the fluid
● v = velocity of the ball
Viscosity is a quantity that depends on the surface of the ball and the liquid that it is
moving through. It is also temperature dependant.
Note that Stoke’s Law only applies to small spherical objects travelling at low speeds in
laminar, or non-turbulent, flow.

www.pmt.education
Hooke’s Law
Hooke’s law says that the force applied is directly proportional to the extension.

Force = kΔL Force = Spring Constant x Change in Length


The limit of proportionality (P) is the point
beyond which Hooke’s law no longer applies. The
elastic limit (E) is the maximum stress that can be
applied without plastic deformation which is where
the object does not return to its original shape.

Elastic Deformation: Material returns to its original shape and has no permanent
extension. Energy is stored as elastic strain energy e.g. an elastic band
Plastic Deformation: Material is permanently stretched because the atoms have
physically moved relative to one another. Energy is used to deform it and dissipated as
heat e.g polythene

www.pmt.education
Stress and Strain
Tensile Stress is the force applied per unit cross-sectional area, measured in Pa or Nm-2
Tensile Strain is the ratio of extension to original length. It has no unit.

F ΔL
Stress = Strain =
A L
If enough stress is applied to a material it can fracture. This is called the breaking stress.
The maximum stress it can withhold, without fracturing, is called the ultimate tensile
stress.

A brittle material fractures without showing any plastic behaviour (shows very little
extension). A ductile material can be stretched into long wires and stays permanently
stretched. The strength of a material is its ultimate tensile stress.

www.pmt.education
Energy Stored
If Hooke’s Law is obeyed, the energy stored in the object is the area under
its force-extension graph
Work Done = ½ F Δ L
but...
Work Done = Energy Stored
so...
E=½FΔL
E = ½ k (Δ L)²

The energy in a spring can be transformed into kinetic and


gravitational potential energy.

www.pmt.education
Young Modulus
Up to the limit of proportionality, the stress and strain are directly
proportional to each other. If you divide stress by strain, you get the Young
Modulus, which is the measure of the stiffness of a material.

Tensile Stress
Young Modulus = = FL
Tensile Strain A ΔL

The gradient of a stress-strain graph is the young modulus.


The area under the graph is the ‘strain energy per unit volume’ and therefore:

Energy per unit Volume = ½ x Stress x Strain

www.pmt.education

You might also like