Nautical Physics

and
Electronics - I

MESTER - I
Dr. Anitha Rexalin Devaraj,
Associate Professor,
Department of Physics,
AMET
Nautical Physics and Electronics - I

Unit I : Mechanics
Unit II : Acoustics and Ultrasonic
Unit III : Optics
Unit IV : Magnetism and Heat
Unit V : Basics of Electronics
 Unit I: Mechanics
Circular motion - Rotational motion - Kepler’s
laws- Newton’s law of gravitation – Variation of
‘g’ with height and depth – Orbital velocity –
Escape velocity - Stationary satellite –
*Launching of a satellite – Weather broadcasting
– Concept of Gyroscope - Metacenter,
Metacentric height, Metacentric height of a
ship- Plimsoll lines - Marine hydrometer.
Linear Motion
 Circular
Motion

 The movement of a body following a circular path is called a circular

motion.

 Circular motion can be either uniform or non-uniform.

 During uniform circular motion the angular rate of rotation and speed
Random
Motion
Rotatory
Motion
Vibratory
Motion
 Kepler's Laws
Laws of Planetary motion
 Law of Orbits
 Law of Areas
 Law of Period
Kepler’s first law, the ‘law of orbits’, states that all the planets revolve in elliptical orbits
with the sun at one of the focii of the ellipse (path of the planets).

Observe the figure of ellipse. Points F1 and F2 are called the focii, and ‘O,’ is the centre of
the ellipse. For any point ‘P’ on the ellipse, the sum of the lengths PF 1 and PF2 is
constant.
Kepler’s second law of planetary motion is the ‘law of areas’. According to this law, the
line joining the sun and a planet, sweeps equal areas in equal intervals of time.

Let ‘P1’ and ‘P2’ represent its positions at the start and end of 30-day duration. Let
A1 represent the area swept during this period. Similarly, let ‘P3’ and ‘P4’ represent two
positions of the planet during its revolution for a 30-day duration represented by A2.
According to Kepler’s second law of planetary motion, area A1 equals area A2.
Kepler’s third law of planetary motion is called the ‘law of periods’ According to this law,
the square of the time period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-
major axis of its elliptical orbit. That is, T squared is proportional to R cubed, where T is
the time taken by the planet for one rotation and R is the length of the semi-major axis of
its elliptical orbit.
 Gravity
The force on a body in the earth’s atmosphere is equal to the weight of the body.

---------- (1) ---------- (2)

The value of ‘g’ is different at different places on the surface of the earth. The
standard value of ‘g’ is taken as 9.80565 m/s2. However the value of g varies from
minimum 9.7804 m/s2 at the equator and maximum 9.8322 m/s2 at pole.
 gh

g
 Escape (Ve) and Orbital (Vo) Velocities
Escape velocity (Ve)

The minimum velocity required to project a body in upward

direction from the surface of the earth so that it escapes from the
earth’s gravitational pull is called escape velocity.
11.2 km/s
Expression for escape velocity (Ve)
The weight of the body

According to Newton’s law of gravitation,

Ve The gravitational force
dR

The gravitational force on a body in the

R earth’s atmosphere is also equal to the
weight of the body.
M
Earth
 Since Ve is the escape velocity given to the body

Ve
dR
Let the body moves a distance dR in vertical
m direction against the gravitational force F
Work done = Force x distance
R
M Work done = F x dR
Earth

In order to escape the body from the gravitational pull, the work done by the body to
move from the distance R (Radius of the earth) to infinity (the boundary of the
gravitational field) is given by
 Substitute (3) in (7)

-1

(4) & (6) are equal

Hence the escape velocity on the

surface of earth i.e the velocity with
which a body should be projected so
that it never comes back to the earth,
is 11.2 km/s.
 Orbital velocity (Vo)
The orbital velocity is the tangential
velocity of a satellite needs to stay
in orbit.
Or
The horizontal velocity that has to
be given to a satellite at the
determined height so that it makes a
circular orbit around the planet is
called orbital velocity.
Expression for orbital velocity of a satellite (V o)

The centripetal force required to keep the satellite in

circular orbit is

m
M

Vo
The gravitational force between satellite and earth is
For the stable orbital motion, Substitute (4) in (3)
eqns. (1) & (2) are equal

We know that
 Conditions for orbital velocity of a satellite (V o)
If the injection velocity is not equal to the calculated value, the orbit of satellite
will not be circular.

It should be greater than the calculated velocity and but not greater than escape
velocity.

If the injection velocity greater than the escape velocity, the satellite will not
revolve around the earth and will escape into the space.

If the injection velocity is less than the calculated value, the satellite will fall
back to the earth.

m
M
Vo
Stationary satellite (or) Geostationary satellite

Altitude of approximately 35,800 kilometres (22,300 miles)

Directly over the equator
Revolves in the same direction the earth rotates (west to east).
characteristics of different types of orbits by altitude

 GEO
 LEO
 MEO
 HEO
 GEO

Name of Orbit Length Period

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) 500 – 1500 km 10 – 40 minutes
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) 5000 – 12000 km 2 – 8 hours
Geostationary (GEO) 35, 800 km 24 hours
GEO orbit diagram
Launching of Satellites
 The process of placing the satellite in a
proper orbit is known as launching
process.

 During this process, from earth

stations we can control the operation of
satellite.

 Satellite launch vehicles are used to

place the satellites in their specific orbits.

 The launching of artificial satellites is

done with the help of multistage rockets.
 It is a vehicle with 4 stages using
solid and liquid fuels.

 The weight of the vehicle

decreases after each stage because
of consumption of fuel at that stage
and detachment of that stage (i.e.
the empty tank) from its body. Thus,
the vehicle moves with higher speed
after every stage.
 Fourth Stage − Satellite gets separated
from the upper stage of launch vehicle,
when it has been reached to out of
Earth's atmosphere. Then, the satellite
will go to a “transfer orbit”.

•Third Stage − the third (upper) stage of the launch

vehicle is connected to the satellite fairing. This fairing
is a metal shield, which contains the satellite and it
protects the satellite.

•Second Stage − the second stage of launch vehicle contains

smaller rockets. These are ignited after completion of first stage.
They have their own fuel tanks in order to send the satellite into
space.

•First Stage − the first stage of launch vehicle contains rockets and fuel
for lifting the satellite along with launch vehicle from ground.
 Rockets use a variety of liquid and solid fuels, including:
Liquid oxygen
• A propellant used in rockets like the Rocket Lab's Electron rocket. It's a clear,
light sky-blue liquid at room temperature, and turns solid below -218.79°C.
• Liquid methane
• A cryogenic fuel that's used in orbital rockets. It's a good alternative to
traditional rocket propellants because it's available as natural gas, has a low
carbon footprint, and can be manufactured on other celestial bodies.
•Hydrazine
• A nitrogen-based compound that releases a lot of energy when it
decomposes.
•Kerosene
• A liquid rocket propellant that burns hotter than hydrogen.
•Ammonium perchlorate
• A solid fuel used in solid propellant rockets.
•Composite propellant
• A solid fuel combined with an oxidizer in a rubber binder. It's used in most
solid propulsion rocketry and missile systems today.
•Perchlorate
• An oxidant used in solid rocket fuels. It's also used in pyrotechnics and
lubricating oils.
•Nitroglycerin
• A liquid explosive that's also used as an energetic plasticizer in solid rocket
propellant.
Liquid propellant rockets use a mixture of liquid fuel and liquid oxidizer, while
solid propellant rockets use a solid fuel. Solid propellant rockets are usually
 Launch Mechanism and Launch Vehicle

 Expendable Launch Vehicle

(Rockets)
 Reusable Launch Vehicle
(Space shuttles)
Expendable Launch Vehicle (Rockets)
Reusable Launch Vehicle (Space shuttles)
 Selection of Launch Vehicle

• It depends on the payload.

• The cost depends on the load and orbit on which the
satellite is to be placed.
 Mechanism of launching
Two step process:
1. Launch vehicle first put the satellite in an inclined elliptical orbit which is called as
transfer orbit with an apogee at geosynchronous orbit.
2. Then with the help of Apogee Kick Motor (AKM), the satellite is kicked out from
transfer orbit to geosynchronous orbit.
Three step process:
3. A space shuttle flies it to circular orbit.
4. Then, payload assist motor (PAM) transfer it from circular orbit to transfer orbit.
5. Finally AKM injects the satellite from transfer orbit in to geosynchronous orbit.
Meta centre and Metacentric Height
Meta centre and Metacentric Height
Conditions of equilibrium of a floating body
 Equal and Opposite
 The weight of the body acting vertically downwards through the
centre of gravity .
 The resultant up thrust on the body due to the liquid acting
vertically upwards through the centre of buoyancy .

The Law of Floatation says that for a floating object, the weight of the
object equals the weight of the liquid displaced by the object.
 Archimede’s Principle
If a body is wholly or partially immersed in a liquid, the
resultant upthrust on the body is equal to the weight of the
liquid displaced by it. This is known as Archimede’s
principle.
How do ships float?
 Equilibrium of a floating body
The stability of floating body is determined by the location of G and
M
There are three types of equilibrium of floating body.

(a) Stable Equilibrium M is above G

(b) Unstable Equilibrium M is below G
(c) Neutral Equilibrium M is coincide with G
(a) Stable Equilibrium (M is above G)

M >0
(b) Unstable Equilibrium (M is below G)

M<0
(c) Neutral Equilibrium (M is at G)

M=0
(a) Stable Equilibrium M is above
G
(b) Unstable Equilibrium M is below G
(c) Neutral Equilibrium M is at G

M=0 M>0 M<0

Meta centre and Metacentric Height
Meta centre

Meta centric height

Plimsoll line (or) International Load line

The Plimsoll lines or international load lines refer to those lines

which are drawn on both sides of a ship and denote the maximum
level to which a ship can be submerged in water when loaded with
cargo.
 Importance of SUMMER LOAD LINE

The summer load line is the

primary load line and from this
mark that all other marks are
derived.

The position of the summer load line is calculated from the

load line rules and depends on many factors such as length
of ship, type of ship, bow height and so on.

The horizontal line through the circle of the Plimsoll mark

is that the same level as the summer load line.
 Marine hydrometer
Hydrometers are usually made of glass and consist of
a cylindrical stem and a bulb weighted with a heavy
material (mercury) to make it float upright.
The hydrometer will float slightly higher in salt water because
salt water is more dense that “pure” water.

In a liquid of lesser density the hydrometer is more submerged.

In a liquid of higher density the hydrometer is less submerged
The following formula we can use to find the density of unknown liquid (d 2) by
using the known density of liquid (d1)
h1 6

6 5

5 4

4 3

3 2

2 1

h2

**********