ENGINEERING PHYSICS

WHAT IS PHYSICS?
Discipline of Science dealing with the
properties of matter and energy.
Includes; acoustics, atomic physics,
cryogenics, electromagnetism, elementary
particle physics, fluid dynamics, geophysics,
mathematical physics, mechanics, molecular
physics, nuclear physics, optics, plasma
physics, quantum physics, solid state physics,
statistical mechanics, thermodynamics.
HOW DOES PHYSICS
WORK?
A QUESTION IS ASKED
• A CONCEPT IS CAPTURED
A MAP IS MADE
(MATHS MODEL)
 SI UNITS
BASE QUANTITY NAME SYMBOL
length meter m
mass kilogram kg
time second s
electric
ampere A
current
thermodynamic
kelvin K
temperature
amount of
mole mol
substance
luminous
candela cd
intensity
Which answer below has correct SI units
1. Kilometre, grams, candela, Centigrade
2. Kilograms, Kelvin, metre, second
3. metre, second, amperes, lux
4. kilograms, ampere, mole, centimetres
 SI PREFIXES +VE
FACTOR NAME SYMBOL
1024 yotta Y
1021 zetta Z
1018 exa E
1015 peta P
1012 tera T
109 giga G
106 mega M
103 kilo k
102 hecto h
101 deka da
TRUE OR FALSE QUESTION:

A GIGABYTE IS 1000 TIMES GREATER

THAN A KILOBYTE
 SI PREFIXES -VE
Factor Name Symbol
10-1 deci d
10-2 centi c
10-3 milli m
10-6 micro µ
10-9 nano n
10-12 pico p
10-15 femto f
10-18 atto a
10-21 zepto z
10-24 yocto y
PUT THESE IN ORDER GREATEST TO
SMALLEST:

3. PICOFARAD
4. MICROFARAD
5. MILLIFARAD
6. NANOFARAD
 CONVERTING UNITS
1. Select conversion factor
2. Manipulate to multiply by one
e.g. convert 24 minutes to seconds

Select conversion factor

1minute = 60 seconds
 CONVERTING UNITS
1. Select conversion factor
2. Manipulate to multiply by one
e.g. convert 24 minutes to seconds

1minute = 60 seconds

Manipulate to multiply by one

 CONVERTING UNITS
1. Select conversion factor
2. Manipulate to multiply by one
e.g. convert 24 minutes to seconds

Manipulate to multiply by one

1 = 60 seconds/minute
 CONVERTING UNITS
1. Select conversion factor
2. Manipulate to multiply by one
e.g. convert 24 minutes to seconds

1 = 60 seconds/minute
24 min = 24 minutes x 1

24 min = 24 minutes x 60 seconds/minutes

24 min = 1440 seconds

UNIT CONVERSION
CONVERT 5 MILES TO KILOMETRES.
ROUND TO 2 S.F.
1 MILE = 1.6 KILOMETRES
WHAT IS THE SI UNIT FOR MASS?
 ALL MEASUREMENTS HAVE AN ERROR
OR UNCERTAINTY.

ACCURACY IS DETERMINED BY WHAT IS BEING

MEASURED AND THE MEASURING DEVICE
MEASURING DEVICE DETERMINES

NUMBER SIGNIFICANT FIGURES IN

MEASUREMENT

OR THE

THE UNCERTAINTY
ACCURATE BUT NOT PRECISE –
RANDOM ERRORS

PRECISE BUT NOT ACCURATE –

SYSTEMATIC ERRORS

ACCURATE AND PRECISE – ERRORS

MINIMISED
 REDUCTION OF RANDOM ERRORS
IMPROVES PRECISION

• AVERAGE REPEATED MEASUREMENTS

• NUMBER OF REPEATED MEASUREMENTS

SUFFICIENT FOR PURPOSE
 REMOVAL OF SYSTEMATIC
ERRORS IMPROVES ACCURACY

• CHECK FOR ZERO ERRORS

• ARE THERE HIDDEN FACTORS EG
FRICTION
EVERY MEASUREMENT HAS
UNCERTAINTY

USUALLY +/- 1 MEASUREMENT UNIT OF

THE MEASURING DEVICE

% UNCERTAINTY = ERROR/VALUE X 100

HOW TO DEAL WITH UNCERTAINTIES IN
ADDITION/ SUBTRACTION?

ADD UNCERTAINTIES
HOW TO DEAL WITH UNCERTAINTIES IN
MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION?

ADD PERCENTAGE UNCERTAINTIES