Introduction to Physics

CAPE Unit 1
Mrs. C. Williams-Massey

Classroom Norms
1. Always be on time.
2. Always be respectful- respect yourself and
respect others.
3. Listen first and ask questions in a polite
manner.
4. Obey all rules as stipulated in the Student
Handbook.

Learning Style
What is your learning style?
VARK: Visual, Auditory, Read/Write and
Kinesthetic/Tactile, Multimodality.
Learning styles:
http://vark-learn.com/introduction-tovark/the-vark-modalities/

Resources
Giancoli, D. C. Physics: Principles with Applications, 6th
Edition, 2005. Prentice Hall Inc, NJ: USA
Duncan, T. Advanced Physics, 5th Edition, 2000. John Murray
Publishers.
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics (video
tutorials)
http://www.cie.org.uk/programmes-andqualifications/cambridge-international-as-and-a-levelphysics-9702/past-papers/ (PPQs)

INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS

What is physics?
Physics is the study of nature and the interactions between
matter and energy.
Physics can be sub-divided into two areas: (i) classical
physics and (ii) modern physics.
Classical physics includes: motion (mechanics), fluids,
heat, sound, light, electricity and magnetism (Unit 1 & Unit
2).
Modern physics includes: relativity, atomic structure,
condensed matter, nuclear physics, elementary particles,
cosmology and astrophysics (Unit 1 & Unit 2).

Definition of terms
Observation: the action or process of using our
senses to understand, quantify and monitor the
world around us. This is a scientific process skill.
Model: these are used by scientists to understand
a particular set of phenomena. It creates a mental
picture of something that cannot be seen to fully
understand what is happening. An example of a
popular model is the wave module of light.

Definition of terms
Theory: creative or inspirational thoughts that comes from
the human mind, which helps to explain and order the
observations of the world around us. A theory is broader and
more detailed than a model and give testable predictions.
Theories are constantly proven and disproven as we gather
new information about the world around us.
Law: this is a general and concise statement about how
nature behaves, that must be experimentally valid over a
wide range of observed phenomena. Examples of laws arethe law of conservation of energy or the relationship F =
ma.

Definition of terms
Principle: these can be viewed as scientific
statements that do not hold true over a wide range
of experimental conditions. They are less general
than laws. An example of a principle is
Archimedes principle.
As scientists, we do our work with the assumption
that the accepted laws and theories are true.
Therefore, it is always important to keep an open
mind as new information can alter the concept of
what is accepted as true.

THE COULOMB

Flash back- Physical Quantities

Physical quantities can be divided into two
categories: base quantities and derived
quantities.
The base quantities are the standard and
there are seven (7) of them. All other
quantities are derived from these base
quantities and as such are called derived
quantities.

Flash back- Base Quantities

The seven (7) base quantities can be seen in the table below:
Base Quantity

Base Unit

Unit Abbreviation

Length

Meter

Time

Second

Mass

Kilogram

kg

Electric Current

Ampere

Temperature

Kelvin

Amount of substance

Mole

mol

Luminous intensity

Candela

cd

Flash back- Electrolysis and the

Coulomb
In 1834, a British scientist named Michael Faraday, discovered that
the mass of substance (m), discharged at an electrode during
electrolysis is directly proportional to the quantity of electricity (Q)
passing through the cell.

Q =It
This quantity of electricity Q is measured in units called Coulombs
C.

So, SI unit of charge is the coulomb C.

Question: is the coulomb a derived quantity or base quantity?
Explain your answer.

The Coulomb
The smallest charge found in nature has a value of 1.602 x
10-19C. It is fundamental and is given the symbol e.
It is referred to as the elementary charge:
e= 1.602 x 10-19C
e is a positive number, so the charge on an electron is e,
whereas the charge on the proton is +e.
Electric charge is quantized. That is, it can only exist in
discrete amounts for example 1e, 2e, 3e, 4e etc why?

Charles-Augustin de Coulombs Law

It states that:
the force one small charged object exerts on a second
one is proportional to the product of the magnitude of
the charge on one Q1, times the magnitude of the charge
on the other Q2, and inversely proportional to the square
of the distance r between them.
It is expressed by the equation:
F = k Q1Q2
r2

k is the proportionality constant.

Coulombs Law
F = k Q1Q2
r2
k is the proportionality constant and has the value
8.988 x 109 N. m2/C2
k is usually written to two significant figures = 9.0 x
109 N. m2/C2
So, 1C is that amount of charge, which if placed on each of two
point charges that are 1.0m apart, will result in each object exerting
a force of (9.0 x 109 N. m2/C2)(1.0C)(1.0C)/(1.0m)2 = 9.0 x 109N

Coulombs Law
Coulombs law gives the force between two point charges Q1 and Q2 when they are at rest, and are r distance apart.
The electrical force that one charged object exerts on the
other is directly proportional to the charge on each of them
at a fixed distance. What does this mean? If I double the
charge what do you think will happen?
If the distance between the two point charges decrease,
then the force exerted by one charged object on the other
decreases with the square of the distance between them.
So, if the distance doubles, the force decreases by onefourth its original value.

Calculations Using Coulombs Law

When solving problems involving Coulombs law,
the signs of the charges are usually ignored.
The direction of the force is determined
separately based on whether it is attractive or
repulsive. However, the direction is always along
the line joining the two objects.
Do evaluation questions on pages 446 and 464 of
the Giancoli text.

References
Giancoli, D. C. Physics: Principles with
Applications, 6th Edition, 2005. Prentice Hall
Inc, NJ: USA Pages 444-448
Jones, M; Mee, C. International AS and A Level
Physics Revision Guide. 2014. Hodder
Education; London. Pages 170-174.

You Can Do it!

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of

power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)