MODULE

IN
PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS
(PHYS 20034)

UNIT I:
MECHANICS

Prepared and Submitted by:

Engr. Hannah Ledda B. Ferrer
COURSE OVERVIEW:
This is a calculus-based course covering the basic laws and phenomena in mechanics,
electricity and magnetism, oscillation and waves, rotational mechanics and modern Physics. It
expands on selected areas Physics to reinforce and expand student understanding of the
fundamental concepts and their application to solving engineering problems.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
• Understand basic concepts and principles of Physics;
• Develop problem-solving processes involving mathematics, which includes calculus, to
obtain quantitative solution in Physics;
• Demonstrate the ability to think critically in choosing appropriate Physics concepts to
analyze engineering problems.

MODULE 1: Mechanics

Overview:
Classical mechanics is about the motion of objects that are large relative to atom and move
at speeds much slower than the speed of light. It is sometimes referred to as Newtonian mechanics
or simply mechanics. Many principles and models used to understand mechanical systems,
especially engineering systems, retain their importance in the theories of other areas of physics
and can later be used to describe many natural phenomena. Therefore, classical mechanics is of
vital importance to students from all disciplines.

Objectives:
After successful completion of this module, you should be able to:
• Solve physical dimensions using vector algebra;
• Convert a verbal description of a physical situation involving displacement, velocity and
acceleration in one dimension into a mathematical description;
• Derive equations for motions involving uniformly accelerated rectilinear motion;
• Apply kinematic equations in solving rotational and curvilinear motion.
Lesson 2: Scalars and Vectors
Course Materials
A vector quantity requires the specification of both direction and magnitude. By contrast,
a scalar quantity has a numerical value and no direction.

Magnitude occurs for both scalars and vectors can lead to some confusion. There are some
quantities, like speed, which have very special definitions for engineers. By definition, speed is
the scalar magnitude of a velocity vector. A car going down the road has a speed of 50 kph. Its
velocity is 50 kph in the northeast direction. Another example is mass and weight. Weight is a
force which is a vector and has a magnitude and direction. Mass is a scalar. Weight and mass are
related to one another, but they are not the same quantity.
For evaluation of vectors, there are several methods that can be used. First method is
graphical method – parallelogram and polygon. The second one is analytical method – component
and laws of sine and cosine. In this lesson, we will focus on the analytical method.

Analytical Methods

I. Law of Sine and Cosine

 For a triangle:

Law of Sine/Sine Rule:

Law of Cosine/Cosine Rule:

Example:
Determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant force of the given figure.

Solution:
1. Construct a force diagram using parallelogram or polygon method.
2. To calculate R, consider the triangle formed by the lower half of the
parallelogram.

3. For the resultant, use Law of cosines

4. For the angle α, use Law of sines

 5. Depending on the side of the angle, perform basic addition or subtraction to get
angle θ.

II. Component Method

1. Determine the x-component and the y-component.
2. Solve for the resultant using

𝑦
3. Solve for the angle θ using tan 𝜃 = | |
𝑥

Example:
Five forces act on an object: (1) 60.0 N at 90°, (2) 40.0 N at 0°, (3) 80.0 N at 270°, (4) 40.0 N at
180°, and (5) 50.0 N at 60°. What is the magnitude and direction of a sixth force that would produce
equilibrium?
 Solution:

Reading Materials:

• Chapter 3 – Motion in Two and three Dimensions, Physics For Scientists and Engineers by
P. Tipler and G. Mosca
• Chapter 3 – Vectors, Physics For Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics by Serway
and Jewett

Activity/Assessment: (TO BE PASSED NEXT WEEK via GOOGLE CLASSROOM)

1. Two ropes pull on a ring. One exerts a 62-N force at 30.0°, the other a 62-N force
at 60.0°. What is the net force on the ring using law sine and cosine?
2. A powerboat heads due northwest at 13 m/s with respect to the water across a river
that flows due north at 5.0 m/s. What is the velocity (both magnitude and direction)
of the motorboat with respect to the shore? Use the law sine and cosine.
3. An airplane flies due north at 150 km/h with respect to the air. There is a wind
blowing at 75 km/h to the east relative to the ground. What is the plane’s speed with
respect to the ground? Use component method.
4. A hiker leaves camp and, using a compass, walks 4 km E, then 6 km S, 3 km E, 5
km N, 10 km W, 8 km N, and finally 3 km S. At the end of three days, the hiker is
lost. Compute how far the hiker is from camp and which direction should be taken
to get back to camp. Use component method.