2019/2020 SESSION SS1 PHYSICS NOTE

SCHEME OF WORK
1 Fundamental and Derived Quantities and Units.
(i) Fundamental quantities mass, length, time and electric current (ii) Fundamental units –
kg, m, s, and etc (iii) Derived quantities: force, speed, velocity etc. (iv) Derived units: ms-
1
, m3, m2etc.
2 Position, Distance and Displacement
(i) Measurements: Distance, time, area, volume, electric current, mass etc.
(ii) Concept of direction (iii) Distinction between distance and displacement; frame of
reference
3 Time: (i) Concept of time (ii) ways of measuring time: shadow, sand clock, pendulum
clock, stop clock/watch to measure time intervals.
4 Motion: (i) Types of motion: Random, Oscillatory/vibration, Translational/Rectilinear,
Rotational motion (ii) Relative motion
5 Motion: Causes and Effects of motion: Types of forces:
(i) Contact force (ii) force field
6 Motion: Friction: (i) Types of friction (ii) laws of friction (iii) Reducing friction.
7 Motion: Simple idea of circular motion (i) centripetal and centrifugal force
8 Scalars and vectors: (i) Concept of scalars (ii) concept of vectors (iii) distinction between
scalars and vectors (iv) graphical representation.
9 Speed and velocity: (i) concept of speed (ii) concept of velocity (iii) Distance –time graph
or displacement time graph.
10 Rectilinear Acceleration: (i) concept of acceleration (ii) Uniform/Non-uniform
acceleration (iii) Velocity time graph (iv) Analysis of rectilinear motion
11 Work, Energy and Power
(i) Concept of work, Energy and Power
12 Work, Energy and Power
(i) Determination of work, energy and power
(ii) Work done in a force field
13 Revision/Examination.
INTRODUCTION
Physics is a branch of science that deals with the study of the nature and properties of energy and
matter.
Branches of physics include:
i Mechanics
ii Heat
iii Electricity and Magnetism
iv Waves and Sound
v Optics
vi Atomic/Nuclear Physics
vii Medical physics
viii Geophysics

FUNDAMENTAL AND DERIVED QUANTITIES AND UNITS

Fundamental Quantities.
These are the basic quantities that do not depend on other quantities. These are the ones upon
which most other quantities depend.
Fundamental / S. I Units
These are units upon which other units depend. They are the units of the fundamental quantities.
The units are usually written in the S.I (System International) units. It is the main system of
units used in scientific work.
Fundamental Quantities. And Units
Quantity Unit Symbol
Length Metre m
Time Second s
Mass Kilogram Kg
Electric current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Amount of substance Mole Mol
The units can exist in multiples and submultiples
Submultiples Prefix
-1
10 deci (d)
10-2 centi (c)
10-3 milli (m)
10-6 micro (µ)
10-9 nano (n)
10-12 pico (p)

Multiples Prefix
10 deca (da)
102 hecto (h)
103 kilo (k)
106 Mega (M)
109 Giga (G)
1012 Tera (T)

Derived Quantities and Units

Derived quantities are quantities created by combining two or more fundamental quantities.
They depend on the fundamental quantities. Likewise the derived units are also those obtained
by a combination of some fundamental units.
Some derived quantities and units.
Derived Quantities Derivation Derived Unit
Area (A) Length x breath m2
Volume (V) Length x breath x height m3
Speed distance/time m/s
Acceleration change in velocity/time m/s2
Density mass/volume Kg/m3
Force mass x acceleration Newton or Kgms-2
 Work force x distance N.M or Joule

Conversion examples.
1 .Convert 1 day to seconds

2 Convert 150km/hr to m/s.

3 Convert 500g to kg

Assignment 1
i. Mention 5 fundamental quantities and their units
ii. Give 10 derived quantities and their units
iii. list seven branches of physics
iv. Convert 28 years of CKC existence to seconds.
v. A ball drops 5m. how many centimeters did the ball drop?

MEASUREMENTS:
Measurements are very important in Physics. No activity can be carried out without some
measurements taken. However measurement can never be perfectly precise, that is why the
reading accuracies of the measuring instruments are usually noted.

Length
a. Metre Rule
The metre rule is graduated in centimeters and millimeters. The smallest measurement
that can be taken with the metre rule is 0.1cm or 1mm. This is also its reading accuracy.
b Venier Callipers
This is used to measure smaller lengths such as the internal/external diameter of
tube/cylinders more accurately. It comprises of the main scale and the venier scale. To
measure with the venier calliper, the readings on the main scale is added to that on the
venier scale. The reading accuracy of the venier calliper is 0.01cm or 0.1mm.
Diagram: Main scale.

Main scale = 1.8cm

Venier Scale = 0.4mm
1.8cm + 0.4mm = 1.84cm

c. Micrometre Screw gauge

This is used to measure even smaller lengths such as the diameter of a wire. It also
comprises of the main scale and venier scale. To measure with the micrometer screw
gauge, the object is placed between the jaws (anvil and spindle) and the ratchet is closed.
The two readings on the main scale and venier scale are added. The reading accuracy of
the micrometer screw gauge is 0.001cm or 0.01mm.
Diagram:
Volume
The volume of a rectangular block is given as length x breath x height. The volume of a liquid
can be measured using the measuring cylinder, a pipette or a burette. The correct reading is taken
by measuring the bottom of the meniscus.
Diagram:

Mass and Weight

Mass is the amount or quantity of matter in a body. Weight is the force of gravity acting on a
body. Mass is measured with a beam or chemical balance while weight is usually measured with
the spring balance.
Diagram of beam and spring/chemical balance:
Position, Distance and Displacement
Position: The concept of position is a very basic idea. It is determined by the distance and
direction from other points or location usually called the frame of reference.
It is customary to locate position by using the Cartesian coordinate system (x-y) axis.
Diagram:

Any point in space can be located using the Cartesian coordinates. The point (0, 0) is called the
origin. It is the point where both axes begin to either increase or decrease.
Distance: This is the measure of how far something is from the reference point. Distance is same
as length. It is measured in meters, kilometers, centimeters and millimeters depending on the size
of length involved.
Distance is the product of average speed x time. It is a scalar quantity (i.e. it has magnitude but
no direction). The distance of point A to B is same as distance from B to A provided same route
is followed.
Displacement: Displacement is simply distance covered in a specific direction. It is a vector
quantity (i.e. it has both magnitude and direction). The displacement from point A to B is not
same as displacement from point B to A even if same route is followed.
Time: Time is one of the fundamental quantities. It is defined as the period or duration when an
activity last. It is measured in seconds, time is measured with clock. In the laboratory, stop
clock/watch is used to measure time intervals, It doesn’t tell the time of the day. Time keepers at
sport event use it to measure time intervals too. Time is not a physical quantity hence we cannot
see time. All clocks or time measuring devices work by repetition. The earth moves round the
sun once every 365¼ days (1 year). The earth also rotates about its axis once every 24 hours.
(One day)
Ways of measuring time:
1 Shadow clock/sundials: A sundial is a device that tells time of day when there is
sunlight. Before the invention of the clock, the sundial was the only source of time
measurement. The surface of the sundial has markings for each hour of day light. As the
sun moves across the sky another part of sundial cast a shadow on these markings and the
position of the shadow tells the time.
Diagram

2 Sand clock: Sand clock has two vertical connected glass bulbs which allow a regulated
trickle of sand from top to bottom, once the top bulb is empty. It can be invented to begin
timing again. It takes one hour to complete one run.
Diagram
3 Pendulum clock: Pendulum clock uses the principle of the simple pendulum, a swinging
weight as its time keeping element. Pendulum clocks must be stationary to operate; any
motion of the clock will affect the motion of the pendulum causing inaccuracies.

Repetitive events: These are events that occur regularly with same interval between
events. Such repetitive events can be used to tell time. Examples of repetitive events
include swinging of a pendulum, the beats of a heart, seasons, etc.

Assignment 2.
i. State three differences between mass and weight
ii.Mention three length measuring instruments and state their reading accuracies

Motion
Motion is the change in position of a body with time. When a body moves, it changes its position
relative to some reference body/frame with time.
Types of motion
There are many types of motion broadly classified into four.
1 Random motion: This is the type of motion where the particles move disorderly without
a definite pattern; particles undergoing random motion collide with one another as they
move because of the irregularity of the motion. An example of this type of motion is
brownian motion which involved irregular motion of particles suspended in water or
motion of smoke particles.
2 Translational/Rectilinear motion: This is the emotion of the whole body in a straight
line. It is the simplest type of motion. It is without rotation or vibration. An example of
translational motion is the motion of a car from one station to another or a bee flying
from one flower to another.
3 Rotational/Circular motion: This is the motion of the whole body along a curved path.
The distance of the body from the centre of the circle remains constant for circular
motion and this is called the radius. In rotational motion the body rotates about its axis.
Examples of rotational motion are the motion of electric fan. The rotation of the earth
about its axis, wheels of a moving car.
4 Oscillatory motion: This is a to and fro movement of a body about a fixed position.
Oscillatory motion is also called periodic or vibrational motion because it repeats itself.
Examples of such motion include simple pendulum, vertical movement of a disturbed
mass on a spiral spring.
Mixed motion: In real life, objects undergoing motion usually exhibit more than one type
of motion at the same time. Examples are the wheels of a moving car, the movement of a
tennis ball in flight.
Relative motion: It is impossible to determine the motion of a body without a point of
reference. All motions are relative to some frame of reference. Saying that a body is at
rest merely means that the body is being described with respect to a frame of reference
that is moving together with the body.
Case 1: If two bodies A and B move side by side with same velocity, A and B appear stationary.
-1
Case 2 If two bodies A and B travel in same direction with velocities 20kmhr and 50kmhr -1
respectively, The velocity of B relative to A is 50kmhr-1 – 20kmhr-1 = 30kmhr -1
Case 3: If bodies A and B move in opposite direction then velocity of B relative to A is
50kmhr-1 + 20kmhr -1 = 70kmhr -1

FORCE
Force is simply defined as a push or pull. It is the main cause of motion. When force acts on a
body that is free to move or moving, it may cause it to move, stop moving, change speed or
change direction.
Types of forces
There are two types of force.
i Contact force
ii Force field
(i) Contact force: These are forces in which contact is made between the bodies e.g. push,
pull, frictional force.
(ii) Force field: These are forces that act without contact been made between the bodies e.g.
gravitational force, magnetic force.
FRICTION: This is the force which opposes or resists motion between two surfaces in contact
with each other.
Types of friction
There are two types of friction.
i Static or limiting friction
ii Sliding or Kinematic friction
(i) Static friction: This is the force that must be overcome before a body can just start to
move. Coefficient of static friction (µ) is the ratio of the limiting friction force (F) to the
normal reaction (R)

The coefficient of static friction is greater than that of kinematic friction.

Diagram:

(ii) Kinematic or sliding friction: This is the force that must be overcome for a body to move
with uniform speed over another body or surface.

Friction on inclined plane

From:

Problems on friction
i A force of 20N applied parallel to the surface of a horizontal table is just sufficient to
make a block of mass 4kg move on the table. Calculate the coefficient of friction between
the block and the table
[ ]
Solution

⁄ ⁄

ii A body of mass 6kg rest on an inclined plane the normal is R and the limiting frictional
force is shown in the diagram below. If F = 30N and g = 10ms -2 calculate the angle of
inclination.
Diagram:
Solution:
Weight of body .
Frictional force

⁄
sin-10.5 = 30
: Angle of inclination = 30o
iii The diagram below shows a body resting on an inclined plane, if the body slides down
the plane. What will be its acceleration g =10ms-2
Diagram:

Solution: The force that makes the body slide is given as Mg sinϴ. It opposes the frictional
force given as 30N since the body slides down, the resultant force act downwards

From Newtons 2nd law

2
⁄ ⁄

Laws of friction
i Friction acts in a direction opposite to the direction of the motion.
ii Friction depends on the nature of the surfaces in contact.
iii Friction does not depend on the area of the surfaces in contact
iv Friction varies directly with the normal force or reaction.

Advantages of friction:
i Friction makes walking possible
ii Friction enables motor tyres to make firm grip with the road, making driving and
stopping possible
iii Friction enables screws and nails to hold firmly when nailed into wood.
iv Friction makes grinding possible
v Friction helps us to sharpen pen, knifes etc.

Disadvantages of friction
i It causes wear and tear
ii Friction reduces efficiency of machines
iii Friction produces unwanted heat.

Ways of reducing friction

i Use of lubricants
ii Use of roller or ball bearings
iii Streamlining shape of bodies.

Assignment
i. Define friction, state two advantages and two disadvantages of friction
ii. Mention two ways of reducing friction
iii. A body of mass 5kg is projected up a board inclined at angle 30 0 to the horizontal
with initial velocity of 60m/s. if the frictional force opposing its motion is 4.5N. find
the distance it travels before coming to rest
Circular motion
Circular motion is defined as the motion of an object round a circle. Examples include stone tied
to a string and whirled horizontally or vertically, earth moving round the sun.
A body undergoing circular motion has the following characteristics.
a. constant speed
b. changing velocity
c. centripetal acceleration.

Angular speed and velocity

Consider the motion of a stone whirled in a circular path at constant speed.
Diagram:

Suppose the stone moves from point P to Q in t seconds.

The radius OP sweeps through angle ϴ. ϴ
The angular velocity

ω=

(Angular velocity (ω) is defined as angular displacement divided by time t)

But linear velocity
. (s = length of arc)

in radians

Putting equation 3 into equation 2 we get

Since
Equation 4 above gives the relationship between angular velocity and linear velocity ).
Angular velocity is measured in rads-1
Centripetal Acceleration:
The direction of a body undergoing circular motion keeps changing, thus the velocity is also
changing. The acceleration that results from this changing velocity is called centripetal
acceleration. It is always directed towards the centre of the circle and is given as

Centripetal force:
Centripetal force is defined as the inward force that keeps an object moving along a circular path
at constant speed.
From:

F= ⁄

F= ⁄ 2

Centrifugal force: This is the force which appears to act on a body moving in a circular path
drawing it away from the center. Examples of application of centrifugal force may be found in.
1 centrifugal machine to separate particles suspended in liquid.
2 In the motion of a vehicle negotiating a corner

= rads-1

Solved problems on circular motion

1 An object of mass 4kg moves round a circular path of radius 6m with constant speed of
12ms-1. Calculate (i) angular velocity (ii) centripetal acceleration
i v=r
-1
=

ii
 = .

2 A body of mass 500g moves with a speed of 4ms -1 in a circular path of radius 5m. What
is the centripetal force on the body?.

v = 4ms-1

F=

Concept of Scalars and Vectors.

Concept of scalars:
Scalar quantities are those quantities that have magnitude but no direction, examples of such
quantities include length, mass, time density, speed temperature etc. Addition and subtraction of
scalar quantities follows the ordinary basic algebraic rules e.g. .

Concept of vectors:
Vector quantities are quantities that have numeric value or magnitude as well as direction, to
describe a vector quantity both its magnitude and direction must be specified. Examples of
vector quantities include displacement, velocity, acceleration, weight, momentum.
Vector quantities cannot be added or subtracted by ordinary arithmetic. They are added by
geometric methods.

Vector Representation
Vectors are represented by straight lines with arrowhead the length of the line indicating the
magnitude of the vector while the arrowhead indicates the direction.
Consider two vectors P and Q
1 If two vectors P and Q are in the same direction.
2 If two vectors P and Q are in opposite direction.

3 If the two vectors P and Q are at right angles, the resultant is given as
Diagram

4 If P and Q have an angle between them, we can use the parallelogram law of vector
addition which says, if two vectors are represented in magnitude and direction by the
adjacent sides of a parallelogram, the resultant is represented in magnitude and
direction by the diagonal of the parallelogram drawn from the point of intersection.
Diagram

The resultant of two vectors P and Q can also be obtained using cosine rule.
.
We can equally use the sine rule
Example: Find the sum of two vector a and b shown below a = 5N b = 6N

Applying Cosine rule.

C2 = 81.52
C2 =√
The angle is calculated using sine rule.

S
= sin-1 0.625
B = 39o
The resultant is 9.02, 39o with A
Resolution of Vectors.
Just as two vectors can be combined to get the resultant,
A single vector can also be broken down into its vertical and horizontal components having the
same effect as the single vector. This process is called resolution of vectors.
Suppose a vector V is inclined at angle .

The horizontal component of the vector V is given by

The vertical component of vector V is given by

The resultant of more than two vectors.

When we have more than two vectors, we reduce the system to two perpendicular forces/vectors
by finding the component of each vector in two perpendicular directions.
Consider the forces acting on the body shown below:

Horizontal Components:
X = F1 Cos 1 + ( -F2 Cos 2 ) + ( -F3 Cos 3) + F4 Cos 4
Vertical Components
Y = F1 Sin 1 + F2 Sin 2 + (-F3 Sin 3) + (-F4 Sin 4)
The X and Y components are added algebraically separately and resultant is given as
R2 = X2 + Y2

√
diagram

The angle is determined by tan ⁄

Example: Determine the magnitude of the resultant vector and direction for vectors shown
below.

Vectors/Forces Vertical component (Y) Horizontal Component (X)

F1 F1sin F1 cos
= -9.40N = 342N
F2 F2 sin 2 = 5 sin F2 cos 2 = 5 cos
F3 F3sin 3 = 15 sin 45 F3Cos 3 = 15cos 45
= 10.6N = 10.6N
 Vector/Forces Vertical (y) component Horizontal (x) Component
F4 F4sin 4 = 15 sin 60 F4Cos 4 = 15cos 60
= -7.5N = 13.0N
F5 F5sin 5 = 3 sin 0 F5 Cos 5 = 3cos 0
=0 = -3

Rx Rx
F1 -9.40 3.42
F2 0 5
F3 10.6 10.6
F4 13.0 -7.5
F5 -3.0 0
y = 11.20 x = 11.52

The magnitude of the resultant vector R is given by

√
=√
=√
= 16.1N
The resultant vector diagram is
Diagram

The direction is given as tan ᾳ =

The resultant is 16.1N, 44.1 to the horizontal direction.

SPEED, VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION

- Speed is defined as the distance covered/travelled per unit time.

Speed =

It is measured in ms-1
- Displacement is distance covered in a specified direction.
- Velocity is defined as displacement per unit time.

Velocity (v) =

It is measured in ms-1
- Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity.

Acceleration (a) =

It is measured in ms-2

Distance/displacement time graph

Distance or displacement time graph is obtained if we plot the distance or displacement covered
against the time interval.

The slope of displacement time graph gives the velocity

Velocity time graph:
Velocity time graph is obtained when we plot the velocity against time.
Diagram: Uniform acceleration from rest.

The slope of a velocity time graph gives the acceleration.

Diagram: Deceleration or retardation

Diagram: Velocity time graph for an object with constant velocity

Diagram: Velocity time graph for non-uniform or variable

acceleration.
Distance travelled from velocity time graph
The area under a velocity time graph gives the distance travelled or covered.

Equation of uniformly accelerated motion.

If in object with initial velocity (u) attains final velocity (v) in time (t) the acceleration (a) is

given by: a=

--------------------------------- (1)
Average velocity

From equation 1

Distance covered(s) = average velocity × time

( )

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

To obtain the third equation, we square both sides of equation (1)

--------------------------------- (3)
Distance =average velocity × time

( ) ------------------------------------- (4)
 Equation of motion where
1 v = final velocity

2 u = initial velocity

3 t = time

4 s=( ) s = distance

a = acceleration.

Problems on equation of uniformly accelerated motion

Hints
Ensure that all units match.
For a body starting from rest, initial velocity u = 0
For a body coming to rest final velocity v = 0
Each of the equations contain four of the five variables u, v, s, a, t
You are normally given the values of 3 of the variables to determine the rest.

1. A body accelerated uniformly from rest at the rate of 3ms -1 for 8s. Calculate the distance
covered by the body during the acceleration.
Solution:
Using

a = 3ms-1
t = 8s
= 96m
2 The diagram below shows the velocity-time graph representing the motion of a car. Find
the total distance covered during the motion.
Diagram:

Solution: To get the total distance covered we get the area of

For A =
For B =
For C
Total distance covered = 50 + 300 + 25
= 375m
or we can get the area of the trapezium.
=

CLASS WORK.
1 A palm fruit dropped to the ground from the top of a tree 45m tall. How long does it take
to reach the ground.

v= 30
 using

9 = t2

√
= 3s t = 3s

2 A particle starts from rest and moves with constant acceleration of 0.5ms -2. The distance
covered by the particles in 10s is
Solution a = 0.5ms-2
s=?
t = 10s
u=0

s = 0 + ½ + 0.5x102

3 A car starts from rest and accelerates uniformly over time 5.21 seconds. For a distance
of 110m. Determine the acceleration of the car.

s = ½ at2
-2
a=

Assignment
A feather is dropped on the moon from a height of 1.40m. the acceleration due to gravity on the
moon is 1.67ms-2. Determine the time taken for the feather to fall to the surface of the moon.
EXERCISE: A body at rest is given an initial acceleration of 6.0m/s2 for 20s after which the
acceleration is reduced to 4.0m/s2 for the next 10s. The body maintains the speed attained for
30s. Draw the velocity time graph of the motion using the information given above and from the
graph calculate:
i maximum speed attained during the motion
ii total distance traveled during the first 30s.
iii average speed during the same time interval as in (ii) above.
Diagram:

i.
At stage A
s2

At stage B
s2

Maximum speed = 160mls.

II Total distance travelled after first 30s.
= Area of triangle + Area trapezium.
Area of triangle
 .
Area of trapezium .

Distance covered during the first

III Speed for first 30s =

EXERCISE: A motor moves through a distance of 1.0km in 5 minutes. Calculate its average
Speed.
Solution Distance 1km
Time 5 minutes

Speed =

WORK, ENERGY AND POWER

Work is defined as the product of force and distance.

The unit of work is joule.

Work is said to be done when a body is moved by a force through a distance in the direction of
the force.

Energy:
Energy is defined as the ability to do work. It is measured in joules.

Forms of energy.
1 Mechanical energy
2 Heat or Thermal energy
3 Electrical energy
4 Sound energy
5 Solar energy
6 Chemical energy
7 Atomic/nuclear energy
8 Light energy.
Mechanical energy:
Mechanical energy is defined as the energy possessed by the body by virtue of its motion or rest.
Types of Mechanical energy
1 Potential energy
2 Kinetic energy

Potential energy: Potential energy is defined as the energy possessed by a body by virtue of the
position. It can also be described as stored energy or energy at rest.

Kinetic energy: Kinetic energy is defined as the energy possessed by a body by virtue of its
motion.
v2

Power: Power can be defined as the rate at which work is done.

Power =

P=

P=

Recall that v =

Power is measured is watts.

One kilowatt hour is the work done in one hour by an agent working at the constant rate of one
kilowatt.

EXERCISE 1: A 20kg crate is to be lifted above the ground in 5 minutes.

a. How much work is required to lift it 200m above the ground.
b. What is the average power exerted on the crate. [g = 9.8ms -2]
Solution

(b) To get the power

J
Power = /S = 130.7W

EXERCISE 2: How long will it take a 2.5kw motor to lift an 80kg block 30m high.
Take g=9.8m/s2
Solution:

Power =

Time =

EXERCISE 3: A 500kg car which was initially at rest travelled with an acceleration of 5ms-2.
Find its kinetic energy after 4 seconds.

Solution
 2

EXERCISE 4: An engine of a car of power 80kw moves on a rough road with a velocity
of 32m/s. what is the force required to bring it to rest.

F=

Assignment
A stone of mass 0.5kg is dropped from a height of 12m. Calculate its maximum kinetic energy
-2