Physics Laboratory Activity No.

Chapter No.1: Measurements

>Why do measurement is considered and important operation?
>What is the difference between the fundamental quantity and the derived quantity?
>Give some of the advantages of using scientific notation to computations?
>Although the Philippines has legally adopted the metric system, we are still allowed to use English units
in some instances. Why?
>What is the rule in rounding a number when the last digit to be dropped is 5?
>What do we mean when we say that a figure is significant?
>Give some advantages of the metric system over the English system of units.

Problem Solving:

1. Find the mass of an 8.0-pound ball in (a) ounces; (b) kilograms and (c) grams.
2. A metallic sheet has an area of 4.80 ft2. What is the are in (a) m2, (b) cm2, and (c) in2?
3. A runner runs a 100-meter dash is 11.08 seconds? What would be his expected time for 100-yard
dash?
4. Assuming that the earth is spherical, and that its radius is 6.38 x 103 km, and its mass is 5.98 x
1024 kg. Calculate the average density of the earth in g/cm 3.
5. The sun is 93 million miles and the moon is about 384 000 kilometers away from the earth. How
many times as far as the sun from the earth compared to the moon?

Chapter 2: Vectors
>What is the difference between the vector and a scalar quantity? Which is more precise and why?
>When the vector sum of two quantities equal in magnitude to the scalar sum?
>Is it parallel to have tow nonparallel vectors whose sum is zero? Why?
>While the composition of two vectors into single vector is unique, the decomposition of a vector into two
vectors is not? Why?
>What is the difference between the scalar product when the order of the vectors which are being
multiplied is reversed?
>Give an example of three nonparallel vectors whose some is zero.
>What is the advantage of the component method over the methods in finding analytically the sum of
several vectors?
>Can the vector sum of two vectors be smaller than either of the two?
>How is the difference of the two vectors obtained?

Problem Solving:
1. Two vectors, 10 and 15 units long, make an angle of 60 o with each other. Find the magnitude and
direction of their resultant with respect to the longer vector.
2. With the aid of a ruler and protractor, find the resultant of the following vectors by geometrical
method. 15 km directed 45o north of west and 12 km directed 30o north of east.
3. Using the law of sines and cosines, determine the resultant of a displacement 50 m to the east
and second displacement to the 45o north-east.
4. Use the polygon method, determine the resultant of the following: 8.0 N at 40 o, 9.0 N directed 60o
north-east, 12.0 N at 200o. All angles being measured with the positive x-axis. Check your
solution using the component method.
5. Given vector A = 2i + 3j – k and vector B = -i + j + 2k. (a) Find the angle between two vectors and
(b) Find A x B using the Cramer’s Rule.
Chapter 3: Statics
>What is meant by force? Is weight a force?
>State the first condition for a system of force to be a static equilibrium.
>When is the first condition sufficient for static equilibrium?
>Can the three forces which are not coplanar be in equilibrium? Why?
>What is mean by torque? Is torque a vector quantity?
>State the second condition for a system of force to be in static equilibrium?
>When is two torque said to be equivalent? Does it mean that the corresponding forces are also equal in
magnitude?
>In applying the second condition for equilibrium, which axis would be the best and why?
>If only the first condition is satisfied by a system of forces acting on a body, what can we say about the
body?
>Is the center of gravity of a body necessarily in the body? Explain briefly?
>Why is it safer to sit rather than to stand when riding a boat?

Problem Solving:
1. A wheel with the diameter of 1 meter is free to rotate about an axis through its center. A horizontal
force of 16 N to the right is applied tangentially to the rim at its highest point, and another force of
8 N to the right is applied at the lowest point. What is the net torque acting on the wheel?
2. A weight of 100 N is suspended by means of a string. It is then pulled aside by a horizontal force
until the string makes and angle of 37 o with the vertical. Find the tension in the string and the
horizontal force for this equilibrium position.
3. Find the tension in the strings AB and BC in the figure showed if the suspended weight at point B
is 30 N.

35o 55o

30 N

4. Locate the center of gravity of the uniform sheet shown on the figure below.

20

30
60
20
30
20

70