Course: Physics

Mechanics

Displacement (s or x; Δx) – (Unit -m)

Distance traveled in a particular direction (change in position)

Velocity (vo,v) – ( Unit m/s)

Rate of change of displacement v = Δx/ Δt

Speed (vo,v) –
Rate of change of distance
Measurement of how fast an object moves relative to a reference point. It is a scalar
quantity measured by distance over time.

Acceleration (a) – Unit m/s2

Rate of change of velocity a = Δv/ Δt
Measurement of the change in an object's velocity. It is equal to the change in velocity
over the change in time. Acceleration is a vector.

Kinematic equations

Free Fall

When objects move due to the influence of gravity. Objects accelerate with an
acceleration due to gravity g= 9.8m/s2(the value on the earth)
 .
Projectile motion
A motion that has horizontal as well as vertical motion.
Projectile Motion:
A) Projectiles launched horizontally with a velocity
A Projectile motion has a horizontal motion as well as a vertical motion.
Projectiles launched horizontally. We are going to ignore air resistance.
Example

The above diagram (problem requires us to find d- the horizontal distance)

Projectile launched at an angle

RESOLVING VECTORS
MAINLY FORCE VECTORS:
Resolution of vectors: Spitting vectors into components.

From Trigonometry, sinθ = opposite/hypotenuse

Fy = Fsinθ

And cos θ = adjacent/hypotenuse

Fx = Fcosθ
Newton’s First law of motion –

An object in motion will continue to be at rest or in uniform speed unless external

unbalanced forces act on it.

Mass –

A measurement of how much matter is in an object. It is usually measured in kilograms.

Force –

A push or pull on an object. It is a vector measured in Newton.

Newton’s Second Law of Motion –

An unbalanced force will cause an object to accelerate in the direction of the net force.
The acceleration of the object is proportional to the net force and inversely proportional
to its mass. (Fnet = ma )

Force, Mass, and Acceleration

Force can be figured out if you know the mass and acceleration of an object. This
equation comes from Newton's Second Law of Motion:

F=mxa

Where f = force, m = mass, and a = acceleration

Newton’s Third law of motion –

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Net force
The resultant force that causes acceleration of the object

Static equilibrium:
Net force acting on the body is zero and the body is at rest.

Translational Equilibrium -
Net force acting on a body is zero but the body (or object) moves with uniform(constant)
speed.
Unbalanced force-forces that are needed to change an object’s motion. Balanced force-forces that
result in a net force of zero on an object. Friction-a force that opposes an object’s motion.

Free-Body Diagrams
Free body diagrams (FBDs) are simplified representations of an object which includes
only the forces acting on the object. The body is free because the diagram shows it
without its surroundings (the body is 'free' of its environment). FBDs help to eliminate
unnecessary information given in a problem, they may include the following forces:

Gravity
A force caused when the mass of physical bodies attracts each other.

Weight –
Force of gravity on an object. In physics, it is measured in Newtons.

Weight is calculated using Newton’s second law

Fw or W = mass x acceleration due to gravity
W = mg
The gravitational force acts on all objects. The acceleration due to gravity (on Earth) is
constant and acts downwards, it is approximately g = -9.8 m/s , but the force due to
gravity depends on the object’s mass. The gravitational force, by Newton's 2nd Law, is Fg
=mg

Normal Force
The normal force (FN) is what prevents objects from 'falling' indefinitely. It is always
perpendicular (normal) to the surface an object is in contact with. For example, if there is
a box on the floor, then we say that the box experiences a normal force by the floor; and
because of this force, the box does not fall into the floor. The normal force on the box
points upward, perpendicular to the floor.
Friction
Friction is a force that opposes motion, it is caused by the rubbing of surfaces. The
magnitude of the friction force is related to the normal force, but whereas the normal
force was perpendicular to the surface, the frictional force is parallel to the surface.

Friction (Drag)
Resistance of motion when one object rubs against another. It is a force and is
measured in Newton.

External forces
An object might experience an external force by a physical push or pull. This could be
caused by the wind pushing on a ship, a child pulling on a wagon, or in the case of our
first example, a person pushing a box on the floor.

Tension
Tension is a force exerted by a string, cable, or a similar object. This is a somewhat more
advanced application which we will use later on.

Free-body diagrams are diagrams used to show the relative magnitude and
direction of all forces acting upon an object in a given situation. A free-body
diagram is a special example of the vector diagrams.These diagrams will be used
throughout our study of physics. The size of the arrow in a free-body diagram
reflects the magnitude of the force. The direction of the arrow shows the direction
that the force is acting. Each force arrow in the diagram is labeled to indicate the
exact type of force. It is generally customary in a free-body diagram to represent
the object by a box and to draw the force arrow from the center of the box
outward in the direction that the force is acting. An example of a free-body
diagram:
Energy
Ability to do work. The standard unit of measure is the joule.

Work (W) - The product of a force on an object and the displacement of the object in the
direction of the force. ( W = F x d)
Work is also called Potential energy.
Energy stored by an object due to its state or position. It is measured in joules. Stored
energy an object has because of its position or state. A bicycle on top of a hill, a book
held over your head, and a stretched spring all have this

Kinetic Energy (EK) –

Product of ½ times the mass of an object times the square of an object’s
speed. The energy an object has due to its motion.
It is a scalar quantity .
If an object is moving at the same velocity, then it will maintain the same kinetic energy.
Change in Gravitational Potential Energy –
Product of an object’s mass times the gravitational field strength times the change in
height (mg x h)

Principle of Conservation of Energy –

The total energy of an isolated system (no external forces) remains constant. (OR –
Energy can be neither created nor destroyed but only transformed from one form to
another or transferred from one object to another.)

Power (P) –
The rate at which work is done or the rate at which energy is transferred. A
measurement of the rate at which energy is used, the standard unit is the watt.
( P = Work/time or Energy/time)

Collision –
When any two objects bump into each other.

Momentum

A physical quantity that measures mass in motion. It is equal to the mass times the
velocity of an object. It is a vector measured in Newton-second or kilogram-meter per
second. (Unit is kgm/s)

Isolated System
A system of objects not affected by external forces

Conservation of momentum
This physical quantity remains constant in an isolated system

Impulse: It is the product of the force and the time for which the force acts. J = F x t (Unit is N-s)

Impulse-momentum equation F xt = Δp ( change in momentum)