PHYS 172: Modern Mechanics

Spring 2022

∆𝒑 = 𝑭∆𝒕 ∆𝑬 = 𝑾 + 𝑸 ∆𝑳 = 𝝉∆𝒕
Lecture 02
Thursday, Jan. 13th
 Course Coordinators

Instructor: Dr. Carina Rebello

Email: phys172@purdue.edu
Office Hours : Wed. 10:30-11:30 AM EST or, By Appointment
WebEx Office: https://purdue.webex.com/meet/rebelloc

Instructor: Dr. Sanjay Rebello

Email: phys172@purdue.edu
Office Hours : Wed. 2:30-3:30 PM EST or, By Appointment
WebEx Office: https://purdue.webex.com/meet/rebellos

Please feel free to email us to make an appointment to meet with either of

us regarding any aspect of the course.
 Course Instructors
Instructor: Dr. Jeffrey Gerber
Email: phys172@purdue.edu or
gerber48@purdue.edu
Office: 290C Physics Bldg.
Office Hours : Wed. 1:00 – 3:00 PM EST; or, By Appointment

Instructor: Dr. Robert Austin

Email: phys172@purdue.edu or
austin97@purdue.edu
Office: 290D Physics Bldg.
Office Hours : Tues. 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM; Wed. 2:00 – 3:00 PM; Thur. 11:00 AM – 12:00
PM EST or By Appointment

Please feel free to email us to make an appointment to meet with me regarding any aspect
of the course.
 Course Instructors

Instructor: Dr. Shalini Low-Nam

Email: phys172@purdue.edu or
slownam@purdue.edu
Zoom Office: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/7050495231
Meeting ID: 705 049 5231
Office Hours : Mon. 2:30 – 3:30 PM EST; or, By Appointment

Instructor: Dr. Carina Rebello

Email: phys172@purdue.edu or
rebelloc@purdue.edu
Office: 232 Physics Bldg.
Office Hours : Wed. 10:30 – 11:30 AM EST or By Appointment

Please feel free to email us to make an appointment to meet with me regarding any aspect
of the course.
 WEEK 1
• Purchase…
– Textbook (electronic and/or hard copy)
– Wiley PLUS Access (bundled with Textbook, or separate)
– I>Clicker
• Register your I>Clicker (Instructions on Brightspace)
• Attend LECTURES (Tues & Thurs)
• Complete HW 01 (Due Friday, 1/14)
• Attend your RECITATION Section – STARTING THIS
WEEK
• Complete LAB 01 (No face-to-face meeting this week)
– STARTING THIS WEEK
 WHEN IN DOUBT, SEEK HELP
• COURSE COORDINATORS, INSTRUCTORS,OR
GRADUATATE TEACHING ASSISTANT OFFICE HOURS
: See Brightspace or Course Syllabus
• HELP CENTER: Mon - Fri., PHYS Rm 290: see
Brightspace for hours
• PURDUE SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION SESSIONS
• List of private tutors can be found outside PHYS 114
or can be found at:
https://www.physics.purdue.edu/academic-
programs/undergraduate/tutors.php
 Supplemental Instruction
(SI)
PHYS 172 Sessions

Youssef Beshay Megan Prange

Office Hours Thursday; 10:00-11:00 AM; WILY C215 Office Hours Friday; 12:00-1:00 PM; WILY C215

Session 1 Sunday; 3:30-4:20 PM in WILY C215 Session 1 Monday; 4:30-5:20 in WALC B093

Session 2 Thursday; 6:30-7:20 PM in WILY C215 Session 2 Thursday; 4:30-5:20 in GRIS 126

Or visit
purdue.edu/si
 GO TO BRIGHTSPACE!

SEE COURSE SYLLABUS & SCHEDULE

for due dates and policies
There are assignments due this week
 CLICKER QUESTIONS
• Set frequency is to AA. This is
the default frequency.
• When a question is “open”
you can choose a response.
• You can change your response
until the question is “closed”
 From Last Lecture
• An indicator of an interaction between an object
system and its surroundings can include…
– Change in speed and/or direction of object’s motion
– It can also include… (which we will learn more about later)
• Change in system’s temperature
• Change in system’s shape or configuration
• Change in system’s identify
– We will now focus on interactions that change motion
(i.e. speed and direction)
 Evidence of Interaction
Q1. In which of the following situations is there observational evidence
for significant interaction between objects? (Select all that apply)
1) A baseball that was hit by a batter flies toward outfield.
2) A ball bounces off a wall with no change in speed.
3) A communication satellite orbits the earth.
4) A charged particle leaves a curving track in a particle detector.
5) A space probe travels at constant speed toward a distant star.

A. 1 and 2
B. 3 and 4
C. 3 and 5
D. 1,2,3, and 4
E. All the above
 Cross-Check
Is change in position, alone
an indicator of an
interaction occurring?

No, it can occur with

uniform motion. You might
need additional information
to determine.
 Finding Average Velocity
Q2. Two balls roll along the paths shown. A snapshot of the
position of the balls is taken every second. During which
interval does Ball B have the same speed as Ball A?
A. t = 0 to 1 s B. t = 1 to 2 s C. t = 2 to 3 s D. t = 3 to 4 s
E. None of above
t=0s t=1s t=2s t=3s t=4s
Ball A

t=0s t=1s t =2 s t=3s t=4s

Ball B
RECAP: Displacement & Avg. Velocity
Displacement: Average Velocity:
∆𝑟Ԧ𝑓𝑖 𝑟Ԧ𝑓 − 𝑟Ԧ𝑖
∆𝑟Ԧ𝑓𝑖 = 𝑟Ԧ𝑓 − 𝑟Ԧ𝑖 𝑣Ԧ𝑎𝑣𝑔 =
∆𝑡
=
𝑡𝑓 − 𝑡𝑖
 Finding Average Velocity
Q3. A proton is initially at
position < 0, 3, −2 > m. One
microsecond (10-6s) later is
at position < 0, 0, −6 > m.
What is the proton’s
average velocity during
that time period?
A. < 0, −3, −8 > m/s
B. < 0, −3, −4 > m/s
C. < 0, −3x106, −8x106 > m/s
D. < 0, −3x106, −4x106 > m/s
E. < 0, −3x106, +4x106 > m/s
 Problem – Ch 1 P 36
A spacecraft traveling a velocity <-20, -90, 40> m/s is
observed to be at a location <200, 300, -500>m relative
to an origin located on a nearby asteroid. At a later
time the spacecraft is at location <-380, -2310, 660>m.
a) How long did it take the spacecraft to travel
between these locations?
b) How far did the spacecraft travel?
c) What is the speed of the spacecraft?
d) What is the unit vector in the direction of the
spacecraft’s velocity?
 Problem
At a time 0.2 s after it was hit by a tennis racket, a
tennis ball was located at <5, 7, 2> m relative to
one corner of the tennis court.
At time 0.7 s after being hit, the ball is now
located at <9, 2, 8> m.
(a) Find the average velocity.
(b) Find the average speed.
(c) Find unit vector in direction of avg. velocity?
 Finding Average Velocity
Q4. A ball travels through the air. Part of its trajectory is
shown in red. Which arrow (1, 2, 3, or 4) best
represents the direction of the average velocity of the
ball as it travels from location A to location B?
A. Arrow 1
B. Arrow 2
C. Arrow 3
D. Arrow 4
E. None of above
 Avg. Velocity → Instantaneous Velocity
As the time interval t
becomes smaller and
smaller, the average ∆ 𝑟
Ԧ𝑓𝑖
lim 𝑣Ԧ𝑎𝑣𝑔 = lim = 𝑣(𝑡
Ԧ 𝑖)
velocity gets closer and ∆𝑡→0 ∆𝑡→0 ∆𝑡

closer to instantaneous
velocity at the initial point.
 Finding Instantaneous Velocity
Q5. A ball travels through the air. Part of its trajectory is
shown in red. Which arrow (1, 2, 3, or 4) best
represents the direction of the instantaneous velocity
of the ball at location A?
A. Arrow 1
B. Arrow 2
C. Arrow 3
D. Arrow 4
E. None of above
Avg. Velocity → Instantaneous Velocity
As Δt → 0, final point gets closer
and closer to initial point B. So:
 Position Update Equation
• Approximation:

• Rearranging terms : 𝑟Ԧ𝑓 ≈ 𝑟Ԧ𝑖 + 𝑣Ԧ𝑖 ∆𝑡

𝑟Ԧ𝑓 = 𝑟Ԧ𝑖 + 𝑣Ԧ𝑎𝑣𝑔 ∆𝑡
• This allows you to
predict new position
vector, based on
– old position vector
– old or average
velocity vector
 Momentum
The momentum of an object
depends upon its
• Mass
• Velocity

Approximate definition when

speed of object is much less
than speed of light
• Direction of momentum is
same as direction of velocity
 Change in Momentum
• An interaction of an
object with other
∆𝑝Ԧ = 𝑝Ԧ𝑓 − 𝑝Ԧ𝑖
objects causes its
momentum to change.
• Change in Momentum is
the difference between:
– Final Momentum
– Initial Momentum
 Finding Change in Momentum
• We subtract the vectors as
we had done before:
– Initial and Final vector
placed Tail to Tail
– Draw vector going from Tip
of Initial to Tip of Final
• Example from a trajectory:
– Change in momentum in
going from point B (initial)
∆𝑝Ԧ = 𝑝Ԧ𝐶 − 𝑝Ԧ𝐵
to point C (final)
 Finding Momentum Change
Q6. A child rides on a merry-go-
round, traveling at constant
speed from location A to
location B. What is the
direction of ∆𝑝,
Ԧ the change in
the child’s momentum
between A and B?
A. Arrow 2
B. Arrow 4
C. Arrow 6
D. Arrow 8
E. None of the above
Finding Momentum Change
Q7. A ball bounces of the wall with the same
speed that it hit it, as shown. What is the
change in momentum of the ball?
A. 𝑝Ԧ𝑖
B. 𝑝Ԧ𝑓
C. 0
D. 2𝑝Ԧ𝑖
E. 2𝑝Ԧ𝑓
Finding Momentum Change
Using Momentum to Update Position
• From earlier in the
lecture, Position 𝑟Ԧ𝑓 ≈ 𝑟Ԧ𝑖 + 𝑣Ԧ𝑖 ∆𝑡
Update formula is:
• At slow speeds, 𝑝Ԧ
𝑣Ԧ𝑖 ≈ 𝑣Ԧ ≈
velocity is given by: 𝑚
• Putting it together:
𝑝Ԧ
𝑟Ԧ𝑓 ≈ 𝑟Ԧ𝑖 + ∆𝑡
𝑚
 Problem
A time t1 = 12 s, a car with mass 1000 kg is
located at <94, 0, 0> m and has a constant
momentum of <4000, 0, -3000> kg . m/s.
What is the position of the car at t2 = 17 s?
 Momentum At Higher Speeds
• When the speed of an object is comparable to
the speed of light the momentum of an object
is given by:
p º g mv

– Where :

– c is the speed of light, which is 3 x 10+8 m/s

 Momentum At Higher Speeds
• The quantity ,
changes with the
velocity of object as
shown in graph

• Note: when 𝑣Ԧ ≪ 𝑐,
𝛾≈1

• Then : 𝑝Ԧ ≈ 𝑚𝑣Ԧ
Validity of Approximation
Q8. Three protons travel through space at three
different speeds.
Proton A: 2.9 x 105 m/s
Proton B: 2.9 x 106 m/s
Proton C: 2.9 x 108 m/s
For which protons is it reasonable to use 𝛾 ≈ 1?
A. Proton A
B. Proton A & B
C. Proton A, B, & C
D. None of the above
 Be Sure To…
• Complete
– Go to Brightspace
• See Syllabus and Course Schedule
– iClicker Registration
– HW 01 due 11:59 PM Friday (1/14)
– HW 02 due 11:59 PM Wednesday (1/19)
– Attend your assigned Recitation (by Registrar) this week! Recitation 01
can be found in Brightspace, Week 1 Folder.
– Complete Laboratory 01 this week! Lab 01 can be found in
Brightspace, Week 1 Folder.
• Read relevant sections in text as per syllabus, before next lecture

SEE YOU NEXT LECTURE!

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