1 Physical Symbol Unit Symbol

GENERAL PHYSICS 1 Quantity for of Unit

Quantity
MEASUREMENTS - process of
comparing something with a standard Length l meter m
- to carry out measurements, a Mass m kilogram kg
system of standards and a system of
units should be defined. Time t second s
- a fixed quantity with respect to Electric I Ampere A
which physical quantity is measured is Current
called a unit. Temperature T Kelvin K

2 Systems of Unit Luminous I candela cd

Metric System – adopted by System Intensity
International d’ Unites or the SI Amount of n mole mol
system of units; internationally Substance
recognized and used by most nations.
- makes calculations easy FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITIES
because it used decimal or base-10
system. Physical Unit Symbol of
Quantity Unit
CONVERSION – one quantity must be
Length meter m
changed its unit first following the unit of
Mass kilogram kg
other quantity.
Time second s
VARIATIONS Electric Ampere A
1. mks (meter, kilogram and second) Current
system Temperature Kelvin K
Amount of mole mol
2. cgs (centimeter, gram and second) Substance
Luminous candela cd
ENGLISH SYSTEM - known as the fps Intensity
system. (foot, pound and second)
- The fps system considers DERIVED QUANTITIES
pound-force as a fundamental quantity.
DERIVED QUANTITY SI UNIT
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNIT NAME SYMBOL NAME SYMBOL
“SI” - Displacement d metre m
the system of units that the General Area A metre squad m2
conference on Weighs and Measures Volume V metre cubed m3
has agreed upon and is legally enforced Speed s metre/second m/s
in almost all parts of the world. Velocity V metre/second m/s
- the modern form of the metric Acceleration a metre/second2 m/s2
system Force F newton N= kg
m/s2
Energy E joule j=Nm
DERIVED QUANTITY SI UNIT 0.394 in 1 cm
39.4 in 1m
NAME SYMBOL NAME SYMBOL 3.28 1m
1.09 yd 1m
Density P kilogram/metre kg/m3 0.621 mi 1 km
cubed
Moment T newton metre Nm WEIGHT
ENGLISH METRIC
Power P watt W= N 1 ounce (oz) 28.3 g
m/s 1 pound (lb) 454 g
Work W joule J= N m 1 lb 0.454 kg
Momentu P kilogram kg m/s = 0.0353 oz 1g
m metre/second Ns 0.00220 lb 1g
2.20 lb 1 kg
Pressure P pascal Pa =
N/m2 TIME
1 h = 60 min = 3 600 s
LENGTH – 1 m is defined as the
1 day = 24 h = 1440 min = 86 400 s
distance travelled by light in a vacuum in
1 year = 365 days
1/299,792,458 second. Based on the
1 min = 60 s
definition that the speed of light is
exactly 299,792,458 m/s.
VOLUME
TIME – 1 second is defined as 1 m3 = 1 000 000 cm3 = 1 000 L
9,192,631,770 cycles of the microwave 1 L = 1 000 cm3 = 1.056 qt
radiation due to the transition between 1 gal = 4 qt 3.785 L
the two lowest energy states of the
Cesium atom. FORCE
1 N = 100 000 dynes
MASS – 1 kg is defined to be the mass 1 lb = 4.45 N
of cylinder of platinum-ridium alloy at the 1 kg mass = 2.2 lb
Interrnational Bureau of Weights and
Measures (Sevres, France) EXAMPLES
Convert 28 oz to g
Mass of the sun (approx.) – 1 980 000 28.3 g
28 oz x =792.4 g
000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 kg 1 oz
Convert 3 ft to cm
Mass of an electron – 0.000 000 000 30.5 cm
000 000 000 000 000 000 000 21 kg 3 ft x =91.5 cm
1 ft
CONVERSION FACTORS
In certain cases, particularly in scientific
LENGTH usage, convenient to provide for
ENGLISH METRIC subdivisions smaller than one-
1 inch (in.) 2.54 cm thousandth. In the metric system of
measurement, designations of multiples
1 foot (ft) 30.5 cm and subdivisions of any unit may be
1 yard (yd) 91.4 cm arrived at by combining with the name of
the unit the prefixes on the table.
1 mile (mi) 1610 m
PREFIX SYMBOL FACTOR
1 mi 1.61 km
atto a 10-18
0.0394 in 1 mm
Femto f 10-15
 pico p 10-12
nano n 10-9 SAMPLE PROBLEM
micro  10-6 1. The speed of light is approximately
milli m 10-3 300,000,000 m/s.
centi c 10-2  300,000,000 m/s = 3 x 108 m/s
deci d 10-1 2. The mass of a strand of hair is
deka da 10 approximately
hecto h 102  0.000,000,62 kg.
kilo k 103 0.000,000,62 kg = 6.2 x 10-7 kg
mega M 106
giga G 109
tera T 1012
peta P 1015
exa E 101

EXAMPLE
12 x 106 m
= 12Mm

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES RULES

1. All non-zero digits DO count.
 24 = 2
 3.56 = 3

2. Zeros in front of numbers

 0.0025 = 2

3. Captive zeros DO count.

 Zeros between non-zero
numbers
 1502 = 4
 1.008 = 4

4. Trailing zeros DO count IF the

number contains a DECIMAL
 Zeros at the end of number
 100 = 1
 2306.0 = 5
 x 103 = 3

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION - convenient

and widely used method of expressing
large and small numbers
- any quantity may be expressed
in the form of M x 10n
where:
M = coefficient, must be equal or greater
than 1 and less than 10
10 = base
n = exponent (tells how many times the 2
decimal point is move to the left/right) ALGEBRA
 3
ALGEBRA - symbols are used in place SOHCAHTOA
of numbers
a+b=c SOH
a-b=d SOH stands for Sine Opposite over
a x b = c / ab = c / (a)(b) = c Hypotenuse
a  b = f / a/b = f

EQUATIONS – statement that a certain

quantity is equal to another one
Example 1:
7+2=9
9=9

Example 2:
3x + 12 = 27
3x + 12 -12 = 27 -12
3 x 15
=
3 3
x=5

Example 3:
5 3
=
y+ 2 y−2
5 (y - 2) = 3 (y + 2)
5y - 10 = 3y + 6
5y – 3y = 6 – 10 CAH
−4 -1 Stands for Cos equals Adjacent over
¿= ] Hypotenuse
2
y=2

RULES OF EQUATION
1. Any term on one side of an equation
maybe transposed to the other side by
changing its sign

2. A quantity which multiples one side of

an equation may be transposed in order
to divide the other side, and vice versa

TOA
TOA stands for Tan equals Opposite
over Adjacent
4
ACCURACY AND PRECISION
A good result of a measurement is
achieve if error is made or limited.

Accuracy and Precision (prime

consideration in every measurement
made)

ERRORS – unavoidable due to several

factors.
- can be random or systematic
depending on how the measurement is
made.

FACTORS
1. kind of measuring device use
2. methods in getting the measurement
3. condition under which the measure is
made (extraneous variables)

TYPES OF ERROR
RANDOM OR UNSYSTEMATIC – it has
no pattern, it is inconsistent.

SYSTEMATIC – consistent and

repeatable error due to the kind of
measuring device.
- due to flawed experimental
design.

ACCURACY – closeness or nearness

of measurement to the accepted value.
- expressed in terms of absolute
or percentage error.

FORMULA

PRECISION – agreement of several

measurements made in the same way.
- expressed in terms of
deviation or percentage of deviation.

FORMULA
5 IDENTIFYING VECTOR
COMPONENTS OF VECTORS USING COMPONENTS
TRIGONOMIC FUNCTIONS 1. Break or resolve vector in its parts, u
will come up of its components known
as x and y in the Cartesian coordinate.

2. Cartesian coordinate – used to

illustrate the components of the vector.

Where:
c = hypotenuse (longer than any of
the two sides)

the opposite and adjacent side

depends on the angle.

EXAMPLE:
 With respect to angle A, the
opposite side is a and the
adjacent side is b.
 With respect to angle B, the
opposite side is b and the
adjacent side is a.

sine, cosine and tangent (basic trigo

functions)

If the value of any sides is not given, we

apply the Pythagorean theorem:

or
6 Protractor – measures the angle.
VECTOR ADDITION
Displacement – distance between
initial and final position.
- has direction unlike distance.
- Displacement is vector;
Distance is scalar.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCALAR
AND VECTOR QUANTITIES
Scaling – an important factor that
shorten the quantity to be drawn.
VECTOR ADDITION
Addition of vectors follows rules of
vector algebra different from the rules of
ordinary algebra.
RESULTANT – two or more vectors can
be added resulting to a single vector.
- algebraic sum

WAYS OF ADDING RESULTANT

VECTORS
(GRAPHICAL METHOD)

PARALLELOGRAM – two vectors

forming an angle between 0 degrees
and 180 degrees uses this method.
SCALAR QUANTITY – physical - uses only two vectors.
quantity described by a magnitude only.
- can be described just by the
numerical value and their
corresponding units of measure w/o
specific direction.
- can be added just like an
ordinary number.

VECTOR QUANTITY – physical

quantity that is completely described by
both magnitude and direction.
- have other dimensions of
direction, it doesn’t follow ordinary rules. POLYGON “head-to-tail method” –
used to determine the resultant of two
CARTESIAN COORDINATES or more vectors.
(represents vectors) – the reference STEPS
frame to show the directions of the
vector.

Ruler - measures the magnitude.

7
MECHANIC QUANTITIES: SPEED,
VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION

MECHANICS – field of physics dealing

w/ the effects of forces on an object.

SUB-BRUNCHES
1. KINEMATICS – studies the
description of motion of objects.

2. DYNAMICS – concerned on how

motions are affected by forces that act
on objects.

DISTANCE VS. DISPLACEMENT

DISTANCE – scalar
- total path taken/traveled by an
object.

DISPLACEMENT (the initial and final

position but change in direction) –
vector
- measurement of an object’s
change in position relative to a reference
point from the initial position to the final
position.

Sa calcu, press shit + tan + .75 (sagot

ng 3/4)
tan = opposite side / adjacent side

SPEED VS. VELOCITY

SPEED – scalar
- distance / time (formula)
- how fast/slow an object moves
regardless of the directions.

Average speed – mean of speed

Instanteneous speed – pabago-bago ng
speed.

VELOCITY – vector
- displacement / time (formula)
- how fast/slow an object moves
w/ consideration of the initial and final
position and the direction the object
travels.

FORMULA
 s = d/t
 d = st
 t = d/s

ACCELERATION – rate of change in

velocity.
- the direction of the acceleration
follows the direction of the vector w/ the
higher magnitude.

Deceleration – negative acceleration

means that the speed decreases
through time.
FORMULA

EXAMPLE: