INTRODUCTION

TO PHYSICS
ENGR . FRANCIS D. QUIWA
Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
1. Relate physics to other branches of natural science
2. Discuss the branches and sub-branches of physics
3. Define and explain the scientific method
4. Change the subjects of a formula
5. Solve problems by applying the Pythagorean Theorem and trigonometric functions
6. Perform mathematical operations involving exponential numbers
7. Use scientific notations to write very large and very small numbers
What is Science?
Science is a systematized body of knowledge that is based
on facts gathered through observations, experiences and
experiments in order to formulate a verifiable conclusion or
law that serves as basis of technology for the benefit of man
and his environment.
What are the three main
roots of Science?
The three main roots of science are: man’s needs, man’s
problems, and man’s curiosity.
What are the three main
branches of Science?
Natural Science – it deals with the understanding and description
of nature.
 
Social Science – it deals with human behavior primarily in its
social and cultural aspects.
 
Applied Science – it is the application of the theoretical sciences,
like those in social and natural sciences.
What are the two branches
of Natural Science?
Biological Science – it deals with the study of living things.

Physical Science – it deals with the study of non-living

things.
What is Physics?
Physics is the study of matter and energy and their relationship.

What are the two main branches of Physics?

Classical Physics – it refers to the traditional topics in physics that were

recognized and developed before the beginning of the 20th century.
 
Modern Physics – it refers to the concepts in physics that have surfaced since
the beginning of the 20th century.
 CLASSICAL PHYSICS
1. Mechanics – the study of forces acting on bodies, whether at rest or in motion
a. Static – on forces acting in bodies at rest
b. Kinematics – on motion without regard to its cause
c. Dynamics – on motion and the forces that affect it
2. Acoustics – the study of the production and propagation of sound waves
3. Optics – the study of light
a. Physical Optics – on the production, nature and properties of light
b. Physiological Optics – on the part played by light in vision
c. Geometrical Optics – on the reflection and refraction of light as encountered in the study of
mirrors and lenses
 CLASSICAL PHYSICS
4. Thermodynamics – the study on the relationship between heat and other forms of energy
5. Electromagnetism – the study of the properties of electric current and magnetism, and their
relationship
 MODERN PHYSICS
1. Atomic and Nuclear Physics – the study of the components, structure and behavior of the nucleus of
the atom
2. Quantum Physics – the study of the discrete nature of phenomena at the atomic and subatomic
levels; its focus is on the indivisible units of energy called quanta as described by the Quantum Theory
3. Relativistic Physics – the study of the phenomena that take place in a frame of reference that is in
motion with respect to an observer
4. Solid State Physics – the study of all properties of solid materials, including electrical conduction in
crystals of semiconductors and metals, superconductivity and photoconductivity
5. Condensed Matter Physics – the study of the properties of condensed materials (solids, liquids and
those intermediate between them, and dense gas) with the ultimate goal of developing new materials
with better properties; it is and extension of Solid State Physics
 MODERN PHYSICS
6. Plasma Physics – the study of the fourth state of matter, plasma
7. Low-Temperature Physics – the study of the production and maintenance of temperatures down to
almost absolute zero, and the various phenomena that occur only at such temperatures
 What is Scientific Method?
Scientific Method is the application of a logical process of reasoning to arrive
at a certain law or principle that is consistent with experimental results. This
method refers to systematized testing of ideas, inference, predictions and
hypotheses.
 What is Scientific Method?
State the Problem. State what you want to find out in question form.
Formulate the Hypothesis. Give your predictions of what you think may happen.
Test the Hypothesis. Plan your experiment. Write a step-by-step procedure which includes
how to control the variables. Carry out your experiment.
Gather the Data. Record your observations which may include appearance or behavior of
something.
Analyze the Data. Find out any trends or patterns. Your data should support your
conclusion or lead you to another hypothesis.
Make a Conclusion. State your conclusion based on your data. This should answer your
problem or lead you to a new question.
 
What is Scientific Method?
 TECHNIQUES IN PROBLEM
SOLVING
1. Read carefully. Careful reading is necessary to understand the problem.
2. Make illustrations. Sketch the physical situation described in the problem to check your
understanding of the problem.
3. Write down the given facts or data. Identify or label the given data properly. Jot down
clues.
4. Know what is to be found. Record this as the unknown.
5. Write the equation that relates the given data to the unknown.
6. Solve for the unknowns by applying the appropriate equations.
7. Review your work.
 
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Exponents
An exponent is the number or symbol written above and to the right of a certain number
or symbol called the base. It tells how many times the base is used as factors.
 

 
where is the base and 2 is the exponent.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Rules on the Use of Exponents
1. When multiplying two powers of the same base, add the exponents. 

2. To obtain a power of a power, multiply the exponent.

 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Rules on the Use of Exponents
3. When dividing two powers of the same base, subtract the exponents.

4. To find a power of a fraction, simplify the fraction and raise the numerator and
denominator to the specified power.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Scientific Notation
Scientific Notation is a convenient way of expressing very large and very small numbers.
To write numbers in scientific notation, express the given number as the product of an
integral power of 10 and a number equal to or greater than 1 or less than 10.
281 = 2.81 × 〖 10 〗 ^2
0.056 = 5.6 × 〖 10 〗 ^(-2)
Note that the decimal point is placed immediately to the right of the first non-zero digit.
The exponent of 10 represents the number of places the decimal point is moved to the
right or left. A negative exponent indicates that the decimal point was moved to the right,
while a positive exponent tells that the decimal point was moved to the left.
Exercise:
Convert the following to scientific notation.
1. 23400000
2. 4356000000
3. 0.000045
4. 0.0000000000234
5. 0.0267
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Formula Transformation
A formula is a set of algebraic symbols representing a mathematical fact, rule, or principle.
For example,

The symbol written on the left side of the equality sign is usually the unknown quantity
(subject of the formula) and the symbols on the right side are the known quantities.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Formula Transformation
Formula Transformation means a rearrangement of the symbols in a given formula. This
process is done to change the subject of the formula. Using the example above, if the
values of A and l are given and the unknown quantity is w, the subject of the formula is
changed from A to w. By following algebraic rules, the equation becomes
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Formula Transformation
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Formula Transformation
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Geometric Figures
Two-dimensional Figures
A square is a figure with four equal sides meeting at right
angles, as shown in figure 1.4.
The total space within this figure is called the area A. For a
square, the area is equal to the square of the length of any
side.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
 Geometric Figures

Two-dimensional Figures
A rectangle is a figure with four equal sides meeting at right
angles and with opposite sides of equal length, as shown in
figure 1.5.
For a rectangle, the area is equal to the product of the length
and the width.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
 Geometric Figures

Two-dimensional Figures
A right triangle is a three-sided figure with two sides’
perpendicular to each other. This is illustrated in figure 1.6.
The longest side, the side opposite the right angle, is called
the hypotenuse c. The other two sides, the ones that are
perpendicular to each other, are called the legs (a and b). For
a rectangle, the area is equal to the product of the length
and the width.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Geometric Figures
Two-dimensional Figures
For a right triangle, the area is equal to one-half of the
product of the legs.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Geometric Figures
Two-dimensional Figures
The length of one side of a right triangle may be found applying the Pythagorean Theorem. It
states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of
the legs. In symbols,

The following equations were derived from the above equations.

 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Geometric Figures
Three-dimensional Figures
A rectangular solid is a regular three-dimensional
figure having six rectangular faces meeting each
other at right angles, as shown in figure 1.7. Its
three dimensions are length l, width w, and height
h.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
Geometric Figures
Three-dimensional Figures
The total space within the figure is called the
volume which is expressed in cubic units. The
volume V of a rectangular solid is equal to the
product of its length, width, and height. In
symbols,
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
 Geometric Figures

Three-dimensional Figures
A cube is a solid having six equal sides. It means
that l = w = h.
The volume of a cube is equal to the product of
its length, width, and height. Since these three
dimensions are equal, the volume may be
expressed as
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
 Geometric Figures

Three-dimensional Figures
A cylinder is a closed, curved figure with two
parallel and circular ends, as shown in figure 1.9.
represents the radius , represents the diameter .
The length of the diameter is two times that of
the radius. In symbols,
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
 Geometric Figures

Three-dimensional Figures
The volume of a cylinder is expressed as

where (a constant), and

Examples:
1. What is the area of a rectangle having a length of 12 cm and a
width of 5 cm?
2. Two tanks are full of water. The first tank is cylindrical in shape,
has a diameter of 0.8 m, and is 5 m tall. The second is a cubic tank,
one side of which measures 1.2 m. Which tank holds more water?
Support your answer.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
 Functions of an Acute Angle of a Right Triangle

The trigonometric functions that will be used

most often in this course are the sine, cosine, and
tangent. The definition of each function is
expressed in terms of the sides of a right triangle
as labeled in figure 1.10.
is a right triangle with acute angles and , and a
right angle . The altitude, base, and hypotenuse
are sides and , respectively.
 SOME MATHEMATICAL
CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
 Functions of an Acute Angle of a Right Triangle

Note that the sum of acute angles and equals

angle . The trigonometric functions are:
 Example:
 Note that the sum of acute angles and equals angle . The trigonometric functions are: