Lecture in Physics 2014-2015

Physics 1
for
Engineering Students
Dr. Aladdin Abdul-Latif
Physics Department
German University in Cairo

Chapter 1

Units of Chapter 1
Physical quantities
Units, Standards, and the SI System

Converting Units
Dimensions and Dimensional Analysis
Vectors and Scalars
Addition of Vectors Graphical Methods
Subtraction of Vectors, and Multiplication of a Vector by
a Scalar
Adding Vectors by Components

1.1 The physical quantities

The laws of physics are expressed in terms of
basic quantities called the physical quantities
Examples of physical quantities

(1) Mass,
(2) Length ,
(3) Time,
(4)Velocity
(5) Area
(6)Volume
(7) The density, (8) Acceleration,
(9) Momentum, (10) Force
(11) Work
(12) Energy

Types of physical quantities

Fundamental quantities which are defined
in terms of measurements or comparison
with established standards.
Derived quantities, which are expressed in
terms of the fundamental quantities.
The fundamental quantities in mechanics
In mechanics, the three fundamental
quantities are the length (L), the mass (M),
and the time (T). All other physical
quantities in mechanics can be expressed in
terms of these three quantities.

Systems of units
(a) In the international system of units (SI system)
the length has unit of meter ..(m),
the mass has unit of kilogram..(kg),
the time has unit of second ..( s ).
(b) In the Gaussian system of units (CGS system),
the length has unit of centimeter ..(cm),
the mass has unit of gram...(gm),
the time has unit of second .( s ).
(c) In the British system of units (FPS system),
the length has unit of foot ..(ft),
the mass has unit of pound(p),
the time has unit of second (s).

The Standards of Units in the SI System

Quantity

Unit

Standard

Length

Meter

Length of the path traveled by

light in 1/299,792,458 second.

Time

Second

Time required for 9,192,631,770

periods of radiation emitted by
cesium atoms

Mass

Kilogram

Platinum cylinder in International

Bureau of Weights and Measures,
Paris

We will be working in the SI system, where the

basic units are kilograms, meters, and
seconds.
Other systems: cgs; units are
grams, centimeters, and
seconds.
British engineering system has
force instead of mass as one of
its basic quantities, which are
feet, pounds, and seconds.

Conversion of units
To convert units from one system to
another, the conversion factors are as
follows
1 mile = 1609 m =1.609 km
1 ft = 0.3048 m = 30.48 cm
1 m = 39.37 in = 3.28 ft
1 in = 2.54 cm

Unit prefixes SI System

In the metric (SI) system, the
larger and smaller units are
defined in multiples of 10
from the standard unit.
In the given table we give the
standard SI prefixes for
indicating powers of 10. Many
are familiar; Y, Z, E, h, da, a, z,
and y are rarely used.

Dimensional analysis
The word dimension is used in physics to denote
the nature of a physical quantity regardless of
the system of units used.
For example whether a distance is measured in
units of feet or meters, it is a distance. We say
its dimension is length (L).
We use square brackets [ ] to denote the
dimension of a physical quantity.
For example
[mass]=[m]=M, [length] = [l] = L and [time]=[t]=T.
Another example is [velocity] =LT-1

The method of dimensional analysis

This method is used to
(a) derive the dimensions of a physical quantity
e.g.
[force]=[m a]= MLT-2,
(b) derivation of physical formulas and
expressions.
(c) check the correctness of formula or expression.
In (b) and ( c ) we use the fact that in equations
and formulas the left hand side (LHS) must have
the same dimensions as the right hand side
(RHS)

Examples
|||Example 1.|||
Use the method of dimensional analysis method to show that x=(1/2)at2 is dimensionally
correct where x is the displacement, a acceleration, and t is the time
Solution : The dimension of LHS [x]=L,
The dimension of RHS [at2]=LT-2.T2 =L
|||Example 2|||
Deduce the equation for the velocity of sound v in a gas, at constant temperature, given
that it depends on the pressure P and the density r of the gas.
Solution:
Let v = (const) x Pa x r b
[v] = LT-1 =[P a r b] = [ML-1T-2 ]a [ML-3 ]b
LT-1 = M a+b L-a-3b T-2a
a+b=0,
-a-3b=-1,
and 2a= -1
a= -1/2 , b=1/2, i.e. v=(const) x P-1/2 x r 1/2

Vectors and Scalars

A vector has magnitude as
well as direction.
Some vector quantities:
displacement, velocity, force,
momentum
A scalar has only a magnitude.
Some scalar quantities: mass,
time, temperature

Addition of Vectors Graphical Methods

For vectors in one

dimension, simple
addition and subtraction
are all that is needed.
You do need to be careful
about the signs, as the
figure indicates.

Addition of Vectors Graphical Methods

If the motion is in two dimensions, the situation is
somewhat more complicated.
Here, the actual travel paths are at right angles to
one another; we can find the displacement by
using the Pythagorean Theorem.

Addition of Vectors Graphical Methods

Adding the vectors in the opposite order gives the
same result:

Addition of Vectors Graphical Methods

Even if the vectors are not at right
angles, they can be added graphically by
using the Head - to tail method

Addition of Vectors Graphical Methods

The parallelogram method may also be used;
here again the vectors must be tail-to-tip.

Subtraction of Vectors, and

Multiplication of a Vector by a Scalar
In order to subtract vectors, we
define the negative of a vector, which
has the same magnitude but points
in the opposite direction.
Then we add the negative vector:

Multiplication of a Vector by a Scalar

A vector V can be multiplied by a scalar m; the
result is a vector mV that has the same direction
as V but a magnitude mV. If m is negative, the
resultant vector points in the opposite direction.

Adding Vectors by Components

Any vector can be expressed as the sum
of two other vectors, which are called its
components. Usually the other vectors are
chosen so that they are perpendicular to
each other.

Adding Vectors by Components

If the components are

perpendicular, they can be found
using trigonometric functions.

Adding Vectors by Components

The components are effectively one-dimensional,
so they can be added arithmetically:

Adding Vectors by Components

Adding vectors:
1. Draw a diagram; add the vectors graphically.
2. Choose x and y axes.
3. Resolve each vector into x and y components.
4. Calculate each component using sines and cosines.

5. Add the components in each direction.

6. To find the length and direction of the vector, use:

Unit Vector
It is a vector having unit magnitude . If A is vector with
magnitude A = 0 then a = A / A is a unit vector having the
same direction as A. The vector A can be represented by
A= A a.

The Rectangular vector i , j and k

In the rectangular coordinate system we have the following
unit vectors:
the unit vector i is in the direction of positive x-axis,
the unit vector j is in the direction of positive y-axis and
the unit vector k is in the direction of positive z-axis.
In the x-y plane we have only i and j as unit vectors.

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Resolution of Vector
Any vector A in x-y plane can be resolved into two
components perpendicular to each others one in xdirection and one in y-direction, See fig 7.
y
The x-component Ax is given by:
A
Ax = A cos q

The y-component Ay is given by:

Ay = A sin q

where q is the angle between the vector A and the

positive x- axis
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Vector Equation

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Sum of two Vectors

Addition of two vectors by the analytical method:
Let A = Ax i + Ay j + Az k and B = Bx i + By j + Bz k,
then
C = A + B = ( Ax + Bx )i + ( Ay + By ) j + ( Az + Bz ) k
Since C can be written as C = Cx i + Cy j + Cz k, then
Cx = ( Ax + Bx ),
Cy = ( Ay + By ), and
Cz =( Az + Bz )
In x-y plane we have only two components Cx and Cy that
gives for the magnitude of C the value
C2=Cx 2 + Cy 2
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Dot or Scalar Product

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Cross or Vector Product

The cross or vector product of A and B is a vector
C = A x B( read A cross B ).The magnitude of A x B
is defined as the product of the magnitude of A and
B and the sine of the angle q between them. The
direction of the vector C = A x B is perpendicular to
the plane of A and B such that A , B and C form a
right - handed system . In symbols
A x B = AB sin q
where is a unit vector indicating the direction of
A x B. If A = B , or if A is parallel to B , then sin q = and
we define A x B = 0
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Cross Product

A second kind of vector multiplication is the vector product (also called the
cross product), defined as
Ax=
where the magnitude of is
ICI = AB sin q
q, the angle between A and B, lies between 0 and 180. is
directed perpendicular to the plane of A and B.
To determine the direction of C, use the following right-hand
rule (see the Given Figure).
(a) Slide A and to-together so their tails touch. Next,
(b) using your right hand, point your fingers along A.
(c) Curl your fingers toward B.
(d) Your right thumb will point up in the direction of
= A x .
(e) points in the direction a right-hand screw would
advance when A is rotated toward B. Note that
x A = - A x B.
If A and are parallel, q = 0 and | A x B| = 0. If A and are
perpendicular, q = 90, sin 90 = 1, and |A x B| = AB.
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Cross or Vector Product

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7- The magnitude of C =ICI= IA x BI is the same as the

area of a parallelogram with sides A and B
8- If A x B = 0 , and A and B are not null vectors , then A
and B are parallel .

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