Conceptual Physics Exam 1

Physics

The science that deals with energy, motion, matter, and force

Scientific Method

Characterizations, Hypotheses, Predictions, and experiments

Classical Physics

-Classical mechanics
-Thermodynamics
-Electrodynamics

Modern Physics

-Relativity
-Quantum Mechanics

Precision

The extent to which a given set of
measurements of the same sample agree with their
mean

Accuracy

The extent to which a given measurement agrees with the standard value for that measurement

Vector Quantity

Has magnitude and direction
Represented by an arrow
Ex: velocity, weight, force

Scalar Quantity

Has magnitude only
Ex: mass, volume, speed

Aristotle

Natural motion
Everything goes straight up or down
Beyond Earth, motion is circular

Galileo

Objects in free fall
Leaning tower experiment
-Objects of diff mass fall to the ground at the same time
-Demolished Aristotle's theory
Stated that objects remain in continuous state of rest unless acted upon by a force

Force

A push or a pull
Unit: Newton (N)
Vector quantity

Inertia

Property of matter to resist changes in motion
Depends on the amount of matter in an object

Newton

Formulated basic laws of mechanics
Discovered Law of Universal Gravitation
Invented calculus

Law of Inertia

Newton's first law of motion
"In the absence of external forces, an object at rest
remains at rest and an object in motion continues in
motion with a constant speed in a straight line"
Describes what happens in absence of force
Demo: coin drop in glass wh

Equilibrium

Net force is zero

Speed

Distance/Time

Velocity

How fast and in what direction
Vector quantity
Units: m/s

Acceleration

How quickly velocity is changing
Change in velocity/time
Units: m/s^2
Net force/mass
-If net force doubles, A doubles
-If mass doubles, A halves

Free Fall

9.8 m/s^2

v=gt

Velocity acquired in free fall from rest

d=1/2gt^2

Distance fallen in free fall from rest

Mechanical Equilibrium

When net force equals zero

Mass

Property of an object that specifies how much resistance an object exhibits to changes in its velocity
Unit: kg

Weight

Equal to the magnitude of the gravitational force exerted on the object
W = | m ?g |
Varies with location; is less at higher altitudes
Not an inherent quantity of an object
Unit: Newton (N)

Friction

Results from mutual contact of
irregularities in the surfaces of sliding objects
-Reduces net force

Law of Acceleration

Newton's second law of motion
Relates acceleration to force
"The acceleration produced by
a net force on an object is directly
proportional to the net force, is in the
same direction as the net force, and is
inversely proportional to the mass of the
objec

Law of Action-Reaction

Newton's third law of motion
"To every action there is always an equal and opp reaction"
Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object,
the second object exerts an equal and opposite force
on the first
-Forces always occur in pairs

Resultant

Sum of 2 or more vectors

Momentum

A quantity of movement
Mass*Velocity

Impulse

Force*Time
Change in momentum
> FT = >momentum

Law of Conservation of Momentum

Net mv (before) = Net mv (after)

Inelastic Collision

Collisions are accompanied by deformation and/or any generation of heat

Energy

The ability to do work
Involved in every physical process
Mover of substances
Both a thing and a process
A conserved quantity

Matter

Substance we can see, smell, and feel
Occupies space

Mechanical Work

The quantity of energy transferred by a force
Due to position or motion or both
2 forms: Potential and Kinetic

Work

Force*Magnitude of Displacement
W = Fd (force*displacement)
Unit: Joules (J)
2 things occur:
-application of force
-movement of something by that force
Something an object does, not has

Potential Energy

Stored energy held in readiness
-Could do work
Ex: stretched bow has stored energy that can do work on an arrow

Gravitational Potential Energy

Equal to the work done (force required to
move it upward the vertical distance
moved against gravity) in lifting it
PE=ma (mass
acceleration) due to gh (gravity
height)
=mgh

Kinetic Energy

Energy of a particle due to its motion
1/2mv^2
Quadrupled if speed is doubled
Scalar quantity--> always positive

Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem

W=KEi - KEf --> W= ? K E

Law of Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it may be transformed from one form into another, but the total amount of energy is always conserved (i.e. never
changes)
Ex: pendulum

Circular Motion

When an object turns about an internal axis
Characterized by 2 kinds of speed:
-Tangential (linear) speed
-Rotational (angular) speed

Rotational (Angular) Speed-->?

# of rotations per unit of time

Tangential (Linear) Speed-->v

Radial distance*angular speed
v=r?

Rotational Inertia

An object rotating about an axis tends to remain rotating about the same axis at the same rotational speed unless interfered with by some external influence
Ex: tight rope walker with pole

Rotational Inertia

The property of an object to resist changes in its rotational state of motion
Depends on mass and distribution of mass around axis
Greater when mass is located farther from axis
The greater it is, the harder it is to change its state
-Greater=slower

Torque

A measure of how much a force acting
on an object causes that object to rotate
-A twist to an object
Depends on magnitude of force, direction, and distance from the axis of rotation
Unit: N m
T = r
F (distance vector
force vector)

Centripetal Force

Any force directed towards a fixed center
"Center-seeking"
Ex: whirl can at end of string
Depends on mass, tangential speed, and radius
F = (mv2)/r

Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum

If no external net torque acts on a rotating system, the angular momentum of that system remains constant

Law of Conservation of Linear Momentum

If no external force acts on a system, the total
linear momentum of that system remains constant

Law of Universal Gravitation

Every body attracts every other body with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
separating them
-Everything pulls on everything else
F=Gm1m2/d^2
The greater the masses

G

Universal gravitational constant
6.67 x 10^-11 Nm^2/kg^2
Same everywhere

g

Acceleration due to gravity
9.80 m/s^2 at the surface of the Earth
Varies by location

Spring Tides

During the new moon or full moon, the effects of moon and sun add up
Higher-than-avg/lower-than-avg tides
Most pronounced

Neap Tides

When the moon is halfway between a new and full moon,
the tides due to sun and moon partly cancel each
Least pronounced

Range

Horizontal distance covered

Kepler's First Law

All planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus

Kepler's Second Law

The radius vector drawn from the Sun to a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals

Kepler's Third Law

The square of the orbital period of any planet is proportional to the cube of the semimajor axis of the elliptical orbit

Aphelion

The point farthest away from the sun
a + c
For an orbit around the Earth, this point is called the apogee

Perihelion

The point nearest to the sun
a - c
For an orbit around the Earth, this point is called the perigee

Curvature of Earth

Earth surface drops a vertical distance of 5 meters for every 8000 meters tangent to the surface

Satellite

Projectile that falls around Earth
-Sufficient tangential velocity needed for orbit
Speed is constant, only direction changes
Unchanged by gravity

Fulcrum

Point of support on which a lever rotates

Archimedes Principle for Floating Objects

For floating objects, buoyant force is balanced by the weight of the floating object
-Also, the volume of displaced fluid is equal to the volume of immersed part of the object

Bernoulli's Principle

Pressure of a gas or liquid decreases as its velocity increases

Specific Heat Capacity

Quantity of heat required to change the temperature of a unit mass of the substance by 1 degree Celsius
-Water is high
-Metal is low

Anomalous Behavior of Water

As temp increases from 0C-4C, water contracts
-Density increases
Above 4C water expands with increasing temp
-Density decreases
Max density of water occurs at 4C

Add Energy

Solid --> Liquid --> Gas

Remove Energy

Gas --> Liquid --> Solid

Human Hearing Range

20 Hz - 200,00 Hz

Sound

Undergoes reflection and refraction

Musical Tone

Steady periodic sound

Pitch

Determined by lowest frequency

Intensity

Perceived loudness

Quality

Depends on relative intensity of harmonic partials

Electric Field

Inside a conductor always equals zero

Ohm's Law

Electric potential difference between one part of your body and another part depends on body condition and resistance
-100,000 ohms - 500,000 ohms
-Electric shock

Electric Power

Rate at which electric energy is converted into another form

Series Circuit

Electric current through a single pathway
-Total resistance to current is sum of individual resistances
-If one device fails, current stops
-Christmas lights

Parallel Circuit 2

Adding more laps produces:
-Less resistance
-Increase in current
-Lamps unchanged

Series Circuit 2

Adding more lamps produces:
-Greater resistance
-Decrease in current
-Lamps dim

Parallel Circuit

Voltage is the same across each device
-Total current = the sum of currents in its branches
-A break in one path does not interrupt flow of charge in other paths
-Lighting system in house

Magnetic Force

Force due to the charged particles

North Pole

Points to geographic north
Points to magnetic south

South Pole

Points to geographic south
Points to magnetic north

Magnets

All have 2 poles

Electromagnetic Waves

Do not need a medium to travel
Made up of vibrating electric and magnetic fields

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Radio, microwaves, infrared, visible, UV, x-ray, gamma

Shadow

Region where light rays do not reach

Selective Reflection

Objects reflect light of some frequencies and absorb the rest
-Objects that absorb light and reflect none appear black
-Objects can reflect only those frequencies present in the illuminating light

Selective Transmission

Color of transparent object depends on color of light it transmits

Magenta

Red + Blue
Complementary : Green

Cyan

Green + Blue
Complementary : Red

Yellow

Green + Red
Complimentary : Blue

Subtractive Primary Colors

Cyan, yellow, magenta

Colors

Pigments that produce red absorb cyan
Pigments that produce blue absorb yellow
Pigments that produce green absorb magenta

Reflection

When light is returned into the medium from which it came from
-Light takes the quickest (shortest) path in going from one place to another

Convex Mirror

Virtual image is smaller and closer to the mirror than the object
Curves out

Concave Mirror

Virtual image is larger and farther away than the object
Curves inward

Refraction

When light bends in going obliquely from one medium to another
-Changes speed as well as direction

Refractive Index (n)

Ration of speed of light in vacuum to speed of light in material

Rainbow

Results from refraction, dispersion, and internal reflection

Mirage

Refraction

Bohr's Model of Atom

Electrons occupy "stationary" states (of fixed energy,
not fixed position) at different distances from the nucleus
-Electrons can make quantum jumps from one energy state to another
-Light is emitted when such a quantum jump occurs from a higher to a lowe

X-rays

De-excitation of innermost orbital electrons
-Can penetrate many layers of atoms
-Produces higher frequency x-radiation

Alpha Waves

Positively charged
-Helium nuclei
-Originate in nucleus

Beta Waves

Negatively charged
-Electrons
-Originate in nucleus

Gamma Waves

No charge
-Electromagnetic radiation
-Originate in nucleus

Radioactive Decay

The rate of decay is measured in terms of the half life

Half-Life

The time it takes for half an original quantity of an element to decay

Frame of Reference

The place from which motion is observed and measured

Motion is Relative

An object may have different velocities relative to different frames of reference

First Postulate of Einstein's Law of Relativity

All laws of nature are the same in all uniformly moving frames of reference

Second Postulate of Einstein's Law of Relativity

The speed of light in free space is a constant in all inertial frames and is independent of the state of motion of the emitting body

Time Dilation

Moving clock ticks more slowly than stationary one

Length Contraction

Length contracts with respect to the stationary observer