Chapter 0I Lecture

Introducing
Physics
Prepared by
Dedra Demaree,
Georgetown University
2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Why do we need to use models to explain the

world around us?
How is the word "law" used
differently in physics than in
the legal system?
How do we solve physics
problems?

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

The processes involved in doing physics

include:
Collecting and analyzing experimental data.
Making explanations and experimentally testing
them.
Creating different representations (e.g., pictures,
graphs, bar charts) of physical processes.
Finding mathematical relations between different
variables.
Testing those relations in new experiments.
2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Definitions:
Law: a mathematical relation between variables
inferred from the data or through some
reasoning process
Hypothesis: an explanation usually based on
some mechanism underlying what is going on
Prediction: a clear expectation about the
outcome of an experiment based on the
hypothesis being tested
Model: a simplified representation of a physical
phenomenon
Assumption: a purposeful simplification made to
a physical situation when a model is applied
2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Science is a cyclical process for creating

and testing knowledge.

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

A model is a simplified representation of an

object, a system (a group of objects), an
interaction, or a process.
A scientist creating the model decides which
features to include and which to neglect.
Galileo Galilei is believed to be the first scientist
to consciously model a phenomenon.
He chose to simplify the real phenomenon by
ignoring the interactions of falling objects with
the air when studying them in the early 17th
century.

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Point-like Objects:
Consider scale and those aspects of the motion
that are most critical to analyze.
An airplane can be modeled as point-like when
landing.
It is not modeled well as point-like when parking.

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Definitions
Physical quantities: features or characteristics of
phenomena that can be measured
experimentally
Unit: a chosen standard of measure
SI System: a widely accepted and used unit
system dating back to the 1790s
Significant digits: the number of digits that
represent the precision to which we know the
value of a physical quantity

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Basic SI physical quantities and their units

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Scientific Notation
Scientific notation tells us the value of a number
in a particular unit and the significant digits.
6500 =? 6.5 x 103
On the left side, the number of significant
digits is ambiguous.
On the right side, it is clear there are two
significant digits.
The number 6.50 is more precise than the
number 6.5; you are confident in the number to
the hundredths place.
2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Making estimations:
Making rough estimations is useful
When dealing with situations that have many
variables.
When something is impractical to measure.
When you need to know roughly what the
outcome of a measurement should be to
collect data or check a result.
First select the basic physical quantities whose
values can be estimated; then combine the
numbers leading to the desired answer.
2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Estimate the number of pounds of food that

an average person eats during a lifetime.
Assume the average person consumes about 2000 calories/day.
Assume each gram of food gives on average 5 calories.
2000 calories/day at 5 calories/gram = 400 g/day
Assume that the average life expectancy is 70 years.
(400 g/day)(365 days/year)(70 years) = 10,080,000 g/lifetime
2.2 lb is 1000 g: 10,080,000 g/lifetime = 22,176 lb/lifetime
Is five significant digits appropriate?
The calories/day quantity is probably uncertain by about 500
calories.
The ratio 11 g/5 calories could be 11 g/6 calories, about 0.03
different from our estimate.
Life expectancy of 70 years could be off by 10 years.
The least certain quantity has one significant digit, so:
20,000 lb/lifetime
2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Vectors versus Scalars

Physical quantities that do not contain
information about direction are called scalar
quantities.
Physical quantities that contain information
about magnitude and direction are called vector
quantities.

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Representing Vector Quantities

Vector quantities are represented by italic
symbols with an arrow on top ( , , etc.).
In other texts, vectors may be represented in
bold font, in brackets < >, as coordinates ( , ), as
a column or row [ ], or using unit vector notation.

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

How to Use This Book

Read the book as soon as possible while the
material is still fresh in your mind.
First, scan the relevant sections and, if
necessary, the whole chapter. How do the
new ideas fit into what you have already
learned?
Then, read the relevant new section(s) slowly.
Keep relating what you read to your current
understanding.
Pay attention to the Tipsthey will help
prevent confusion and future difficulties.
2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Interrogation while Reading

Continuously ask yourself, WHY IS THIS TRUE?
Make asking this question a habit!
By stopping and interrogating yourself as often
as possible about what is written in the book,
you will be able to understand and remember
the information better.

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Problem-Solving Steps 1 and 2

1. Sketch and Translate: Imagine what is
happening and reread the material to make
sure you understand the situation. Translate
information given in words into symbols and
label your sketch.
2. Simplify and Diagram: Decide how to model the
situation and which interactions must be
included and which can be ignored. Draw a
diagram including physical quantities; this
diagram should be a bridge between the words
in the problem and the relevant mathematical
equations.
2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Problem-Solving Steps 3 and 4

1. Represent Mathematically: Construct a
mathematical description of the situation using
your sketch and diagram.
2. Solve and Evaluate: Solve the equations and
evaluate the results to see if they make sense.

2014 Pearson Education, Inc.