CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS

Physics is the science that studies matter, energy, space, and time, and their interactions. It
aims to describe fundamental phenomena in nature using basic laws and quantities derived from
experiments. The field is broadly divided into several branches, including classical and modern
physics, each with its own sub-branches.

In simple terms, physics explains how and why things happen in the world- from why an apple
falls from a tree, to how planets orbit the sun, to how electricity powers your phone.
Main areas of physics:
1. Mechanics- motion of objects, forces, energy and work (ex. Cars moving, a ball falling)
2. Thermodynamics- heat, temperature, and energy transfer.
3. Waves and sound- vibrations, sound waves and resonance
4. Optics- light, mirrors and lenses
5. Electricity and Magnetism- charges, circuits and magnetic field
6. Modern Physics- concepts like atoms, nuclear energy and relativity.

Branches of Physics
1. Classical Physics:
❑ Mechanics:
- Studies motion, forces, and energy. This includes kinematics (describing motion)
and dynamics (forces and their effects).
❑ Thermodynamics:
- Deals with heat, work, and energy transfer.
❑ Electromagnetism:
- Studies electric and magnetic phenomena and their relationship.
❑ Optics:
- Focuses on the behavior and properties of light.
❑ Acoustics:
- Deals with the study of sound

2. Modern Physics:
❑ Relativity:
- Explores the relationship between space, time, gravity, and motion,
including special and general relativity.
❑ Quantum Mechanics:
- Deals with the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic levels.
❑ Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics:
- Focuses on the structure and behavior of atoms and molecules, and their interactions
with light.
❑ Condensed Matter Physics:
- Studies the physical properties of matter in condensed phases, such as solids and
liquids.
❑ Nuclear Physics:
- Explores the structure and properties of atomic nuclei.
❑ Particle Physics:
 - Studies the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions.

3. Other Important Branches:

❑ Astrophysics:
- Applies physics to study celestial objects and phenomena.
❑ Cosmology:
- Studies the origin, evolution, and large-scale structure of the universe.
❑ Geophysics:
- Applies physics to study the Earth's interior and atmosphere.
❑ Biophysics:
- Studies biological systems using physics principles.
❑ Applied Physics:
- Uses physics principles to develop new technologies and solve practical problems.
❑ Plasma Physics:
- Deals with the study of plasma, the fourth state of matter.

PHYSICS AND MEASUREMENT

MEASUREMENT IN PHYSICS:
1. System of measurements
2. Units & Conversion of units
3. Significant figures
4. Scientific notation
5. Accuracy & precision

1. What is Measurement?
- A comparison of an unknown quantity with a known standard.
- A quantitative description of fundamental property. It is a process of comparing one quantity
with another quantity. It is made up of a number and a unit.
- A scientific measurement must contain both:
a. a number
b. a unit

2. Why is measurement important in physics?

- Physics relies on quantitative data, which requires accurate measurements.

System of Measurements
1. English/British System
- It was first adopted in England. It is also known as FPS system derived from the names of the
standard units length(foot), force (pound), and time (second). They used familiar objects and
human body parts as measuring devices.
Examples:
yard (yd), feet (ft), pound (lb), mile (mi), ounce (oz), tonne (ton)
2. Metric System
- It originated from France, constitutes units based on powers of 10, which make it the preferred
system to be used in science. It is more convenient and accurate because it uses prefixes and
standard unit of measurement.
-International System of Measurements (SI)
Examples:
meter (m), kilometre (km), centimetre (cm)

3. International System of Units (SI)

- The modern, standardized form of the metric system, widely used in science.
➢ Base Units:
- Meter (length), kilogram (mass), second (time), ampere (electric current), Kelvin
(temperature), mole (amount of substance), candela (luminous intensity).

➢ SI Prefixes:
- Prefixes like kilo-, milli-, centi-, etc., used to indicate multiples or fractions of base
units (e.g., kilometer, millimeter)

SI Prefixes

Name Symbol Factor

tera- T 1012

giga- G 109

mega- M 106

kilo- k 103

hecto- h 102

deka- da 101

Name Symbol Factor

deci- d 10-1

centi- c 10-2

milli- m 10-3

micro- μ 10-6

nano- n 10-9

pico- p 10-12

femto- f 10-15
 Physical Quantities & Units
A. FUNDAMENTAL Quantities
- are basic measurable quantities that have no connection with each other.

The Seven Fundamental Quantities & SI Base Units

Quantity Unit Symbol

Length meter m

Mass kilogram kg

Temperature kelvin K

Time second s

Amount of Substance mole mol

Luminous Intensity candela cd

Electric Current ampere A

B. Derived Quantities
- are defined in terms of the seven base quantities via a system of quantity equations.
Examples:
- area, force, volume, energy, power, work, density, velocity, acceleration

Derived units are the composition of the fundamental units.

Examples:
- newton (N), hertz (Hz), pascal (Pa), joule (J), & watt (W)

Conversion Factors
 Conversion of Units
Factor-Label Method of Unit Conversion
Example 1:
Convert 5km to m:
Given: 5 km = _____ m
Conversion factor: 1 km = 1000m
Solution:
NEW UNIT
85km x 1,000m = 85 x 1,000m = 85,000m
1km 1
OLD UNIT

Example 2:
Convert 789m to km
Given: 789m = _____km
Conversion factor: 1km = 1,000m
Solution:
789m x 1km = 789 km = 0.789km
1000m 1000
= 7.89x10-1km

Significant Figures
- The significant figures in a measurement include all of the digits that are known, plus
one last digit that is estimated.

Significant Figures Rules

A. All non zero digits are significant.
Ex:
1. 234, 556 has 6 sig. figs
2. 2.54 has 3 sig. figs

B. ZERO Rules
1. A zero is significant when it appears between non-zero digits.
Ex:
1. 1,001 has 4 sig. figs
2. 10.7 has 3 sig figs

2. A zero is significant when it appears at the end of a number and to the right of the
decimal.
Ex:
1. 4.900 has 4 sig. figs
2. 27.0 has 3 sig. figs

B. ZERO Rules
3. A zero is NEVER significant when it appears in front of a number
Ex:
1. 0.007865 has 4 sig. figs
2. 0.07 has 1 sig figs
4. Trailing zeros follow a non zero digit and are significant only if there is a decimal point
and it is not if there none.
Ex:
1. 0.0500 has 3 sig. figs
2. 3400 has 2 sig. figs

EXERCISES:
Determine the number of significant figures in the following measurements.
1.)100
2.)10302.00
3.) 0.001
4.)10302
5.)1.0302x104

Scientific Notation
- It is a method for expressing and working with very large or very small numbers. It is made
up of three parts: coefficient, base, & exponent. It has the basic notation N x 10n

1. N is the coefficient = must be greater than or equal to 1 and less than 10

2. 10 is the base
3. n is the exponent or power of 10 = show the number of decimal places needs to be moved to
change the number to standard form. A negative exponent means that the decimal is moved from
left to right.

EXERCISES:
A. Change the following numbers from standard form to scientific notation.
1. 56, 760, 000, 000
2. 0.000000902

B. Change the following numbers from scientific to standard notation.

1. 6.03 x 107
2. 5.3 x 10-4

Accuracy & Precision

1. Accuracy
- compares a measurement to the true value
Example: Accuracy
1. Who is more accurate when measuring a book that has a true length of 17.0 cm?
Susan:
17.0 cm, 16.0 cm, 18.0 cm, 15.0 cm
Amy:
15.5 cm, 15.0 cm, 15.2 cm, 15.3 cm
2. Precision
- describes how closely measurements are to each other and how carefully measurements were
made
Example:
1. Which set is more precise?
18.2 , 18.4 , 18.35
17.9 , 18.3 , 18.85
16.8 , 17.2 , 19.44

Example: Precision
Who is more precise when measuring the same 17.0 cm book?
Susan:
17.0 cm, 16.0 cm, 18.0 cm, 15.0 cm
Amy:
15.5 cm, 15.0 cm, 15.2 cm, 15.3 cm

Accuracy vs. Precision