Chapter 2.

Technical
Mathematics
 Buóc xuông ruông sâu man sâu tâc da
Tay ôm bó ma nuóc mát hai hàng
Ai làm lõ chuyên dò ngang?
Cho sông can nu'óc dôi dàng biêt ly?
Stepping into the field, sadness fills my deep
heart.
Bundling rice sheaves, tears dart in two
streaks.
Who made me the ferry's leaving?
Who made this shallow creek that parts both
Addition of Signed
Numbers
• To add two numbers of like sign, sum the
absolute values of the numbers and give
the sum the common sign.
Example: Add (-6) to (-3)
(-3) + (-6) = -(3 + 6) = -9
• To add two numbers of unlike sign, find
the difference of their absolute values
and give the sign of the larger number.
Example: Add (-6) to (+3).
(+3) + (-6) = -(6 - 3) = -3
Arithmetic: Come on,
man . . .
What’s up with this! I
have no trouble with
addition and
subtraction. This is
grade school, tzong!
Example 1. A force directed to the
right is positive and a force to the left is
negative. What is the sum of A + B + C
if A is 100 lb, right; B is 50 lb, left; and
C is 30 lb, left.
Given: A = + 100 lb; B = - 50 lb; C = -30 lb
A + B + C = (100 lb) + (-50 lb) + (-30 lb)
A + B + C = (100 lb) + (-50 lb) + (-30 lb)
A + B + C = +(100 lb - 50 lb - 30 lb)

-30 lb 100 lb A
A++ BB ++ CC == +20
+20 lb
lb

-50 lb Net
Net Force
Force == 20
20 lb,
lb, right
right
Subtraction of Signed
Numbers
• To subtract one signed number b from
another signed number a, change the sign
of b and add it to a, using the addition
rule.
Examples: Subtract (-6) from (-
3):
(-3) - (-6) = -3 + 6 =
+3 Subtract (+6) from (-3):
(-3) - (+6) = -3 - 6 = -9
 Example 2. On a winter day, the
temperature drops from 150C to a low of -
100C. What is the change in
temperature?
Given: t0 = + 150C; tf = - 100C
Dt = tf - t0 150C
Dt = (-100C) - (+150C)
= -100C - 150C = -25
C0 -100C

DDtt = -25 C
= -25 C
00

What is the change in temperature

if it rises back to +150C? DDtt = +25 C
= +25 C
00
 Multiplication: Signed
Numbers
• If two numbers have like signs, their
product is positive.
• If two numbers have unlike signs,
their product is negative.

Examples:

(-12)(-6)
(-12)(-6) == +72
+72 ;; (-12)(+6)
(-12)(+6) == -72
-72
Division Rule for Signed
Numbers
• If two numbers have like signs, their
quotient is positive.
• If two numbers have unlike signs,
their quotient is negative.

Examples:
( 72) (-72)
12;  12
( 6) (+6)
 Extension of Rule for
Factors
• The result will be positive if all factors are
positive or if there is an even number of
negative factors.
• The result will be negative if there is an
odd number of negative factors.

Examples:
( 2)( 4) (-2)(+4)(-3)
 4 ; 12
2 (-2)(-1)
Example 3: Consider the following
formula and evaluate the
expression for x when a = -1, b = -
2, c = 3, d = -4.
cba 2
x  cd
bc
(3)( 2)( 1) 2
x  (3)( 4)
( 2)(3)

x = -1 + 48 xx == +47
+47
 Working With Formulas:
Many applications of physics require one to
solve and evaluate mathematical
expressions called formulas.
Consider Volume V, for
example: H
V
V== LWH
LWH W
L
Applying laws of algebra, we can solve for L, W,
or H:
V V V
L W  H
WH LH LW
 Equations (Cont.)
• The same rules can be applied to literal
equations (sometimes called formulas).

Solve for g: F m2 g  m1 g

Isolate g by factoring:F  g (m2  m1 )
Divide both sides by: (m2 –
m1)
F
Solved for g : g 
(m2  m1 )
 Equations (Cont.)
• Now look at a more difficult one. (All that
is necessary is to isolate the unknown.).
mv 2
F mg  2 ; solve for g
R
2
mv mv
Subract 2 : F  2 mg
R R
2
F v
Divide by m :  2 g
m R
2
F v
Solved for g : g   2
m R
 Equations (Cont.)
• Each side may be raised to a power or the root
may be taken of each side.
mv 2
F mg  2 ; solve for v
R 2
mv
Subract mg: F  mg  2
R
2
2 FR
Divide by m; multiply by R :  gR 2 v 2
m
2
FR
Solved for v : v   gR 2
m
Example 4: Solve for n.
PV nRT
PV = nRT =
1 1

PV nR T PV n
= =
RT 1 RT 1

PV
n
RT
Example 5: Solve for f.
a (b  c) e

d f
First move f to get it in numerator.
af (b  c) e

d
Next move a, d, and (b + c)

ed
f 
a (b  c)
Often It is Necessary to Use
Exponents in Physics
Applications.
E=
mc 2
E=m (c
c)
The exponent “2”
means “ c” times
“c”
Volume of a cube of
side x is “x x x” or
E =Cube
of side
mc2x V = x3
 Exponents and Radicals
Multiplication Rule
When
When two
two quantities
quantities ofof the
the same
same base
base
are
are multiplied,
multiplied, their
their product
product isis obtained
obtained
by
by adding
adding the
the exponents
exponents algebraically.
algebraically.
m n m n
(a )(a ) a
Example
s: 5 15 6
3 5
2 2 2 3 5
28
x x  x x
 Exponent Rules
Negative
Negative Exponent:
Exponent: AA term
term that
that is
is not
not
equal
equal to
to zero
zero may
may have
have aa negative
negative
exponent
exponent asas defined
defined below:
below:

n 1 n 1
a  n or a  n
a a

Example
21 s: x  2 y 3 y3 y 4 y7
2  2 0.25  2  2
2 y 4 x x
 Exponents and
Radicals Zero
Exponent
Zero
Zero Exponent:
Exponent: Any
Any quantity
quantity raised
raised
to
to the
the power
power of
of zero
zero is
is equal
equal to
to 1.
1.

0
The zero exponent: a 1

YES, that’s right

 
0
ANYTHING !
Raised to the 1
zero power is
“1”
 Exponents and
Radicals Zero
Exponent
Zero
Zero Exponent:
Exponent: Consider
Consider the
the
following
following examples
examples for
for zero
zero
exponents.
exponents.
0
The zero exponent: a 1
0
 x 
3

 4 
0 3 0
x y z y 3  y  1 0.333
3z 0 3
 Other Exponent Rules
Division
Division rule:
rule: When
When two
two
quantities
quantities of
of the
the same
same base
base m
a m n
are
are divided,
divided, their
their quotient
quotient is
is n
a
obtained
obtained byby subtracting
subtracting the
the a
exponents
exponents algebraically.
algebraically.

Example:
x 4 y 2 x 4 1 y 2 5 x3 y  3 x3
5
   3
xy 1 1 y
 Exponent Rules
(Continued):
Power
Power of
of aa Power:
Power: When
When aa
a 
n
m mn
quantity
quantity aam is
m
is raised
raised to
to the
the a
power
power m:
m:

Examples:

( x3 )5  x (5)(3)  x15 ; (q  2 )  3 q 6
 Exponent Rules
(Continued):
Power
Power of
of aa product:
product: Obtained
Obtained
ab 
m m m
by
by applying
applying thethe exponent
exponent to
to a b
each
each of
of the
the factors.
factors.

Example:
12
3 2 4 (3)(4) (  2)(4) 12 x
8
( x y ) x y x y  8
y
 Exponent Rules
(Continued):
Power
Power of
of aa quotient:
quotient: Obtained
Obtained a
n
 a n

 
by
by applying
applying thethe exponent
exponent to
to    n 
each
each of
of the
the factors.
factors. b b 

Example:
2 3 6
x y 
3
x y 9
x p 9 9

 3   3 9  3 6
 qp  q p q y
 Roots and Radicals
Roots
Roots ofof aa product:
product: The
The nth
nth
root
root of
of aa product
product isis equal
equal to
to
the
the product
product of of the
the nth
nth roots
roots
n
ab  a b
n n

of
of each
each factor.
factor.

Example:

3
8 27  8  27 2 3 6
3 3
Roots and Radicals (Cont.)
Roots
Roots of
of aa Power:
Power: The
The
roots
roots of
of aa power
power are
are found
found n m m/n
by a a
by using
using the
the definition
definition of
of
fractional
fractional exponents:
exponents:

Examples:
4
x16 y12  x16 / 4 y12 / 4  x 4 y 3

x 6 y 3 x 6 / 3 y 3/ 3 x 2 y
3
9
 9/3  3
z z z
 Scientific Notation
Scientific notation provides a short-hand method for expressing
very small and very large numbers.
-9
=
0.000000001 10 Examples:
-6
=
0.000001 10 93,000,000 mi = 9.30 x 107 mi
-3
=
0.001 10 0.00457 m = 4.57 x 10-3 m
1 =100
876 m 8.76 x 102 m
1000 =103 v 
0.0037 s 3.7 x 10-3s
1,000,000 =106
vv==2.37
2.37xx10
105m/s
5
m/s
1,000,000,000 =109
 Graphs

Direct relationship Indirect relationship

Increasing
Increasing values
values Increasing
Increasing values
values on
on
on
on the
the horizontal
horizontal axis
axis the
the horizontal
horizontal axis
axis
cause
cause aa proportional
proportional cause
cause aa proportional
proportional
increase
increase in in values
values decrease
decrease in in values
values
on
on the
the vertical
vertical axis.
axis. on
on the
the horizontal
horizontal
axis.
axis.
 Geometry 90º

Angles are measured in terms

of degrees, from 0° to 360º.
Angle
180º 0º, 360º

Line AB is perpendicular
to line CD
270º
A

C D Line AB is A C
parallel to
B line CD

AB AB
AB CD
CD
AB CD
CD B D
 Geometry (Continued)
When two straight B
lines intersect, they A A
form opposing angles B
which are equal.
Angle
AngleAA==Angle
AngleA
A
Angle AngleBB
AngleBB==Angle
When a straight line
intersects two parallel
A
lines, the alternate interior
angles are equal. B B
Angle
AngleAA==Angle
AngleA
A A
Angle AngleBB
AngleBB==Angle
 Geometry (Cont.)
For any triangle, the B
sum of the interior
angles is 180º
C A

AA++BB++CC==180°
180°

B
For any right
triangle, the sum
of the two smaller
angles is 90º C A

AA++BB==90°
90°
Example 6: Use geometry to
determine the unknown angles f
and q in figure.
1. Draw helping lines A C B
AB and CD. b
2. Note: q + 500 = f
q
900
200 500
q = 4000
D
b =
3. Alternate, interior angles are equal:
200
4. ACD is a right angle: b + f + q =
900
200 + f + 400 =
f = 30 00
900
Right Triangle Trigonometry
Angles
Anglesare
areoften
oftenrepresented
representedby
byGreek
Greekletters:
letters:
aaalpha
alpha bbbeta
beta gamma
gamma
theta
theta phi
phi dddelta
delta

R
Pythagorean
Pythagorean theorem
theorem y

The
The square
square of of the
the x
hypotenuse
hypotenuse isis equal
equal to
to
R 2 x 2  y 2
the
the sum
sum ofof the
the squares
squares
of
of the
the other
other two
two sides.
sides. R  x2  y 2
 Right Triangle
Trigonometry
The sine value of a right triangle hyp
is equal to the ratio of the length Opp
sin   q opp
of the side opposite the angle to Hyp
the length of the hypotenuse of the adj
triangle.

The cosine value of a right triangle is equal to the

Adj
ratio of the length of the side adjacent to the angle cos  
to the length of the hypotenuse of the triangle. Hyp

The tangent value of a right triangle is equal to Opp

the ratio of the length of the side opposite the tan  
Adj
angle to the side adjacent to the angle.
Example 7: What is the distance x
across the lake, and what is the
angle q?
R = 20 m is hypotenuse.
Thus, Pythagoras’ Theorem:
2 2 2 x
(20)  x  (12)
20 m
x  400  144  256
12 m q
xx == 16
16 m
m
adj 12 m qq =
cos    =
hyp 20 m 53.1
53.1
00