Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Physics

What are gas behavior laws?

Any of several statements of physics and chemistry relating to the behavior of gases: such as Boyle's law and Charles' law.

Describe Boyle’s law and Charles’ Law and explain an example of each.

Charles's law (also known as the law of volumes) is an experimental gas law that describes how gases tend to expand when heated. Example: It's a warm sunny day. You are careful not to pump in too much air into your inflatable raft. In spite of that, if you leave it outside the pool, it could well pop as air inside it heats up and expands. The solution is to pump it while the raft is in the pool; then, leave it in the pool until you actually start using it. Deflate it immediately after use. Boyle’s law states that the pressure

Literary Naturalism

Literary naturalism contains an explicit comprehensive philosophy of our human place in the universe. Naturalism suggests that we humans are animals living in a material universe which has no supernatural power, except as a concept of our minds. We humans, animals, are governed by the same natural laws and forces that control all other beings and objects. We have no control over what happens to us.

There are several sources and causes of naturalistic philosophy, but one of the most relevant ones is the development of the physical sciences. It has traditionally been assumed that all phenomena could be explained by natural laws. These laws determine all things that happen, their causes and effects. Similarly, 19th-century social... Continue reading "Literary Naturalism and the Lost Generation: A Critical Analysis" »

The History of Parachutes

Early Attempts

The first known attempt at parachuting occurred in Cordova, Spain, in 852. Abbás Ibn Firnás jumped from a tower with a large cloak, but suffered injuries upon landing. Leonardo da Vinci also proposed the use of parachutes in the 15th century.

The First Practical Parachute

The first practical parachute was invented in 1783 by Louis-Sébastien Lenormand. In 1785, Jean Pierre Blanchard successfully used a parachute to save a dog from a fall. In 1793, he became the first person to successfully use a parachute for a human descent.

Parachutes in Aviation

Parachutes became a standard part of hot air balloon equipment in the 19th century. After World War I, they were adopted as safety systems for pilots and passengers... Continue reading "The Evolution of Parachutes: From Ancient Attempts to Modern Safety Systems" »

Understanding Physical Forces

A force is the interaction of a body with something external to it and is capable of:

• Modifying its state of motion or rest (we will focus on it).
• Causing deformation.

The Normal Force

The normal force (N) is a reaction force; it is a force resulting from the application of Newton’s third law, which must have exactly the value required for the net force along its axis to be null.

Newton’s Laws of Motion

Newton’s First Law

Newton’s first law states that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force. This tendency to resist changes in a state of motion is inertia.

Newton’s Second Law

Newton's second law of motion can... Continue reading "Fundamental Principles of Forces and Motion" »

Space Vocabulary

Here are some common space-related terms and their definitions:

• Satellite: A man-made object intentionally placed into orbit.
• Atmosphere: The gases surrounding a planet.
• Gravity: The force that attracts a body toward the center of the Earth, or toward any other physical body having mass.
• Capsule: A small, detachable compartment of a spacecraft.
• Cosmonaut: A Russian astronaut.
• Orbited: Moved in a circular path around a celestial body.
• Re-entering: Returning to the Earth's atmosphere.
• Spacecraft: A vehicle designed for travel in space.
• Touchdown: The moment when an aircraft or spacecraft lands.
• Mission: An important assignment carried out for political, religious, or commercial purposes, typically involving travel.
• Space Shuttle: A reusable

Permanent Magnet

: once magnetized, remains magnetized. Ferromagnet: easily magnetized (iron, nickel, cobalt, some rare-earth metals, magnetite). Paramagnet: magnetized with more difficulty. Diamagnet: repels magnetic fields (slightly) - “not magnetic”./Materials can be broken into smaller chunks, called “domains”. Each domain has a miniature magnetic field. Materials may look the same, but at a smaller level, domains could be different - hence why some are magnets (or magnetize easily) and some don’t. Material, Temperature, Condition, Size & Shape*, Distance, affects magnet strength. All magnets* have two poles; North and South. At poles magnet is at its strongest (repelling or attracting). Breaking a magnet turns into 2 smaller... Continue reading "Understanding Magnetism, Electricity, and Light: A Comprehensive Overview" »

Planetary Systems and the Solar System

A planetary system is a set of gravitationally bound non-stellar objects in orbit around a star. A planet is a non-stellar object in orbit around a star. The barycenter is the center of mass of two or more bodies orbiting each other.

The Eight Planets and Other Bodies

The solar system consists of eight planets, their moons, asteroids, comets, and other minor bodies. The eight planets are:

• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune

Only five of these planets are visible to the naked eye. Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet or planetoid.

The Solar System Structure

The Solar System is the gravitationally bound system comprising the Sun and the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly. Of those... Continue reading "Solar System Mechanics and Planetary Classification" »

Parabolic Motion

Is when an object has two dimensions: U.R.M on the horizontal axis and U.A.R.M on the vertical axis.

Vertical Motion

Is when we throw an object totally up, meaning that the initial velocity or force is only applied in the vertical axis.

Uniform Rectilinear Motion (U.R.M)

Is when an object travels in a straight line at a constant speed with zero acceleration.

Uniformly Accelerated Rectilinear Motion (U.A.R.M)

Is when an object travels in a straight line with constant acceleration.

Inertia

Property of objects to maintain their current state.

Law of Conservation of Matter

Energy is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed.

Gravitational Acceleration

Type of acceleration that attracts bodies towards the center of an astro.

Work

Scalar... Continue reading "Laws of Motion and Gravitation in Physics" »

1) What reason does Michael give for choosing the company where he works?

1. TD principles