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

Zaha Hadid was designing the BMW Central Building.

The eventuality described in the VP ‘design the BMW Central Building” is [-static, +durative, +telic], thus an accomplishment. As shown in this example, it is compatible with the progressive, which emphasizes the progress of a [+durative] eventuality. Three diagnostics can be used to show that this event is an accomplishment, not an activity:

1. It is compatible with in-PPs ('Zaha Hadid designed the BMW Central Building in three months.'), but not with for-PPs ('Zaha Hadid designed the BMW Central Building in three months').
2. It does not have the sub-interval property: A subinterval of the event described in ‘Zaha Hadid designed the BMW Central Building’ cannot be described as ‘Zaha Hadid

The Future of Physics

Science Fiction and Reality

Much of what we see in science fiction, such as time travel, warp drive, higher dimensions, portals through space and time, stargates, and wormholes, is actually within the realm of possibility according to the laws of physics.

Imagine meeting your grandparents in the year 1900, when they were simple farmers. Consider the powers of Greek gods: Zeus could control objects with his mind, materializing them at will. Venus possessed a perfect, ageless body. We are now beginning to understand the genetics of aging at the molecular level.

Apollo rode his chariot across the heavens. We will eventually have the flying cars we've always dreamed of. By the year 2100, we may have powers comparable to the gods.... Continue reading "The Power of Physics: From Aristotle to the Future" »

• Thermal energy is the energy that is exchanged between two bodies or systems of matter that have different temperatures. Thermal energy is also exchanged when a body changes from one physical state to another.

• Kinetic energy (Ec) is the energy of a body in motion. It depends on the mass and the speed of the body.

• Potential energy (Ep) is the energy of a body determined by its position. It depends on the body’s mass and position

• Gravitational Potential Energy
• Elastic potential energy

• Electrical energy is energy produced by the movement of charged particles (electrons), due to a potential difference.

• Radiant energy is energy carried by the electromagnetic waves, such as light, radio waves, microwaves, X-ray or γ rays. It’s called radiation. 

• Chemical

Relativity Law and Phenomena

The relativity law, analyzing phenomena for bodies whose speed is comparable to the speed of light

The time and the space can have a different reference system

Characteristics of Light

The light is reflected and has wave characteristics.

The measurement can be probabilistic and not precisely directs.

Measurement and Physical Magnitude

Measurement: the act of measuring as the comparison of a property or physical magnitude with another of the same class. Assigning a numerical value to the result of said measurement, and adding a unit of measurement which will give us an accurate idea of the physical magnitude that is being measured

Physical Magnitude: is the term associated with some property or characteristic measurable... Continue reading "Understanding Relativity and Measurement in Physics" »

Linear Kinetics

Law 1 of Inertia: object at rest and no external forces acting on it remains at rest, object in motion stays in motion, object at rest stays at rest, Law 2 of Acceleration: Change in motion is proportional to the force impressed and is made in direction of straight line. Force causes acceleration Law of Reaction: forces never act in isolation, but in pairs, forces equal to magnitude, in opposite direction. Conservation of Momentum: momentum before impact equals momentum after impact Impulse-momemtum: Ft=m(VF-VI) M=mv I=Ft

Torques & Moments

Torque: turnin effect produced by force aka moment, angular or rotary force, directly proportional to magnitude of force. Motion of a restrained system, force applied away from axis. Moment

Principle of Compound Microscope

A compound microscope operates on the principle that when a small object is positioned just beyond the objective lens's focal point, it produces a virtual, inverted, and highly magnified image. This final image is formed at the least distance of distinct vision (25 cm) from the eye, which is positioned close to the eyepiece.

Construction of a Compound Microscope

A compound microscope is constructed with two convex lenses: an objective lens (O) with a small aperture and an eyepiece (E) with a larger aperture. The lens positioned closer to the object is termed the objective lens, while the lens closer to the observer's eye is called the eyepiece. Both the objective and eyepiece lenses have short focal lengths and... Continue reading "Compound Microscope: Principle, Construction, and Magnification" »

Chapter 1: Dimensional Analysis and Measurement

Understanding Dimensions and Models

Dimensional analysis is a method used to verify the correctness of physical relationships by examining the dimensions of the quantities involved. A model is a representation or analogy that helps us understand complex phenomena by relating them to something familiar.

Trigonometry and Accuracy

Trigonometry, the study of triangles and their relationships, plays a crucial role in physics. Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true value.

SI Units and the Search for Order

The International System of Units (SI) provides standardized units for scientific measurements. The SI unit of time is the second, the unit of length is the meter, and the unit of mass... Continue reading "Understanding Physics Concepts: Motion, Measurement, and Mathematical Tools" »

Gravity Method

The weight of any body depends on the force of gravity at that location.

The force of gravity varies with elevation, rock density, latitude, and topography.

When a mass is suspended from a spring, the amount of spring stretching is proportional to the force of gravity.

F=m.g

Where:

• g: Acceleration of gravity.

Since mass is constant, then stretch variations determine the variations in the acceleration of gravity (g).

A gravimeter is an instrument used to measure (g) at stations. The readings are corrected for elevation, latitude, and topography. The normal value of (g) is subtracted from the corrected readings to compute the residual gravity.

The values of residual gravity are plotted at the measuring stations to produce a contour map... Continue reading "Gravity, Magnetic, and Seismic Geophysical Methods" »

Understanding Light

What is Light?

Light is a form of electromagnetic energy. Very small particles called photons move in a wave pattern.

Visible light is the light which allows you to see the colours and shapes of objects. Light can come from a natural source or an artificial source.

Some objects only emit light which they receive from other light sources. In this case, they absorb some of the light, and reflect the rest in all directions.

Objects can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. This depends on how light travels through them.

How Does Light Travel?

Light travels in a straight line. It travels in waves and does not require a medium. The speed of light, however, does depend on the medium. The speed of light in a vacuum and in the air is... Continue reading "Understanding Light: Reflection, Refraction, and More" »