Unit 1

Introduction and
Mathematical Concepts
 Outcomes 
• SI Units
• The conversion of units
• Significant Notation
• Dimensional Analysis
• Introduction to Trigonometry
• Scalars and Vectors
• Vector Addition and Subtraction
• The components of a vector
• Addition of vectors by means of components
1.2 Units

SI units
1.3 The Role of Units in Problem Solving

THE CONVERSION OF UNITS

1 ft = 0.3048 m

1 mi = 1.609 km

1 hp = 746 W

1 liter = 10-3 m3
Category 1: Known conversion factors:
1 min = 60 s
1 h = 60 x 60 s = 3 600 s
1 000 ℓ = 1 m3
1 m = 100 cm
1 000 g = 1 kg
1 km = 1 000 m

Example:
2,3 h = ______ s = 2,3 x 3 600 s = 8 280 s
Category 5: Square and cube units:
These units refer to area and volume quantities, e.g. cm2 and cm3.

Example:
The area of an A4 sheet of paper is measured as follows: The
length is 29.5 cm and the breath is 20.5 cm. Calculate the area.
A = ℓ x b = 29.5 cm x 20.5 cm = 605 cm2

Conversion to SI units:
Long way: ℓ = 29.5 cm = ______ m = 29.5 x 10-2 m
b = 20.5 cm = ______ m = 20.5 x 10-2 m
A = ℓ x b = 29.5 x 10-2 m x 20.5 x 10-2 m = 0.0605 m2
Short way: 605 cm2 = 605 x (10-2) 2 m2 = 0.0605 m2
1.3 The Role of Units in Problem Solving

Example 1 The World’s Highest Waterfall

The highest waterfall in the world is Angel Falls in Venezuela,

with a total drop of 979.0 m. Express this drop in feet.

Since 3.281 feet = 1 meter, it follows that

(3.281 feet)/(1 meter) = 1

 3.281 feet 
Length  979.0 meters   3212 feet
 1 meter 
1.3 The Role of Units in Problem Solving

Example 2 Interstate Speed Limit

Express the speed limit of 65 miles/hour in terms of meters/second.

Use 5280 feet = 1 mile and 3600 seconds = 1 hour and

3.281 feet = 1 meter.

 miles   miles  5280 feet  1 hour  feet

Speed   65 11   65    95
 hour   hour  mile  3600 s  second

 feet   feet  1 meter  meters

Speed   95 1   95    29
 second   second  3.281 feet  second
 Exercise: Unit conversions
1. 25 cm3 = _________ m3

2. 400 ℓ = _______ m3

3. 25 x 104 Gm = _______ m

4. 99 kg = _______ g

5. 120 km/h = ________ m/s

6. 2 weeks = _______ s

7. 33 ng = _________ kg

8. 180 °C = _______ K = ___________ °F

 Significant numbers

• Nonzero digits are always significant 38.57

(four) 283 (three)
• Zeroes are sometimes significant and
sometimes not
– Zeroes at the beginning: never significant 0.052 (two)
– Zeroes between: always 6.08 (three)
– Zeroes at the end after decimal: always 39.0 (three)
How to Determine Significant Figures in a Problem
o Use the following rules: Rule #1
• Every nonzero digit is significant

Examples:
24 = 2
3.56 = 3
7 =1
 Rule #2 – Sandwiched 0’s

• Zeros between non-zeros are significant

Examples:
7003 = 4
40.9 = 3
 Rule #3 – Leading 0’s

• Zeros appearing in front of non-zero

digits are not significant
• Act as placeholders
• Can’t be dropped, show magnitude

Examples:
0.00024 = 2
0.453 =3
 Rule #4 – Trailing 0’s with DP

• Zeros at the end of a number and to the right of

a decimal point are significant.

Examples:
43.00 = 4
1.010 = 4
1.50 = 3
 Rule #5 – Trailing 0’s without DP

• Zeros at the end of a number and to the left of a

decimal point aren’t significant

Examples:
300 = 1
27.300 = ?
 Classwork
State the number of significant figures in each
of the following:
A. 0.030 m 1 2 3
B. 4.050 L 2 3 4
C. 0.0008 g 1 2 4
D. 3.00 m 1 2 3
 examples
-4
3. The number of significant figures in 6.0700 x 10 … is
a. 3.
b. 4.
c. 5.
d. 6.
e. 7.
4. How many significant figures are there in the value 0.003060?
a. 7
b. 6
c. 5
d. 4
e. 3
 More examples
Value Significant digits
305 3
305.0 4
5.00 3
3.0 x 105 2
3.00 x 105 3
30.000 5
3000 1
3.000 4
 Scientific Notation
All Physics quantities should be written as scientific
notation, which employs powers of 10.

The Order of magnitude of a number is the power

of ten when the number is expressed in scientific
notation
 Scientific Notation
• Useful for very large…

Distance to sun = 150000000000 m

= 1.5 x 1011 m

or small numbers:

radius of iron nucleus = 0.0000000000000044 m

= 4.4 x 10-15 m
• Useful for very large…

Distance to sun = 150000000000 m

= 1.5 x 1011 m

or small numbers:

radius of iron nucleus = 0.0000000000000044 m

= 4.4 x 10-15 m
Scientific notation simplifies large and small
numbers

• 1,000,000 = 1 x 106
• 0.000 001 = 1 x 10-6
• 234,000 = 2.34 x 105
• 0.00234 = 2.34 x 10-3
1.3 The Role of Units in Problem Solving

DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

• Is used to check mathematical relations for the consistency of their

dimensions

• Many quantities are denoted by specifying both a number and a

unit

• For example, the distance to the nearest telephone may be meters

• Or the speed of a car might be 25 meters/second

• Each quantity according to its nature requires a certain type of unit
1.3 The Role of Units in Problem Solving

DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

[L] = length [M] = mass [T] = time

Is the following equation dimensionally correct?

2
x  vt1
2

L 2
L   T  LT 
T 
1.3 The Role of Units in Problem Solving

Is the following equation dimensionally correct?

x  vt

L
L   T  L
T 
 Class exercises

Introduction to Physics page 19, problem

number 3 and 7
 Introduction to Trigonometry
• Trigonometry is math, so many people find it scary
• It’s usually taught in a one-semester high-school
course
• However, 95% of all the “trig” you’ll ever need to
know can be covered in 15 minutes
– And that’s what we’re going to do now
 Angles add to 180°

• The angles of a triangle always add up to 180°

20°

44°

30°
68° 68° 120°

20°
44°
30°
68°
+ 130°
+ 68°
180°
180°
1.4 Trigonometry

Right triangles

• We only care about

right triangles
– A right triangle is
one in which one
of the angles is
90°
– Here’s a right
triangle:
1.4 Trigonometry

ho
sin  
h

ha
cos  
h

ho
tan  
ha
 Special Right Triangles
30°
45°

2
2
3 1

60° 45°
1 1

3 1 2

cos(30 )  cos(60  )  cos(45  ) 
2 2 2
1 3 2
sin(30  )  sin(60  )  sin(45  ) 
2 2 2
3 tan(45  )  1
tan(30  )  tan(60  )  3
3
 3
Example 1: Suppose that an acute angle θ is known to satisfy sin  .
Determine the other trigonometric functions of this angle. 5
Solution: Lets use a right triangle and label what we know.

We must find a before

5 3 we can find the others,
except for csc θ

a =? 4
The Pythagorean Theorem will help us find the value of a.
a2  b2  c2 Now that we know all of the values for a, b, and
c, we can write all of the solutions:
a 2  32  5 2
3 4 3
2
a  9  25 sin   , cos   , tan   ,
5 5 4
a 2  16 5 5 4
csc  , sec  , cot  
a4 3 4 3
Example 2: A climber who wants to measure the height of a cliff is standing 35 feet from
the base of the cliff. An angle of approximately 60° is formed by the lines
joining the climber’s feet with the top and bottom of the cliff, as shown. Use
this information of approximate the height of the cliff.

opp x
tan 60  
adj 35
x
cliff x tan 60  Solve for x.
35
x
1.732050808 
60°
35
x ≈ 60.6 ft.
35 ft
Solution: When you have a right triangle situation and at least one angle and one
side is known, follow these steps to find the missing piece.
1. Ask yourself: What side do I have and what side do I want?
We have the adjacent side and we want the
opposite side.
2. Which trig function involves the two answers from question #1?
The tangent function will be used.
 Basic Trigonometric Identities

sin( A) cos( A)
Quotient identities: tan( A)  cot( A) 
cos( A) sin( A)
cos( A)  cos( A) sin( A)   sin( A) tan( A)   tan( A)
Even/Odd identities:
sec( A)  sec( A) csc( A)   csc( A) cot( A)   cot( A)
Even functions Odd functions Odd functions

Reciprocal Identities:
1 1 1
csc( A)  sec( A)  cot( A) 
sin( A) cos( A) tan( A)
1 1 1
sin( A)  cos( A)  tan( A) 
csc( A) sec( A) cot( A)
Pythagorean Identities:
sin 2 ( A)  cos 2 ( A)  1
tan 2 ( A)  1  sec 2 ( A) 1  cot 2 ( A)  csc 2 ( A)
1.4 Trigonometry

ho
tan  
ha

 ho
tan 50 
67.2m

ho  tan 50 67.2m   80.0m


1.4 Trigonometry

 ho 
1
  sin  
h

 ha 
1
  cos  
h

 ho 
  tan  
1

 ha 
1.4 Trigonometry

 ho   2.25m 
  tan  
1 1
  tan    9.13


 ha   14.0m 
1.4 Trigonometry

2 2 2
Pythagorean theorem: h h h
o a
Law of Cosines

Suppose that a triangle has sides of length a, b, and c and

corresponding opposite angles α, β, and γ as shown. Then

a 2  b 2  c 2  2bc cos 

B
β
c a
A α γ C
b
We also get…
b 2  a 2  c 2  2ac cos 
c 2  a 2  b 2  2ab cos 
Ex 1: A triangle has sides of length 6 and 8, and the angle between
these sides is 60°. What is the length of the third side?

6 x

60°
8

Solution: Using the Law of Cosines…

x 2  6 2  82  2(6)(8) cos 60
1
x 2  100  96 
 2
x 2  52 x  2 13
When the angles and one side of a triangle are known we can use the
Law of Sines to find the other missing parts.

The Law of Sines

Suppose that a triangle has sides of length a, b and c with

corresponding opposite angles α, β and γ as shown. Then
B
β
sin  sin  sin 
c a  
a b c
A α γ C
b
Ex 4: Find the missing angles.

α If we knew α we could
6 2 13 find β.
60° β β = 180 – 60 – α
8

Solution: We could use the Law of Cosines to find α…

8 2  6 2  ( 2 13) 2  2(6)(2 13) cos 

but it is easier to use the Law of Sines.

sin  sin 60 8 sin 60 8 sin 60

 sin     arcsin
8 2 13 2 13 2 13
2 3 2 39
  arcsin   arcsin   73.9;   46.1
13 13
1.5 Scalars and Vectors

A scalar quantity has only magnitude.

Scalar quantity: temperature, speed, mass

A vector has both

magnitude as well as direction.

Vector quantity: velocity, force, displacement

1.5 Scalars and Vectors

Arrows are used to represent vectors. The

direction of the arrow gives the direction of
the vector.

By convention, the length of a vector

arrow is proportional to the magnitude
of the vector.

8 km
4 km
1.5 Scalars and Vectors
1.6 Vector Addition and Subtraction

Often it is necessary to add one vector to another.

1.6 Vector Addition and Subtraction

5m 3m

8m
1.6 Vector Addition and Subtraction
1.6 Vector Addition and Subtraction

2.00 m

6.00 m
1.6 Vector Addition and Subtraction

R  2.00 m   6.00 m 
2 2 2

R 2.00 m   6.00 m 
2 2
 6.32m

R
2.00 m

6.00 m
1.6 Vector Addition and Subtraction

tan   2.00 6.00

  tan 1
2.00 6.00  18.4 

6.32 m
2.00 m

6.00 m
1.6 Vector Addition and Subtraction

When a vector is multiplied

by -1, the magnitude of the
vector remains the same, but
the direction of the vector is
reversed.
1.6 Vector Addition and Subtraction

  
AB B


A  
A B
 
AB
1.7 The Components of a Vector

 
x and y are called the x vector component

and the y vector component of r.
1.7 The Components of a Vector


The vector components of A are two perpendicular
 
vectors A x and A y that are parallel to the x and y axes,
  
and add together vectorially so that A  A x  A y .
1.7 The Components of a Vector

It is often easier to work with the scalar components

rather than the vector components.

Ax and Ay are the scalar components


of A.

xˆ and yˆ are unit vectors with magnitude 1.


A  Ax xˆ  Ay yˆ
1.7 The Components of a Vector

Example

A displacement vector has a magnitude of 175 m and points at

an angle of 50.0 degrees relative to the x axis. Find the x and y
components of this vector.

sin   y r
y  r sin   175 m sin 50.0   134 m

cos   x r
x  r cos   175 m cos 50.0   112 m

r  112 m xˆ  134 m yˆ
1.8 Addition of Vectors by Means of Components

  
C AB
 
A  Ax xˆ  Ay yˆ B  Bx xˆ  B y yˆ
1.8 Addition of Vectors by Means of Components


C  Ax xˆ  Ay yˆ  Bx xˆ  B y yˆ
  Ax  Bx xˆ  Ay  B y yˆ

C x  Ax  Bx C y  Ay  B y