Physically Easy

Mechanics

  1. Equilibrium: no net force, no acceleration, constant velocity or at rest, forces form a closed figure
  2. Resultant force = Fnet: head-to-head and tail-to-tail with components
  3. Equilibriant: equal and opposirte to resultant
  4. Mass (m): inertia, amount of matter, constant from place to place - unit: kg
  5. Weight (Fg or w):force of gravity, changes from place to place - unit: N - formula:Fg=mg
  6. g: acceleration due to gravity - unit:m/s^2 - formula:g=GM/r^2
  7. g: gravitaional field strength - unit:N/kg - formula:g=Fg/m
  8. Statiic Friction (at rest): applied force until motion starts
  9. Kinetic Friction (in motion) is constant
  10. Maximum static friction is greater than kinetic friction - Ff=µFN
  11. Newton's First Law: an object that is moving with a constant velocoty or is at rest has all balanced forces
  12. Newton's Second Law: the acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.
  13. Newton's Third Law: every action has an opposite and equal reaction

Electricity

  1. Conductors (metals) have free elecrrons, insulators do not.
  2. Objects become charged by losing or gaining electrons (not protons).
  3. Elementary Charge: proton or electron
  4. 1 Coulomb of charge = 6.35 x 10^18 elementary charges
  5. Charge of Electron: q = -1e OR q = -1.60 x 10^-19C
  6. Mass of Proton: m = 1.67 x 10^-27kg
  7. If two or more identical charged spheres touch, the final charge on each is the average charge (total charge / # of spheres). The total charge is conserved.
  8. A neutral object will be attracted (never repelled) by any charged object.
  9. Charging by conduction: direct contact - electroscope gets same charge as rod
  10. Charging by induction: no direct contact - electroscope gets charge opposite of rod
  11. Electric potential difference (voltage): work done per unit charge (V = W/q)
  12. Least resistance (best conductor): short, fat, cold
  13. Most resistance (worst conductor): long, skinny, hot
  14. Voltmeter: connect in parallel, infinite internal resistance
  15. Ammeter: connect in series, zero internal resistance
  16. 1 electronvolt (eV) = 1.60 x 10^-19J
  17. 1 kilowatt hour = (1000 W)(1 hr) = 3.6 x 10^6J
  18. An electric current (or moving charged particle) generates a magnetic field.
  19. A changing/moving magnetic field induces an electric current (electromagnetic induction).

Waves

  1. Transverse: perpendicular
  2. Longitudinal: parallel
  3. Radio Wave: electromagnetic wave - speed = 3.00 x 10^8m/s
  4. Refraction: changing direction when changing speed when crossing a boundary
  5. Diffraction: bending around obstacle or spreading through opening
  6. Noticeable diffraction: when size of opening approx. equal to size of wavelength – as opening gets smaller, more diffraction effects
  7. Resonance: energy is transferred to a system by making it vibrate at its natural frequency resulting in large amplitude standing waves - Examples: guitar string or wine glasses
  8. Doppler Effect: apparent change in frequency due to relative motion
  9. Polarized Light: vibrates in only one direction
  10. Dispersion: spreading out of light into components due to refraction – each color has slightly different index and speed

Modern Physics

  1. Photon: quantum (particle) of light
  2. Higher frequency = Higher energy
  3. Higher intensity = More Photons
  4. Hadrons made of quarks, leptons don’t break down further
  5. Antimatter = same mass, opposite charge
  6. Alpha particle = helium nucleus (2 protons and 2 neutrons)
  7. Positron = anti-electron = positive electron
  8. Proton = uud
  9. Neutron = udd