Fundamental Laws of Physics: Units 1-3
Unit 1: Newton’s Laws of Motion
Newton’s First Law (Law of Inertia)
An object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced outside force. For example, a ball sitting on a table will not move until someone hits it.
- Distance: Total movement.
- Displacement: Direct line movement (change in position).
Newton’s Second Law
F = ma (Force equals mass times acceleration). A wooden ball moves faster in space than a brass ball.
Newton’s Third Law
For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.
Read MoreOptical Instruments and Phenomena: A Comprehensive Study
Periscope
Periscopes use isosceles rectangular glass prisms with a critical angle of approximately 43 degrees. The light inside the glass normally follows the path shown in the accompanying figure.
Pinhole Cameras
The simplest optical device is a pinhole camera, which is a closed box with a hole in one wall. It always produces real and inverted images, and its gain is given by A = y’ / s’.
Microscope
A microscope is used to see a greatly magnified image of a very small object at a short distance. It
Read MoreKey Equations and Concepts in Physics
Angular Motion
Equations of angular motion are relevant wherever you have rotational motions around an axis. When the object has rotated through an angle of θ with an angular velocity of ω and an angular acceleration of α, then you can use these equations to tie these values together.
You must use radians to measure the angle. Also, if you know that the distance from the axis is r, then you can work out the linear distance traveled, s, velocity, v, centripetal acceleration, ac, and force, Fc. When
Read MorePhotogrammetry: Image Formation and Distortion Analysis
Maintaining Adequate Air Coatings
In order to maintain adequate air coatings, which of the following statements are correct?
- With flying height constant, the value of the photogrammetric base increases in proportion to the altitude of the relief.
- Holding the value of the photogrammetric base constant, the flight height increases in proportion to the height of relief.
- Keeping the flying height constant, the value between flight lines decreases in proportion to the altitude of the terrain.
- Keeping the
Key Concepts in Mechanics: Momentum, Collisions, and Circular Motion
Key Concepts in Mechanics
Momentum and Collisions
Coefficient of Restitution: The negative ratio of the relative velocity after impact to the relative velocity before collision.
Completely Elastic Collision: A collision where kinetic energy remains constant.
Completely Inelastic Collision: A collision where the colliding bodies stick together and move off as a unit afterward.
Conservation of Momentum: The total momentum of colliding bodies before impact is equal to their total momentum after impact.
Elasticity:
Thermal Radiation, Black Bodies, Photoelectric Effect, and Photons
Thermal Radiation and Black Bodies
Electromagnetic energy emitted by a body due to its temperature is called thermal radiation. This thermal radiation varies with both temperature and the composition of the body. However, there is a set of bodies for which thermal radiation depends only on its temperature. They are called black bodies. The total power P emitted by a surface of temperature Ts satisfies the Stefan-Boltzmann law. The wavelength for which the maximum power output occurs is inversely
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