Physics I Workbook For Dummies E-Book

Steven Holzner

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Seitenzahl: 347

Beschreibung

Unleash your inner Einstein and score higher in physics Do you have a handle on basic physics terms and concepts, but your problem-solving skills could use some static friction? Physics I Workbook For Dummies helps you build upon what you already know to learn how to solve the most common physics problems with confidence and ease. Physics I Workbook For Dummies gets the ball rolling with a brief overview of the nuts and bolts of physics (i.e. converting measure, counting signification figures, applying math skills to physics problems, etc.) before getting in the nitty gritty. If you're already a pro you can skip this section and jump right into the practice problems. There, you'll get the lowdown on how to take your problem-solving skills to a whole new plane--without ever feeling like you've been left spiraling down a black hole. * Easy-to-follow instructions and practical tips * Complete answer explanations are included so you can see where you went wrong (or right) * Covers the ten most common mistakes people make when solving practice physics problems When push comes to shove, this friendly guide is just what you need to set your physics problem-solving skills in motion.

Leseprobe

Physics I Workbook For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Published by:John Wiley & Sons, Inc.111 River StreetHoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2013954196

ISBN 978-1-118-82577-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-82575-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-82579-2 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Physics I Workbook For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/physics1workbook to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Getting Started with Physics

Chapter 1: Reviewing Physics Basics

Measuring the Universe

Putting Scientific Notation to Work

Converting between Units

Converting through Multiple Units

Converting Times

Counting Significant Figures

Coming Prepared with Some Algebra

Being Prepared with Trigonometry

Answers to Problems about Physics Basics

Chapter 2: The Big Three: Displacement, Velocit y, and Acceleration

From Point A to B: Displacement

Reading That Speedometer

Putting Pedal to Metal: Acceleration

Connecting Acceleration, Time, and Displacement

Connecting Velocity, Acceleration, and Displacement

Answers to Problems about Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration

Chapter 3: Vectors: Knowing Where You're Headed

Creating a Vector

Understanding Vector Components

Finding a Vector's Components

Finding a Vector's Magnitude and Direction

Adding Vectors Together

Handling Velocity as a Vector

Answers to Problems about Vectors

Part II: May the Forces Be with You

Chapter 4: Applying Force

Newton's First Law of Motion

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Force Is a Vector

Calculating Net Force and Acceleration

Sorting Out Weight and Mass

The Balancing Act of Equilibrium

Newton's Third Law of Motion

Answers to Problems about Force

Chapter 5: Working with Inclined Planes

Breaking Ramps Up into Vectors

Acceleration and Inclined Planes

Running Down Ramps: Speed

Friction on Inclined Planes

Starting from zero: Static friction

Already in motion: Kinetic friction

Static Friction along Ramps

Kinetic Friction along Ramps

Acceleration along Ramps Including Friction

Answers to Problems about Inclined Planes

Chapter 6: Round and Round: Circular Motion

Converting between Angles

Period and Frequency

Getting into Angular Velocity

Whipping Around with Angular Acceleration

Connecting Angular Velocity and Angular Acceleration to Angles

Connecting Angular Acceleration and Angle to Angular Velocity

Handling Centripetal Acceleration

Getting Forceful: Centripetal Force

Answers to Problems about Circular Motion

Part III: Being Energetic: Work

Chapter 7: Working the Physics Way

A Different Kind of Work

Dealing with the Net Force

Getting Energetic: Kinetic Energy

Getting Kinetic Energy from Work

Storing Your Energy: Potential Energy

Powering It Up

Answers to Problems about Work

Chapter 8: Get  ting Things to Move: Momentum and Kinetic Energy

Acting on Impulse

Getting Some Momentum

Relating Impulse and Momentum

Conserving Momentum

Conserving Kinetic Energy — or Not

Collisions in Two Dimensions

Answers to Problems about Momentum and Kinetic Energy

Chapter 9: Winding It Up: Rotational Motion and Torque

Finding Tangential Speed

Targeting Tangential Acceleration

Angular Velocity as a Vector

Angular Acceleration as a Vector

Doing the Twist: Torque

The Balancing Act: Rotational Equilibrium

Answers to Problems about Rotational Motion and Torque

Chapter 10: Get  ting Dizzy with Rotational Dynamics

Putting Newton on Wheels

Moments of Inertia for Everyone

Doing Some Rotational Work

Round and Round: Rotational Kinetic Energy

Working with Ramps Again

Can't Stop This: Angular Momentum

Answers to Problems about Rotational Dynamics

Chapter 11: Simple Harmonic Motion

Hooking into Hooke's Law

Simply Simple Harmonic Motion

Getting Periodic

Considering Velocity

Figuring the Acceleration

Bouncing Around with Springs

Talking about Energy

Following the Ticktock of Pendulums

Answers to Problems about Simple Harmonic Motion

Part IV: Obeying the Laws of Thermodynamics

Chapter 12: You're Getting Warm: Thermodynamics

Converting between Temperature Scales

Getting Bigger: Linear Expansion

Plumping It Up: Volume Expansion

Getting Specific with Heat Capacity

Changes of Phase: Latent Heat

Answers to Problems about Thermodynamics

Chapter 13: Under Pressure: From Solid to Liquid to Gas

How Heat Flows: Convection

How Heat Is Produced: Conduction

How Heat Is Produced: Radiation

A Biggie: Avogadro's Number

Ideally Speaking: The Ideal Gas Law

Molecules in Motion

Answers to Problems about Pressure

Chapter 14: All about Heat and Work

The First Law of Thermodynamics

Constant Pressure: Isobaric Processes

Constant Volume: Isochoric Processes

Constant Temperature: Isothermal Processes

At Constant Heat: Adiabatic

The Direction of Heat: The Second Law of Thermodynamics

Making Heat Work: Heat Engines

Maximum Efficiency: Carnot Heat Engines

The Third Law of Thermodynamics

Answers to Problems about Heat and Work

Part V: Zap: Electricity

Chapter 15: Static Electricit  y: Electrons at Rest

Talking about Electric Charges

Getting Forceful with Charges

Electrical Forces Are Vectors

Force at a Distance: Electric Fields

Easy Electric Field: Parallel Plate Capacitors

Ramping Up Some Voltage

Electric Potential from Point Charges

Answers to Problems about Static Electricity

Chapter 16: Electrons in Motion: Circuits

Electrons in a Whirl: Current

Giving You Some Resistance: Ohm's Law

Powering It Up

One after the Other: Series Circuits

All for One: Parallel Circuits

The Whole Story: Kirchhoff's Rules

Answers to Problems about Circuits

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 17: Ten Common Mistakes People Make When Solving Problems

Mixing Units

Expressing the Answer in the Wrong Units

Swapping Radians and Degrees

Getting Sines and Cosines Mixed Up

Not Treating Vectors as Vectors

Neglecting Latent Heat

Getting Refraction Angles Wrong

Getting the Signs Wrong in Kirchhoff Loops

Adding Resistors Incorrectly

Using the Wrong Rays in Ray Diagrams

Chapter 18: Ten Online Physics Tutorials and Resources

The Physics Classroom

ThinkQuest

HyperPhysics

Roman Goc's Physics Tutorial

Physics 24/7 Tutorial

University of Guelph's Physics Tutorial

Tutor4Physics

Kenneth R. Koehler's Hypertextbook

Fear of Physics's Problem Solver

Vector Resolver

About The Author

Cheat Sheet

More Dummies Products

Guide

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

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Introduction

Physics is about the world and everything in it. Physics describes that world and the kinds of things that take place in it. Sometimes, however, physics seems like an imposition from outside — a requirement you have to get through.

That's a shame, because it's your world that physics describes. Under the burden of physics problems, though, things can get tough. That's where this book comes in, because it's designed to let you tackle those problems with ease.

Kirchhoff's laws? No problem. Carnot engines? No worries. This book addresses these topics and more. After you're done reading, you'll be a problem-solving pro.

About This Book

This book is crammed with physics problems, which is the idea; it's designed to show you solutions for the kinds of problems you may encounter in physics classes.

In this book, you can find solutions to problems similar to the ones you're asked to solve elsewhere. And when you see how it's done, solving similar problems should be a breeze.

Many books have endless conventions that you have to learn before you can start reading. Not this one. In fact, all you need to know is that new terms are given in italics, like this, when they're introduced. You should also know that vectors, which are those items that have both a magnitude and a direction, are given in bold, like this: B.

Foolish Assumptions

I'm assuming that you're using this book in conjunction with a physics class or textbook, because this book keeps the derivation of physical formulas to a minimum. The emphasis here is on solving problems, not deriving formulas. So some knowledge of the physics you're going to be using here is helpful. This book is designed to help you with the nitty-gritty, not to introduce the topics from scratch.

You should also know some algebra. You don't need to be an algebra pro, but you should know how to move items from one side of an equation to another and how to solve for values. Take a look at the discussion in Chapter 1 if you're unsure.

You also need a little knowledge of trigonometry, but not much. Again, take a look at the discussion in Chapter 1, where all the trig you need to know — a grasp of sine and cosine — is reviewed in full.

Icons Used in This Book

You find a few icons in this book, and here's what they mean:

This icon points out helpful hints, ideas, or shortcuts that save you time or that give you alternative ways to think about a particular concept.

This icon marks something to remember, such as a law of physics or a particularly juicy equation.

This icon means that what follows is technical, insider stuff. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but if you want to become a physics pro (and who doesn't?), take a look.

This icon highlights examples that show you how to work each type of problem.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the material in the print or e-book you're reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. When you need a quick physics refresher, check out the free Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/physics1workbook. There you'll find handy equations, the values of important constants, and common mistakes to avoid.

You can find additional information about physics in some articles that supplement this book. Head to www.dummies.com/extras/physics1workbook for articles that explain how friction is a force; the relationship between kinetic and potential energy; the first law of thermodynamics; the relationship between electricity and magnets; and ten important physics concepts.

Where to Go from Here

You're ready to jump into Chapter 1. You don't have to start there, of course. You can read this book in any order you like instead of reading it from beginning to end. But if you want some important, general, problem-solving background, take a look at Chapter 1 first.

Part I

Getting Started with Physics

Visit www.dummies.com for free access to great Dummies content online.

In this part . . .

Grasp fundamental physics measurements, scientific notation, and converting among units, distances, and time.Master the motion of displacement, velocity, and acceleration.Point yourself in the right direction with vectors.

Chapter 1

Reviewing Physics Basics

In This Chapter

Laying down measurements

Simplifying with scientific notation

Practicing conversions

Drawing on algebra and trigonometry

This chapter gets the ball rolling by discussing some fundamental physics measurements. At its root, physics is all about making measurements (and using those measurements as the basis of predictions), so it's the perfect place to start! I also walk you through the process of converting measurements from one unit to another, and I show you how to apply math skills to physics problems.

Measuring the Universe