Revision as of 07:51, 27 January 2008

PH1.1 BASIC PHYSICS

Content

• Units and dimensions
• Scalar and vector quantities
• Force
• Free body diagrams
• Movements and stability
• Equilibrium

AMPLIFICATION OF CONTENT Candidates should be able to:

(a) recall and use SI units,

(b) check equations for homogeneity using units,

(c) contrast scalar and vector quantities and give examples of each – displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, speed, time, density, pressure etc.,

(d) appreciate the concept of force and understand Newton's 3rd law of motion,

(e) use free body diagrams to represent forces on a particle or body,

(f) recall and use the relationship ΣF = ma in situations where mass is constant,

(g) add and subtract coplanar vectors, and perform mathematical calculations limited to two perpendicular vectors,

(h) resolve a vector into two perpendicular components,

(i) understand the concept of density, use the equation <math> ρ=m/V </math> to calculate mass, density and volume;

(j) understand and define the turning effect of a force;

(k) recall and use the principle of moments;

(l) understand and use centre of gravity, for example in simple problems including toppling and stability. Identify its position in a cylinder, sphere and cuboid (beam) of uniform density;

(m) understand that a body is an equilibrium when the resultant force is zero and the net moment is zero, and be able to perform simple calculations.