Revision as of 07:55, 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 ρ=m/V 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.

PH1.2 KINEMATICS

Content

• Rectilinear motion.

AMPLIFICATION OF CONTENT Candidates should be able to: (a) define displacement, mean and instantaneous values of speed, velocity and acceleration,

(b) use graphical methods to represent displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration,

(c) understand and use the properties of displacement-time graphs, velocity-time graphs, acceleration-time graphs, and interpret speed and displacement-time graphs for non-uniform acceleration,

(d) derive and use equations which represent uniformly accelerated motion in a straight line,

(e) describe the motion of bodies falling in a gravitational field with and without air resistance − terminal velocity,

(f) recognise and understand the independence of vertical and horizontal motion of a body moving freely under gravity,

(g) describe and explain motion due to a uniform velocity in one direction and uniform acceleration in a perpendicular direction, and perform simple calculations.