PHYS 1A Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Free Fall, Scientific Notation, Dimensional Analysis
Document Summary
Physics: discipline that attempts to explain a wide range of natural phenomena with few underlying principles or laws. The difference between physics and math is the meaning of the numbers. Need to use significant figures so we know how certain we are about a measurement. There are other systems but this is the standard one we use. Always include units for every quantity, and carry the units through the entire calculation. Multiply original value by a ratio equal to one. When writing out avery large or very samll snumber, scientific notation helps. Dimensions of most physical quantities are derived from the three fundamental dimensions. You can use the dimension of a quantity or equation to guess or check your answer- this is called dimensional analysis. Derive an expression for position x of a car moving with a constant acceleration a starting from rest at t=0. The correct expression : x(t)= 1/2 at^2 week 1 page 1.
