Physics 1: Mechanics

Lecturer: Nguyễn Quang

office: A1.503, email: nquang@hcmiu.edu.vn

HCMIU, Vietnam National University

Adapted from Assoc. Pro. Phan Bảo NgọcÕs slide

website: https://sites.google.com/view/quangnguyenwebsite/
● No of credits: 02 (30 teaching hours)
● Textbook: Halliday/Resnick/Walker (2011) entitled Principles
of Physics, 10th edition, John Willey & Sons, Inc.
Course Requirements
● Attendance + Discussion + Homework: 15%
● Assignment: 15%
● Mid-term exam: 30%
● Final: 40%
Preparation for each class
● Read text ahead of time
● Finish homework
Questions, Discussion
● See the secretary of the department (room A1.503) for
appointments
 Part A Dynamics of Mass Point
Chapter 1 Bases of Kinematics
Chapter 2 Force and Motion (NewtonÕs Laws)

Part B Laws of Conservation

Chapter 3 Work and Mechanical Energy
Midterm exam after Lecture 6
Chapter 4 Linear Momentum and Collisions

Part C Dynamics and Statics of Rigid Body

Chapter 5 Rotation of a Rigid Body About a Fixed Axis
Assignment given in Lecture 11
Chapter 6 Equilibrium and Elasticity
Chapter 7 Gravitation
Final exam after Lecture 12
 Part A Dynamics of Mass Point
Chapter 1 Bases of Kinematics
1. 1. Motion in One Dimension
1.1.1. Position, Velocity, and Acceleration
1.1.2. One-Dimensional Motion with Constant Acceleration
1.1.3. Freely Falling Objects
1. 2. Motion in Two Dimensions
1.2.1. The Position, Velocity, and Acceleration Vectors
1.2.2. Two-Dimensional Motion with Constant Acceleration.
Projectile Motion
1.2.3. Circular Motion. Tangential and Radial Acceleration
1.2.4. Relative Velocity and Relative Acceleration
 Why do we study Physics?
● Understand nature
– By defining physics quantities
– By defining laws of Physics (mathematics equations of physics
quantities) to describe our understanding of natural phenomena

Tell me some physics quantities that you know?

● Test laws by experiments/Predict the future physical

phenomena

● Build machines/devices that function as we expect!

(ENGINEERING)
https://www.scientificworldinfo.com/2021/09/importance-of-physics-in-our-
daily-life.html

What is the common properties of physics quantities?

Physics and other engineering fields

Infographic by Dominaic Walliman

 Measurements
● Physical quantities are measurable

● Need Units to measure physical quantities

● Three SI “Base Quantities”:

– Length – meter – [m]
– Mass – kilogram – [kg]
– Time – second – [s]
Systems:
– SI: Système International [m kg s]
– CGS: [cm gram second]
 1.1. Motion in one dimension
● Kinematics – describes motion

● Dynamics – concerns causes of motion

 1.1. Motion in one dimension
Kinematics
To describe motion, we need to define:

a reference frame
 1.1. Motion in one dimension
Kinematics
To describe motion, we need to define:

a reference frame

Then we find,i.e:
Displacement: Δx=0-(-5)=5m
● t=0s: x=-5 m
Two features of displacement:
● t=3s: x=0 m - its direction (a vector)
- its magnitude
We call x position
1.1.1. Position, Velocity and Acceleration

Space vs. time graph

t=0 s: x=-5 m
t=3 s: x=0 m
T=4 s: x = ?

Motion of an armadillo
B. Velocity: (describing how fast an object moves)
B.1. Average velocity:

Unit: m/s or cm/s

The vavg of the
armadillo:
6m
v avg   2m/s
3s
B.2. Average speed:

total distance
s avg 
Δt
Note: average speed does not include direction
•If a motorcycle travels 20 m in 2 s,
then its average velocity is:

•If an antique car travels 45 km in 3 h,

then its average velocity is:
Sample Problem (average velocity vs average speed):

A car travels on a straight road for 40 km at 40 km/h. It then

continues in the opposite direction for another 20 km at 40 km/h.
(a) What is the average velocity of the car during this 60 km
trip?

(b) What is the average speed? (Midterm Exam 2010)

(a)

(b)
totaldistance 40 + 20
savg    40 (km/h)
Dt 1.5
B.3. Instantaneous Velocity and Speed
The average velocity at a given instant (Δt  0), which
approaches a limiting value, is the velocity:

Δx(t) dx(t)
v(t)  lim 
Δt 0 Δt dt
x Tangent line The slope
(tanθ) of the
θ tangent line
xi
gives v(t)

0 ti t

Speed is the magnitude of velocity, ex: v=±40 km/h, so

s=40 km/h
Sample Problem :
The position of an object described by:
x = 4-12t+3t2 (x: meters; t: seconds)
(1) What is its velocity at t =1 s? v=dx/dt=-12+6t=-6 (m/s)
(2) Is it moving in the positive or negative direction of x
just then? negative
(3) What is its speed just then? S=6 (m/s)
(4) Is the speed increasing or decreasing just then?
0<t<2: decreasing; 2<t: increasing
(5) Is there ever an instant when the velocity is zero? If
so, give the time t; if not answer no. t=2 s
(6) Is there a time after t= 3 s when the object is moving
in the negative direction of x? if so, give t; if not,
answer no. no
C. Acceleration:
C1. Average acceleration:
The rate of change of velocity:
Δv v 2  v1
a avg  
Δt t 2  t1
Unit: m/s2 (SI) or cm/s2 (CGS)
C2. Instantaneous acceleration:
At any instant:
2
Δv(t) dv(t) d  dx  d x
a(t)  lim     2
Δt 0 Δt dt dt  dt  dt
 The derivative of the velocity (or the second one of
the position) with respect to time.
1.1.2. Constant acceleration:
dv
a  a const
dt
t
 v  v 0 +  adt  v  v 0 + a(t  t 0 )
t0

If t0=0: v  v 0 + at (1)

dx t t
v  x  x 0 +  vdt  x 0 +  [v0 + a(t  t 0 )]dt
dt t0 t0

a(t  t 0 ) 2
x  x 0 + v 0 (t  t 0 ) +
2
If t0=0:
1 2 (2)
x  x 0 + v 0 t + at
2
Specialized equations:
From Equations (1) & (2):

v - v  2a(x - x 0 )
2 2
0

1
x  x 0  (v0 + v)t
2
1 2
x  x 0  vt  at
2
Problem 27:
An electron has a=3.2 m/s2

At t (s): v=9.6 m/s

Question: v at t1=t-2.5 (s) and t2=t+2.5 (s)?

Key equation: v = v0+at (v0 is the velocity at 0 s)

● At time t: v = v0+at

● At t1: v1=v0+at1  v1=v+a(t1-t)=9.6+3.2x(-2.5) =1.6 (m/s)

● At t2: v2=v0+at2  v2=v+a(t2-t)=9.6+3.2(2.5)=17.6 (m/s)

1.1.3. Freely falling objects:
• “Free-fall” is the state of an
object moving solely under the
influence of gravity.
• The acceleration of gravity near
the EarthÕs surface is a constant,
g=9.8 m/s2 toward the center
of the Earth.

Free-fall in vacuum

Free-fall on the Moon

 y
Example (must do):
A ball is initially thrown upward along a y axis,
with a velocity of 20.0 m/s at the edge of a
50-meters high building.
(1) How long does the ball reach its
maximum height?
(2) What is the ballÕs maximum height?
(3) How long does the ball take to return
to its release point? And its velocity
at that point?
(4) What are the velocity and position
of the ball at t=5 s?
(5) How long does the ball take to hit
the ground? and what is its
velocity when it strikes the ground?

Using two equations: v  v 0 + at

1 2
y  y 0 + v 0 t + at
2
v0 = 20.0 m/s, y0 = 0, a = -9.8 m/s2 y
We choose the positive direction is upward
(1) How long does the ball reach its
maximum height?
v  v 0 + at  v 0  gt
At its maximum height, v = 0:
v 0 20
t   2.04 (s)
g 9.8
(2) What is the ballÕs maximum height?
1 2
y  y 0 + v 0 t + at
2
1 2
y max  0 + 20  2.04 + (-9.8)(2.04)
2
y max  20 .4 (m)
We can use: y
2  2a ( y  y )
v 2  v0 0
At the ballÕs maximum height:

0  20 2  2  9.8  ymax
y max  20.4 (m)
(3) How long does the ball take to return
to its release point? And its velocity
at that point?
1 2
y  y 0 + v 0 t + at
2
At the release point: y = 0
1
0  0 + 20t  9.8t 2
2
t  0 or t  4.08 (s)
So: t  4.08 (s)
 y
v  v 0 + at  v 0  gt
v  20  9.8(4.08)  20 (m/s)
You can also use:
2  2a ( y  y )
v 2  v0 0
2  v  v : downward
v 2  v0 0

(4) What are the velocity and position

of the ball at t=5 s?

v  v 0  gt  20 - 9.8  5  29 .0 (m/s)

1
y  20t  9.8t 2  22.5 (m)
2
(5) How long does the ball take to hit y
the ground? and what is its
velocity when it strikes the ground?

When the ball strikes the ground, y = -50 m

1
y  20t  9.8t 2  50
2
t  5.83 (s); t  1.75 (s)

so t  5.83 (s)
v  v 0  gt  20 - 9.8  (5.83)  37.1 (m/s)
Keywords of the lecture:

1. Displacement (m): measuring the change in position of an object

in a reference frame
Δx = xt – x0 (one dimension)

2. Velocity (m/s): describing how fast an object moves

v = Δx/Δt

3. Acceleration (m/s2): measuring the rate of change of

velocity
a = Δv/Δt
Homework:
(1) Read Sec. 2-10.

(2) From page 31: Problems 1-6, 16, 20, 29-31, 33,
46, 48, 50