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GUIDE BASICS BASICS

SI Units & Prefixes

SI Units Prefix Symbol Exponent Decimal Word

12
Length meter m tera- T 10 1,000,000,000,000 trillion
9
giga- G 10 1,000,000,000 billion
Mass kilogram kg
6
mega- M 10 1,000,000 million
Time second s kilo- k 10
3
1,000 thousand Big
2
Temperature kelvin K hecto- h 10 100 hundred
1
deka- da 10 10 ten
Amount of substance mole mol
0
— — 10 1 one
Electrical current amp A -1
deci- d 10 0.1 tenth
-2
Light intensity candela cd centi- c 10 0.01 hundredth
-3
milli- m 10 0.001 thousandth Small
-6
micro- μ 10 0.000 001 millionth
-9
nano- n 10 0.000 000 001 billionth
-12
pico- p 10 0.000 000 000 001 trillionth

Unit Conversion

Example: Convert 1 day into units of seconds

1. Find the equal amounts (the relationships) for the units that you’re working with
2. Write the starting amount
3. Multiply by the equal amounts as fractions
4. Cross out units that are on both the top and bottom of the list of fractions
5. Multiply the numbers to get the final amount, which will have the units that are remaining

1 day 24 hours 60 minutes 60 seconds 86,400 seconds

=
1 day 1 hour 1 minute

Starting Amount Equal Amounts Final Amount

Scientific Notation
How to write a number in Scientific Notation 3800 0.00024
1. Move the decimal until there is only 1 number
to the left of it
3.8.0.0. 0.0.0.0.2.4
3 2 1 1 2 3 4

2. Write down the new number and “x 10” 3.8 10 2.4 10

3. Count how many times you moved the decimal 3.8.0.0. 0.0.0.0.2.4
3 2 1 1 2 3 4
left + right -
4. Write that number as your exponent 3 -4
- If you moved the decimal left, the exponent is positive 3.8 10 2.4 10
- If you moved the decimal right, the exponent is negative

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 Order of Operations
2
(2 1)(1+3) (5 2)
Parentheses x= + 1
2 (8 5)
PEMDAS (1)(4) 3
2
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally Exponents x= + 1
2 3
1. Parentheses (1+2)
(1)(4) 9
2. Exponents x= + 1
2
3 Multiplication
2 3
3. Multiplication (2)(4)
4 9
4. Division 4
2
Division x= + 1
2 3
5. Addition 3+2
Addition, Subtraction x=2+3 1
6. Subtraction 3 2
x= 4

Solving Equations

Do the same thing to both sides of the equation: Example: Solve for m
Given: F = ma, F = 10, a = 2
=
A Rearrange the equation,
Left Right then plug in numbers

F = ma
5 + x = 12
Subtract 5
Rearrange F =m Divide both
Subtract 5 5 + x - 5 = 12 - 5 equation a sides by a
x=7
Plug in (10)
numbers =m
(2)
2x = 8 5=m
Divide by 2 2x = 8 Divide by 2
2 2
B Plug in numbers, then
x=4
rearrange the equation

F = ma
1=1
6=6 Plug in
Add 5 Add 5
numbers
(10) = m(2)
Multiply by 3 18 = 18 Multiply by 3
Divide by 2 9=9 Divide by 2 Rearrange Divide both
equation 5=m sides by 2

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 Circle and Triangle Geometry
θ1 + θ2 + θ3 = 180°
C d = 2r 1 revolution = 360° = 2π radians
r Area =
1
bh
2
C = 2πr = πd
d r r
A θ θ 1 radian
A = πr2
r h θ1
r : radius C : circumference θ2 θ3
d : diameter A : area b

Right Triangle Trigonometry

Hy
SOH - CAH - TOA Pythagorean Theorem
Opposite

po
te
nus Sine Cosine Tangent
e c2 a2 b2
Opposite Adjacent Opposite
θ Hypotenuse Hypotenuse Adjacent
Adjacent

θ1
Opposite Opposite c
sin( θ ) θ sin -1
arcsin( ) b
Hypotenuse Hypotenuse
90°
θ2
Adjacent Adjacent
cos( θ ) θ cos -1
arcos( ) a
Hypotenuse Hypotenuse

Opposite -1
Opposite θ1 θ2 90°
tan( θ ) θ tan arctan( )
Adjacent Adjacent

Vectors
Example:

A A A : magnitude 100 m
Ay A x : x component 50 m
y
θ A y : y component 30°
Ax 87 m
x
Magnitude and direction:
• A vector is a quantity that includes a magnitude and a direction. Some
examples of vector quantities are displacement, velocity, acceleration and force.
100 m , 30°
• Vectors can be represented graphically as arrows and the x and y components Components:
represent the amount of the vector that points in the x and y directions.
( 87 m , 50 m )
• The magnitude is the value of the vector (which is always positive) and is
represented by the length of the vector arrow. 87 m i 50 m j
• The direction of a vector is usually described as an angle.
• A vector and its components form a right triangle so we can use right triangle
geometry to find the magnitude, angle and components.
• Each vector can be fully described using either the magnitude and direction, or
the combination of the x and y components.

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 Vector Angles - Using Compass and Other Directions

N 40°
horizontal, horizon
60° north of west 40° north of east
30° west of north 50° east of north
E
40° below the horizontal
A B
30°
50°
60° 40° 30° above, from or relative
W E vertical
20° to the horizontal
45°
70° 45° 60° to the right of, from or
D C F relative to the vertical
60°
20° south of west 45° south of east horizontal
70° west of south 45° east of south 30°
horizon
ground
S
• If an angle is described as “40° north of east” we can imagine a vector that points in the east direction and then
rotates 40° so it also points towards the north direction.
• An angle can be described relative to a horizontal line referred to as “the horizontal”, “the horizon” or sometimes
“the ground” depending on the scenario. An angle can also be described relative to a vertical line or “the vertical”.

Vector Angles - Using Convention

+y

Reference angles: A
smallest angle between Positive angles:
A θ vector and x axis, counterclockwise
always positive
+θ from the +x axis
θ
θ x +x
θ
θ Negative angles:
B clockwise
A vector’s angle is measured
from the +x axis
at the start of the vector

y
+y +y +y +y

-270° 90° 180°

0°
x +x x +x x +x x +x
-180° 270° -90°

y y y y

• The conventional way to describe the angle of a vector is counterclockwise from the positive x axis (0° to 360°).
• If an angle is negative then the angle is clockwise from the positive x axis (0° to -360°).
• If a vector’s angle is described using a single value with no other information (such as “60°”) or if the angle is
greater than 90°, then the angle is likely the conventional angle.
• This conventional angle (positive or negative, -360° to 360°) can be used with the sin( ) and cos( ) functions to find
the x and y components of the vector, and it will result in the correct +/- signs for the component directions.

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 Finding the Components of a Vector

Using a reference angle:

A Ax A cos( θ ) A Ax A sin( θ )
Ay θ Ay
θ
Ay A sin( θ ) Ay A cos( θ )

Ax Ax

• A vector and its components form a right triangle: the magnitude of a vector is the length of the hypotenuse, and
the x and y components are the two legs.
• The angle between the vector and the x component is often used but not always, so don’t memorize if the x or y
components go with sin( ) or cos( ), just remember how to use the right triangle trig functions.

Using the conventional angle:

+y cos( θ )

A θ θ
Ay
+θ
x +x -360° -270° -180° -90° 0° 90° 180° 270° 360°
Ax
θ
sin( θ )
Ax A cos( θ )
Ay A sin( θ ) θ θ
y

• The conventional angle (-360° to 360°) can be used with the sin( ) and cos( ) functions to find the components of the
vector with the correct +/- signs for the component directions, regardless of the vector’s angle.
• The x component uses cos( ) and the y component uses sin( ).

Finding the Magnitude and Angle of a Vector

A A A x2 A y2 A
Ay θ Ay A A x2 A y2
θ -1
Ay
θ tan -1
Ay
Ax Ax Ax θ tan
Ax
Note: Plug positive values into the tan-1 ( ) function and the result will be a positive reference angle

• Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the magnitude of the vector which is the length of the hypotenuse.
• The inverse tan( ) relationship can always be used to find the angle, but once we know the components we can also
use one of the other inverse trig relationships.

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 Adding Vectors Graphically Using the Tip-to-Tail Method

Tip (end)

Tip (end) B
Tail (start) A Tail (start)

Resultant vector

C C B
A B
A and B
A added tip-to-tail

• We can add vectors graphically by drawing them out using the tip-to-tail method.
• The tail is the start of the vector and the tip is the end of the vector (the tip of the arrow).
• Each new vector to be added starts at the tip (end) of the previous vector.
• The resultant vector is the sum of the other vectors and it points from the tail (start) of the first vector to the tip
(end) of the last vector. Any number of vectors can be added together in this way.

Adding Vectors Using Components

y
B B
By
x C B C C Cy
θ

A A
AyBx θ
A θ

Ax Cx

• Find the x and y components of each individual vector, add the C A B C C x2 C y2

x components together, then add the y components together.
• Note that a vector is the sum of its 2 component vectors. Cx Ax Bx Cy
-1
θ tan
Cy Ay By Cx
C Cx Cy

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 Negative Vectors & Subtracting Vectors

A -B
A A -B
-A B

C
A ( -A ) 0 A B A ( -B ) C

• The negative of a vector has the same magnitude but the opposite direction as the original vector.
• Adding a vector with its negative results in the 0 vector so they “cancel” each other.
• Subtracting a vector is the same as adding its negative vector.

Multiplying & Dividing Vectors by a Scalar Value

D
Dy
C
B Cy
A θ θ
3
2A B Cx Dx

D 2C Dx 2 Cx Dy 2 Cy

• Multiplying or dividing a vector by a scalar (a number) • The components are each scaled (multiplied
scales the magnitude (length) of the vector but doesn’t or divided) by the same value as the vector.
change its direction (angle).

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