Physics notes term 1
Electricity and magnetism:
Electrostatics:
• Common everyday experiences:
o Electrical charge:
▪ All matter composed of atoms.
▪ All atoms composed of positive and negative charges.
o When two materials rub together.
o Electrostatics force:
▪ Like charges repel each other and unlike charges attract one
another -rule.
o Polarization:
▪ An object is polarized when it has an uneven distribution of
charge.
▪ Everyday example:
• Spray painting cars.
o Conservation of Charge:
▪ Law of conservation of charge:
• The net charge in an isolated system remains constant.
▪ Equation:
• Qnet = Q₁ + Q₂ + …
▪ The two objects must be identical so that charges can be evenly
distributed.
▪ The objects must be isolated stands so that it is an isolated
system.
o Quantization of charge:
▪ Object becomes negatively charged by adding electrons and
positive by removing electrons.
▪ A faction of an electron cannot be transferred.
▪ Electric charge is quantized, meaning exists in whole numbers.
▪ Elementary charge is the charge of one electron:
• -1,6 x 10⁻⁹C
▪ For one proton:
• +1,6 x 10⁻¹⁹C
▪ The principle of charge of quantization:
• All charges are a whole number/integer multiple of the
charge on an electron.
• Q = nqe
• n= number of electrons (whole number)
• qe= charge of electrons.
Electric circuits:
• potential difference:
o energy per unit charge
• measured in volts via the voltmeter.
• Voltmeter always in parallel
• Formula:
𝑊
o V= 𝑄
𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 (𝐽)
o Potential difference = 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 (𝐶)
o Measuring volt and current:
Meter How to In a circuit How they Reason being
symbol connect diagram are
constructed
Voltmeter Parallel High Measure the
V resistance energy difference
V per Columb
charge.
Ammeter Series Low Measures how
resistance many charges flow
A A (negligible) through a point
per second.
Electro-motive force:
• Known as Emf
• Maximum energy a power source can supply a circuit per unit charge.
• =) voltmeter over power source when NO current is flowing.
• When a current is flowing, the reading over the power source will
DECREASE.
• =) new value =) terminal potential energy (Vpd).
Resistance:
• The ability of a material to slow down the flow of charge.
• Ohms law:
o The potential difference over a component is directly proportional to the
current through the component as longas the temperature of the
component remains constant.
• Formula:
𝑉
o R= 𝐼
• Factors that influence resistance:
o Temperature
o Length
o Type of material
o Diameter
• Low resistance materials:
o Copper
o Gold
o Platinum
• High resistance materials:
o Non-metal
o Oxygen
o Neon
Current:
• Rate of flow of charge
• Measured in Ampere via ammeter.
• Formula:
𝑄
o I = ∆𝑡
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 (𝐶)
o Current = 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 (𝑠𝑒𝑐)
o 1A = 1mA
Series and parallel circuits:
• Series:
o Rs = R₁ + R₂ + …
o I₁ = I₂
o Vt = V₁ + V₂
o Conventional current flows from positive to negative.
o Aka, long terminal to short terminal.
• Parallel:
1 1 1 1 1
o 𝑅𝑝 = 𝑅₂ + 𝑅₃ / Rp = [ 𝑅₂ + 𝑅₃]⁻¹
o V₁ = V₂ = Vt
o It = I₁ + I₂ + I₃
𝑉
o R=
𝐼
o The potential difference readings across resistors in parallel is constant;
the voltmeter readings are the same.
Transverse pulses:
• Transverse pulse sketch:
• Pulse and amplitude:
o Pulse:
▪ Effect of a single vibration traveling through a medium.
▪ Single disturbance/ vibration
▪ One disturbance
▪ Where waves are a continuous disturbance.
o Amplitude:
▪ maximum disturbance from rest position.
o Transverse pulse:
▪ Pulse where disturbance of maximum disturbance of medium is
perpendicular to the direction of the pulse.
• Superposition of pulses:
o Superstition:
▪ Occurs when wo pulses meet to occupy the same space at the
same time.
▪ The pulses combine and the resultant displacement is the sum of
the individual pulses.
o Constructive interference:
▪ The resultant displacement is when two waves that are in phase
meet.
▪ Will be big.
▪ When two pulses ate on the same side, both at the top.
▪ A plus B
o Destructive interference:
▪ The resultant displacement is when two waves that are out of
phase meet.
▪ Will be small.
▪ When one pulse is at the top and the other at the bottom.
▪ Minus A from B
o Interference:
▪ When two pulses are at the same place at the same time,
intervening with one another.
▪ When two pulses move from opposite sides.
o When the two pulses meet, they combine and undergo interference.
o The size of the combined pulse is determined by the principle of
superposition.
