UNIT: SPH 2100 MECHANICS I
Dr. Maithya
BSc. Physics- JKUAT
MSc. In Physics – JKUAT
Doctor of Engineering (Geothermal
Engineering) – Kyushu University, Japan
Course Outline
• Fundamental units. Dimension analysis. Scalar and vector quantities. Dot
and cross product of vectors. Displacement, Velocity, acceleration and
Force as vectors. Free body diagrams. Motion with constant velocity,
constant and variable acceleration. Graphical representation of v-s, s-t, a-
t diagrams and their uses. Projectile Motion. Motion in a circle.
Centripetal force. Tangential and centripetal acceleration for any arbitrary
curvilinear motion. Newton’s laws of motion, momentum, impulse.
Gravitation, Kepler's Laws. Mechanical energy: K.E and P.E. Conservative
forces and potential energy. Simple Harmonic Motion, Damped and
Forced motion, Conservation of energy. Elastic and inelastic collisions.
Course Textbooks
1. Edwin R Jones, Richard L. Childers. (2001). Contemporary College Physics, 3rd Edition,
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. ISBN:9780072415124
2. Halliday, D. and Resnick, R. (2004). Fundamentals of Physics. 7 th Edition. Wiley. ISBN:
9780471216438
3. Berman, G.P., Forlan, L. M., and Tsifrinovich, V. I. (2003). Modern Physics and
Technology for undergraduates. World Scientific Publishing Company.
ISBN:9789810248826
Course assessment
CAT 30%: (Tests 15%, Practicals 10% and Assignments 5%), and final university
examination 70%.
Introduction
Every field in science involves taking measurements, understanding them, and
Communicating them to others.
Workers in different countries used different system units.
This made it difficulty for the scientist to come up with the same measurements.
In 1960, an International committee established a set of standards for length, mass
and other basic quantities.
The system established is an adaptation of the metric system, and it is called the
SI system of units.
The laws of physics are expressed in terms of basic quantities that require a clear
definition.
There are seven fundamental units in the system
Physical quantity Unit abbreviation
Mass Kilogram kg
length meter m
time second s
temperature Kelvin K
amount of substance mole mol
electric current ampere A
luminous intensity candela cd
Note:
Other metric units of length
1 Kilometer (km) = 1000 meters (m)
1 meter (m) = 100 centimeters (cm)
1 centimeter (cm) = 10 millimeter (mm)
Very small lengths are measured in micrometers (µm) and nanometers (nm)
1 meter = µm
1 meter = nm
Dimension Analysis
o Dimension usually denotes the physical nature of a quantity
o The physical nature of distance is length
o Dimensional analysis is a useful and powerful procedure in solving problems in
physics
o It makes use of the fact that dimensions can be treated as algebraic quantities i.e.
quantities can be added or subtracted only if they have the same dimension
The symbols to specify length, mass, and time are L, M and T respectively
Brackets [] are often used to denote the dimensions of a physical quantity
Examples:
The symbol for speed is , and in notation form, the dimensions of speed are
written
The dimensions of area are
The dimensions of volume are
The dimensions of acceleration are
Dimensional analysis can be used to help determine whether an expression has the
Correct form
The relationship can be correct only if the dimensions are the same on both sides of
the equation
