PHYSICS SI Prefixes

PREFIX SYMBOL VALUE

Fundamental Quantities yotta Y 1024
zeta Z 1021
- Independent, base, simplest exa E 1018
quantities peta P 1015
- Can be measured directly tera T 1012
giga G 109
7 Fundamental Quantities mega M 106
kilo k 103
NAME SYMBOL SI UNIT hecto h 102
electric I Ampere (A) deka da 101
current PREFIX SYMBOL VALUE
temperature T Kelvin (K) yocto Y 10-24
time t seconds (s) zepto Z 10-21
mass m grams (g) atto E 10-18
distance d meter (m) femto P 10-15
luminous IV / IL / L I Candela pico T 10-12
intensity (Cd) nano G 10-9
amount of n moles (mol) micro M 10-6
substance milli k 10-3
centi h 10-2
deci da 10-1
Photon – no mass
– only massless particle in the
universe Significant Figures
Derived Quantities
- Is the number reliably known
- Combinations of two or more digits it contains and is based on
fundamental quantities the precision of the instrument
- Cannot be measured directly used in measuring the quantity
NOTE: Vf ≠ Vf RULES:
Atomic mass unit (amu) – measurement 1.) All non-zero digits are significant.
for sub-atomic elements Ex: 0.003 – 1 SF
2.) All zero digits between 2 non-
Scientific Notation
zero digits are significant.
- Ways to express very small or Ex: 0.003 – 1 SF
very large numbers 3.) Trailing zeros are usually
- Simplified way of expressing significant.
numbers Ex: 100 – 3 SF
100. – 3 SF
2500 = 2.5 x 103 (single whole number) 1.00 – 3 SF
 Php 100 – 3 SF vertical upwards +
4.) Zeros found at the right of the motion downwards -
decimal point but to the left of a Resultant Vector
non-zero digit are NOT
- Sum or the difference of the
significant.
combined effect of two or more
Ex: 0.003 – 1 SF
vector quantities.
NOTE: The ambiguity may be removed
Ways to get the resultant vector:
by using scientific notation.
 Graphical method
Multiplication & Division (least no. of SF)
 Analytical method
Addition & Subtraction (least no. of
Example (graphical):
decimals)

Scalar Quantity

- Magnitude only (actual values or

measurement)
- No direction

Ex: length, time, distance, area,

mass, speed, volume, temperature,
work

Vector Quantity

- Magnitude and direction

Ex: displacement, acceleration,

velocity, force
Example (analytical):
NOTE: bar (¯) denotes vector quantity
Law of sine – for direction
Vector Diagrams

- Shown using an arrow

- Length represents its magnitude Law of cosine – for magnitude
- The direction of the arrow shows
its direction

Common Sign Convention

MOTION DIRECTION SIGN

horizontal to the right +
motion to the left -
Component method: - In SI, the unit of velocity is meters
per second, abbreviated as m/s.

Formula:

Velocity and Speed

- Velocity describes motion with

Kinematics in One dimension
- Also known as rectilinear motion
- To measure motion, you must
choose a frame of reference. A
frame of reference is a system for
specifying the precise location of
objects in space and time.
both a direction and a numerical
value (a magnitude).
- Speed has no direction, only
magnitude.
- Average speed is equal to the
total distance travelled divided by
the time interval.

Displacement
Interpeting Velocity Graphically
- Is a change in position.
- Is not always equal to the - For any position-time graph, we
distance traveled. can determine the average
- The SI unit of displacement is the velocity by drawing a straight line
meter, m. between any two points on the
graph.
Formula: - If the velocity is constant, the
graph of position versus time is a
Δx = xf – xi
straight line. The slope indicates
displacement = final position – initial the velocity.
position

Average Velocity

- is the total displacement divided

by the time interval during which
the displacement occurred.
 - Object 1: positive slope = positive Formula:
velocity
- Object 2: zero slope= zero
velocity
- Object 3: negative slope =
negative velocity

Instantaneous Velocity - Consider a train moving to the

- is the velocity of an object at
some instant or at a specific point
in the object’s path.
- The instantaneous velocity at a
given time can be determined by
measuring the slope of the line
that is tangent to that point on the
position-versus-time graph.
right, so that the displacement
and the velocity are positive.
- The slope of the velocity-time
graph is the average
acceleration.
 When the velocity in the positive
direction is increasing, the
acceleration is positive, as at A.
 When the velocity is constant,
there is no acceleration, as at B.
 When the velocity in the positive
direction is decreasing, the
acceleration is negative, as at C.

CHANGES IN VELOCITY Velocity and Acceleration

Acceleration

- is the rate at which velocity

changes over time.
- An object accelerates if its speed,
direction, or both change.
- Acceleration has direction and
magnitude. Thus, acceleration is
a vector quantity.
Motion with Constant Acceleration
- When velocity changes by the
same amount during each time
interval, acceleration is constant.
- The relationships between
displacement, time, velocity, and
constant acceleration are
expressed by the equations
shown below. These equations
apply to any object moving with
constant acceleration.
These equations use the following
symbols:
Equations for constantly accelerated
straight-line motion
Free Fall
- Free fall is the motion of a body
when only the force due to gravity
is acting on the body.
- The acceleration on an object in
free fall is called the acceleration
due to gravity, or free-fall
acceleration.
- Free-fall acceleration is denoted
with the symbols ag (generally) or
g (on Earth’s surface).
- Free-fall acceleration is the same
for all objects, regardless of
mass.
- We will use the value g = 9.81
m/s2.
- Free-fall acceleration on Earth’s
surface is –9.81 m/s2 at all points
in the object’s motion.
Consider a ball thrown up into the air.
- Moving upward: velocity is decreasing,
acceleration is – 9.81 m/s2.
- Top of path: velocity is zero,
acceleration is –9.81 m/s2.
- Moving downward: velocity is
increasing, acceleration is 9.81 m/s2.
NOTE: