Honors Physics – Final Exam Review

I. Math Review for Physicists

Vocabulary: accuracy, precision, linear, exponential, inverse, root curve, dimensions, independent variable, dependent variable

  1. Triangles: , , , Pythagorean theorem: a2 + b2 = c2
  2. Significant Figures
  3. Sig figs with addition/subtraction (fewest decimal places)
  4. Sig figs with multiplication/division (fewest sig figs in any of the factors)
  5. Units/Unit Conversion
  6. Standard SI units (kg, m, s, C, etc.)
  7. Conversions (giga, mega, kilo, hecta, deka, deci, centi, milli, micro, nano, pico)
  8. Dimensional consistency (check to see if the units in an equation “work”)
  9. Linear Relationships
  10. Slopes/intercepts
  11. Meaning of the slope
  12. Writing equation from a linear graph
  13. Using the equation to answer questions about the data
  14. Graph Shapes (recognize shapes)
  15. Linear: y = kx + b
  16. Exponential: y = kxn + b
  17. Inverse: y = kx-n + b
  18. Root
  19. Experimental Conditions
  20. Independent and dependent variables
  21. Recognize which variables are held constant

II. Mechanics Section 1: Position, Velocity and Acceleration

Vocabulary: vector, scalar, position, distance, displacement, speed, velocity, strobe diagram, motion map, frame of reference, average velocity, instantaneous velocity, average acceleration, instantaneous acceleration

  1. Strobe diagrams and motion maps
  2. How to draw and interpret them
  3. Frame of reference
  4. x vs. t, v vs. t, a vs. t graphs
  5. finding equation that describes a linear graph
  6. converting among graphs
  7. converting between graphs and verbal descriptions
  8. converting between graphs and strobe diagrams/motion maps
  9. slope of x vs. t curve = instantaneous velocity
  10. slope of v vs. t curve = instantaneous acceleration
  11. area under v vs. t curve = x
  12. area under a vs. t curve = v
  13. Comparing motion of two objects graphically
  14. ,
  15. Vectors (displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum) and scalars (distance, speed)

III. Mechanics Section 2 – One Dimensional Kinematics (constant acceleration)

Vocabulary: freefall, kinematics

  1. Stacks of kinematics curves
  2. Equations
  3. g = 9.8 m/s2 downward (any object in the air on earth has an acceleration of g!)
  4. Describe x, v, and a for an object tossed straight up into the air

Goal 2: Two Dimensional Kinematics (motion in two dimensions!)

IV. Mechanics Section 4 – Projectile Motion

Vocabulary: projectile, trajectory, horizontal component, vertical component, range, hang time/flight time, frame of reference, air resistance, apogee, perigee

  1. Projectile: any object on which gravity is the only force
  2. Acceleration of a projectile (on Earth) is always g (9.8 m/s2)
  3. Divide problem into horizontal and vertical parts
  4. Horizontal
  1. Horizontal component of velocity is always constant (a = 0)
  2. Vertical
  3. Vertical acceleration is always = g
  4. All equations from last unit apply, and acceleration = g: and
  1. Any given quantity that is neither horizontal nor vertical must be resolved into its components
  1. For a projectile launched horizontally, flight time depends only on the height from which it was launched
  2. For projectiles launched at angles: REMEMBER TO RESOLVE THE INITIAL VELOCITY INTO COMPONENTS!!
  3. Effect of air resistance on trajectory
  4. Satellite Motion

V. Mechanics Section 5 – Circular Motion

Vocabulary: uniform circular motion, circumference, tangential/linear velocity, centripetal acceleration, centripetal force, centrifugal force

  1. Centripetal vs. centrifugal force and Newton’s 1st Law
  2. , where T is the period
  3. ,
  4. Centripetal force is a net force!
  5. Identify centripetal forces on different objects (gravity, tension, friction (unbanked curve), friction & normal force (banked curve), etc)
  6. Remember
  7. Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation:

Goal 3 and 4: Forces

VI. Mechanics Section 3 – Forces

Vocabulary: Force, inertia, agent, object, net force, terminal velocity, equilibrium, contact force, field force, force of gravity, normal force, force of static friction, force of kinetic friction

  1. Newton’s Laws of Motion
  2. Inertia
  3. Fnet = ma
  4. Equal and opposite force pairs (agent/object notation)
  5. Types of forces
  6. Applied, tension, kinetic friction, static friction, air resistance, normal, buoyant
  7. Gravitational, electric, magnetic
  8. Free-body diagrams
  9. Draw them
  10. Calculate individual forces
  11. Calculate net force
  12. Objects on flat ground or on an incline
  13. Equilibrium Forces
  14. Find unknown force when Fnet = 0
  15. Find force that will make Fnet = 0
  16. Force of friction
  17. Kinetic and static friction
  18. Ff = FN
  19. Torque
  20. Torque = perpendicular force x lever arm
  21. Formula:  = F┴∙d

Goal 6: Momentum and Impulse

VII. Mechanics Section 6 – Momentum and Impulse

Vocabulary: inertia, momentum, elastic, inelastic, impulse

  1. Remember: Inertia
  2. Momentum
  3. Takes into account both inertia (mass) and velocity
  4. p = mv
  5. Momentum is a vector
  6. Units: kg∙m/s
  7. Conservation of Momentum
  8. Total momentum is always conserved (The most unbreakable law in the universe!)
  9. For the system as a whole: pinitial = pfinal
  10. To solve momentum problems:
  11. Define an initial state and a final state
  12. Write an equation for the initial momentum
  13. Write an equation for the final momentum
  14. Set them equal and solve pinitial = pfinal
  15. Elastic (“bouncing”) and Inelastic (“sticking”) Collisions
  16. Impulse
  17. Impulse is a change in momentum.
  18. Ft = mv = p
  19. For impulse calculations where the force is changing, use the average force
  20. Practical applications (bat and ball, car airbags, gymnastics mats, safety nets, car crashes, jackhammer)

Goal 5 and 8 – Work, Energy, and Thermodynamics

Vocabulary: Energy, work, power, kinetic, gravitational potential, elastic potential, spring constant, internal energy, conservative force, heat, thermal equilibrium, specific heat, entropy

  1. Energy
  2. the ability of an object to produce change in itself or its environment
  3. unit – Joule (J) = Nm
  4. Ways to represent energy
  5. Energy pie charts
  6. Energy flow diagrams
  7. Energy bar graphs
  8. Forms of Energy Storage
  9. Kinetic Energy – Is the object moving?
  10. KE = ½ mv2
  11. KE is a scalar (technically depends on speed, not velocity)
  12. Soup can lab: translational and rotational KE
  13. KE is conserved in elastic collisions, but not in inelastic collisions
  14. Gravitational Potential Energy – Is the object some distance above the ground (or other reference point)?
  15. GPE = mgh
  16. Must pick a reference point
  17. Elastic Potential Energy – Is there a spring or other elastic object that is either stretched or compressed?
  18. EPE = ½ kx2
  19. x is the displacement from rest (non-stretched or compressed) position
  20. EPE = EPEf - EPEi
  21. F = kx (Hooke’s Law – force needed to stretch/compress a spring)
  22. Chemical Energy – Energy stored in chemical bonds
  23. Internal (Thermal) Energy – Is there friction or some type of collision/compression?
  24. Methods of Energy Transfer
  25. Working – It’s working if there is a change in energy and it’s not either of the other two!
  26. Heating – Change in temperature
  27. Radiating – emitting electromagnetic waves
  28. Work is a change in energy (W = E)
  29. W = E = Fx
  30. W is + if energy is put into the system
  31. W is – if energy is removed from the system
  32. Power
  33. The rate at which energy is transferred
  34. Unit – Watt (W) = J/s
  35. Conservative and Non-conservative forces
  36. Conservative – energy transfer is reversible; E depends only on the initial and final positions.
  37. Non-conservative – energy transfer is not reversible; E depends on the total distance traveled (ex. Friction)
  38. Heating
  39. Temperature – the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a substance
  40. Conduction (materials in contact) and convection (motion of a fluid)
  41. Specific heat
  42. Q = mcT
  43. Achieving Thermal Equilibium (two substances of different temperatures in contact)
  44. Qlost = Qgained
  45. –m1c1T1 = m2c2T2
  46. Calorimeter
  47. Change in internal energy = working + heating
  48. U = Q + W
  49. Remember to use the correct signs!
  50. 1st Law of Thermodynamics – Conservation of energy
  51. 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
  52. Thermal Energy flows spontaneously from a hot object to a cooler one
  53. One cannot convert thermal energy completely into useful work (eff = 1 – work/fuel)
  54. Every isolated system becomes more disordered as time passes (Entropy)

Goals 9 and 10: Electricity and Magnetism

Vocabulary: insulator, conductor, semiconductor, conduction, induction, electric potential difference, series, parallel,

paramagnetic, diamagnetic, ferromagnetic, motor, generator

  1. Electrostatics
  2. Electric Charge and Charge Transfer
  3. Properties of charge (likes/unlikes, conserved, quantized)
  4. Insulators/Conductors/Semiconductors
  5. Milliken Oil Drop Experiment (showed charge is quantized)
  6. Charging by conduction/induction
  7. Induced charge separation (conductor)/polarization (insulator)
  8. Coulomb’s Law
  9. F = kq1q2/r2
  10. Electric force is a field force, generally stronger than gravity
  11. Apply to two charges or multiple charges
  12. Electric Field Lines
  13. away from +, toward –
  14. closer lines  stronger field
  15. direction of field at a point is the tangent to the field line at that point
  16. Electric Potential Difference
  17. Volt = J/C
  18. V = W/q
  19. V = Ed
  20. Electric Current
  21. I = Q/t (Ampere = C/s)
  22. Conditions for Current Flow
  23. Electric potential difference
  24. Closed path
  25. DC Circuits
  26. Schematic Circuit Symbols
  27. Ohm’s Law: V = IR
  28. Series Circuits: I is same everywhere

VT = V1 + V2 + V3 + …

RT = R1 + R2 + R3 + …

  1. Parallel Circuits: IT = I1 + I2 + I3 + …

V is same everywhere

1/RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + …

  1. Complex Circuits – simplify
  1. Power
  2. P = IV = I2R (unit: Watt)
  3. Energy dissipated by a circuit element: E = Pt
  4. Units of energy (J, kWh)
  1. Magnetism
  2. Different from electric force – can attract and repel; magnetic poles cannot be isolated
  3. Magnetism basics
  4. Magnetic field produced by a moving electric charge
  5. Magnetic domains
  6. “hard” and “soft” magnetic materials
  7. paramagnetic, diamagnetic, ferromagnetic
  8. Magnetic Fields
  9. Away from North, towards South
  10. Always complete circles (because poles can’t be isolated)
  11. Created by current carrying wires (right-hand rule, curved fingers)
  12. Force on a charged particle in a magnetic field
  13. Right-hand rule, open fingers
  14. F = qvB
  15. Charged particle in a magnetic field travels in circular path
  16. Force on a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field (right-hand rule, open fingers)
  17. DC Motors and Generators
  18. Motors: How they work
  19. Generators: V = Blv (induced potential difference = mag field strength x length of conductor in field x velocity of conductor)

Goal 7 – Waves and Optics

  1. Simple Harmonic Oscillator/Simple Harmonic Motion
  2. Pendulum: T depends on l and g (T2 proportional to l/g)
  3. Spring: T depends on m and k (T2 proportional to m/k)
  4. Period, amplitude, frequency
  5. f = 1/T
  6. Wave
  7. Oscillating disturbance traveling through space (sine curve)
  8. Waves transfer energy
  9. Crest, trough, amplitude, wavelength, frequency
  10. Transverse waves (electromagnetic, aka. “light”), longitudinal waves (sound)
  11. Medium (light does not require a medium, sound does)
  12. Intro to Waves Lab
  13. v = f
  14. Sound
  15. Speed of sound in various media (slowest in gases, fastest in solids; faster in higher temperature gases; faster in low molecular weight gases)
  16. Sound Activity (higher f higher pitch; amplitude  loudness; beat frequency = difference between two frequencies; waveform shapes
  17. Superposition
  18. Constructive and Destructive Interference
  19. Interference pattern (beats, ripple tank)
  20. Standing Waves (nodes, antinodes)
  21. Standing wave (on string or open tube): L = n/2
  22. Doppler Effect
  23. apparent change in frequency and wavelength (not speed!)
  24. due to relative motion between source and observer
  25. for light: “red shift” and “blue shift”
  26. Bow waves and Sonic booms
  27. Interaction of Waves and Media
  28. Transmission (transparent, translucent, opaque, reflecting)
  29. Reflection

-Reflection from free and fixed ends

-Normal to the surface

-i = r

-Specular and Diffuse Reflection

  1. Refraction (waves enter a new medium and change speed)

-n = c/v = o/n

-n1/n2 = v2/v1

-wave slows down (n2>n1), bends toward normal

-wave speeds up (n2<n1), bends away from normal

-Snell’s Law: n1sin1 = n2sin2

-dispersion (prism, rainbow)

  1. Total Internal Reflection

-Only when going from higher to lower n

-Critical angle: c = n1/n2 where n1n2

  1. Diffraction
  1. Light
  2. Electromagnetic Spectrum
  3. Speed of Light
  4. Optics
  5. Ray diagrams
  6. Real/virtual, enlarged/reduced/neither, upright/inverted
  7. M = di/do = Si/So
  8. 1/f = 1/di + 1/do