Physics Unit 3 Cheat Sheet (Motion and Gravity)

Energy
(J) and
q
Force (N)

Power (W)

1
= 2
2

=
(only if gravity is constant!)

Momentum ( )
and Impulse ( )

Motion
(, , )

=
1 1 1 = 2 (2 2 )
Impulse = = =

= +
+
=
2
1
= + 2
2

SI Units
-1

= cos
1
= 2
2
AVOID
=
= sin

Inclined Planes

(normal force acts

at right angles to
the surface)

Speed: ms
-2
Acceleration: ms
Distance: m
Time: s
Mass: kg
Force: N
Energy: J
Power: W
Current: A
Resistance:
Voltage: V

note that impulse does

not depend on
acceleration, ie. a collision
will have the same
impulse regardless of the
presence of padding

1
= 2
2
2 = 2 + 2
=

Centripetal Motion

Sources of centripetal force:

Tension, eg:
o Gravity
o Along a string
Sideways frictional forces

Newton's Laws
1. Every object continues in a state of rest or constant velocity unless acted
on by an unbalanced force.
2. The rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to the magnitude
of the net force and is in the direction of the net force.
3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Action-reaction
forces act on different objects, e.g.. Joe and wall
Newton's laws assume that space and time are absolute, in contrast with
Einstein, who proposed that space and time are relative.
The inertial frame of reference refers to objects moving at a constant speed,
where Newtons laws work (ie. the third law wouldnt work if Joe broke the
wall down).

= sin
= sin

2 4 2
=

2
2 4 2
=
= 2

2
=
=

= =

Driving force = weight force - normal force

p
pico 1012
n nano 109
micro 106
m milli
103
c centi 102
k
kilo
103
M mega
106
G giga
109
t tonne 103 kg

Normal Force

Graph interpretation
X-axis

Y-axis

Area under

Gradient

Extension
Time
Time
Time
Displ.
Dist
Strain

Force
Velocity
Accel.
F
Force

Stress

Displ.
Velocity
Impulse
Work
Work
/3

Spr. const
Accel.
YM ()

Collisions

Gravity

Elastic:
Energy conserved
Momentum conserved
Inelastic:
Energy lost as heat / sound / deformation
Momentum conserved

= 6.67 10

11

g
a
F
v
M
m
r
T

N m2 kg 2

Acceleration is
independent of mass
Force acts equally on
both bodies
Velocity is directed at
a tangent to the path

gravitational field
strength (N Kg 1 )
acceleration ( 2 )
Force (N)
velocity (M s1 )
Central mass (kg)
Orbiting mass (kg)
radius or orbit (m)
period of orbit (s)

4 2 2
= 2 =
2

4 2 2
= 2 =
=

==

2
=

Action / Reaction

= 2
2

4
1 1 = 2 2
Action/reaction forces:
Always exist in pairs
Are equal in magnitude
Act in opposite directions
Act on separate objects

This value is a constant for

bodies orbiting the same
central mass

Physics Unit 3 Cheat Sheet (E/P and M/S)

Transistor Amplifier

Phototransducers
LDRs
Vary resistance with illumination
Ohmic
As illumination increases, resistance
decreases
Advantages
Disadvantages
Simple, sensitive
Very slow
response
Wide range
time
Can be used in
voltage dividers

= +

0.7v

is very small

2

= =

=
2

1 + 2

=
=

Torque ( )

1 = 2

VR
2 = R1
cc VR

R = cc

1 + 2
1
1
1 + 2

Series

= 1 = 2

Resistance

= 1 + 2

Voltage

= 1 + 2

Parallel

Area =

Rotational
= 0

Static
= 0 and = 0

Jargon
materials which can absorb large

tough amounts of strain energy per unit

stiff
malleable
ductile

clipping
saturation
cut-off
Note that maximum
stress is not equal to
breaking stress

linear gain
de-coupling

volume before failing

materials with little or no plastic
region
materials with a high value for
Youngs Modulus
*not needed*
materials with a large plastic
region
how much stress a sample can be
subjected to before failing
flat points in an output signal
caused by the input signal being
out of range
when the input voltage is greater
than the linear region
when the input voltage is less than
the linear region
the gain of an amplifier where the
signal is not clipped
the DC blocking effect of a
capacitor

Copper

Concrete
Steel
Cast iron

Strength (MPa)
Tensile
Compressive
2
20
820
500
170
550

Est 1
1
2
= = E2 =
Vol 2
2
2E
= Area Vol

Remember that this energy

is per unit volume

strength
Translational
= 0

Youngs Modulus is independent of

thickness and therefore the same for
every sample of a given material

Area under vs.

brittle
The torque = 0 in
equilibrium
regardless of the
reference point.

LDs

Stress = =

Strain = =
or

Young s Modulus = E = =
=

Skin effect

Equilibrium

LEDs

Stress ( ) and strain

= 1 + 2
1
=
1
1
+
1 2
= 1 = 2

Low frequencies can travel along the entire wire, whereas

high frequencies can only travel along the skin. Therefore,
high frequencies encounter more attenuation than low
frequencies, limiting data transfer rates. This doesnt
happen to optic fibres.

Photodiodes
Vary conductance (resistance)
with illumination
Non-ohmic
Work in reverse bias
Advantages
Disadvantages
Very fast
Not sensitive
response
time

< 1s
> 1ns
Forward bias
Forward bias
Wide beam
Narrow beam
Wide wavelength Narrow wavelength
Slow switch speed Fast switch speed

N m2 = Pa

Total current, voltage and resistance

Current

Torque is equal to the product

of radius and the
perpendicular force
component .
= sin and =
= sin
Torque Work

cc = R

Disadvantages
Not as fast as
photodiodes

note that if one of

the components is
a diode then the
maximum voltage
consumed by it is
the bias (0.7v)

out

= +

Advantages
Sensitive
Gain of 10 to
100

Voltage Divider

1
=
1 2

= +

Phototransistors
Operate as transistors with base
as light source

one signal per wire

skin effect
thick fibres
expensive
affected by EM interference
convenient to branch and join

Glass fibre

1000+ signals per wire

no skin effect
thin fibres
cheap
not affected by EM interference
inconvenient to branch and join