Significant Figures and Scientific Notation Basic Math

Significant Figures 1m 0.1m = 10 cm 0.01m = 1 cm How long is the snake ?

Significant Figures 1m 0.1m = 10 cm 0.01m = 1 cm How long is the snake ? 0.3 m 0.27 m m

Basic Rules for Significant Digits Rule 1- which digits are significant: The digits in a measurement that are considered significant are – all of those digits that represent marked calibrations on the measuring device plus one additional – digit to represent the estimated digit (tenths of the smallest calibration).

Adding and Subtracting The sum or difference of measurements may have no more decimal places than the least number of places in any measurement. Ans: 29.8 m

Multiply and Divide When multiplying or dividing, the number of significant figures retained may not exceed the least number of digits in either the of the factors cm x cm = 22.4 cm 2 Note: only display three (3) significant figures because only has three significant figures.

Big Numbers What is the number: 602,214,150,000,000,000,000,000 Avogadro’s number. How do we usually see this? x10 23 or e+23 Why do we display it in this form?

Physics Big and Little Numbers Gravitational Constant (very small) 6.67 × C = 6.67e-11 Coulomb’s Constant (very big): 8.99 × 10 9 = 8.99e+9 Charge on an electron (very small) × = 1.602e-19

Entering Scientific Notation on Calculator Practice with gravitational constant: 6.67e-11 Type “6.67” Type “2 nd -,” Type Negative (NOT minus) E 6.67 E -11

Practice Problems Force between two large bodies: 239 N

Practice Problems Force between two charges:

Importance of Units and how to convert between Units Unit Conversions

Bell work problem Usain Bolt ran 100 m in 9.69 seconds. A cheetah can run 700 yards in 20 seconds. Who's faster? Note 1 yard = meters.

Review: Conversions to/from Scientific Notation Convert 3,600,000 to scientific notation – 3.6 E 6 or 3.6 x 10 6 Convert to scientific notation – 4.35e-3 or 4.35 x Convert 8.99 E 9 (or 8.99 x 10 9 )to standard notation – 8,990,000,000 Convert 6.67 E -5 (or 6.67 x ) to standard notation –

Why do we use units? Someone wants to sell you a car for 100. – Is this a good deal? You cannot determine if this is a good deal unless you know the units. – $1k units ($100,000 for a car? – too high) – $1 units ($100 – probably pretty good) – $10 units ($1,000 – depends on car) – $0.01 (i.e. 1 ¢) – ($1.00 for car – great deal!)

Units (cont’d) There are seven (7) base units in the SI system. All other units are derived from these. – How many can you name?

Units

Units (cont’d)

volume velocity force acceleration frequency

Units Prefixes

Converting units What if someone wanted to sell you their car for 5,000 £ (British pounds). Is this a good deal? We need to convert units We can convert units because  it is always okay to multiply something by 1.  Any number divided by itself (or its equivalent) is always equal to 1  As long as numerator and denominator are equivalent, the number is equal to 1.  $ is equal to 1 £. How much is 5,000 £ ?  $1 is equal to £. Does this change the conversion?

Converting Units OR

More on Converting Units Always okay to multiply by 1 We are NEVER changing the original quantity (just the way we look at it) – Which is more $1 or 100 ¢ ? Ensure the undesirable units ‘cancel out’ – One instance should be in numerator (top) – Other instance should be in denominator (bottom)

Practice: The distance to San Antonio is 197 miles. How many km is this? (1 km = 0.62 miles) – 318 km A sack of cement is 50 kg. How heavy is this in lbs (1 kg = 2.2 lbs) – 110 lbs The speed limit is 65 mph. How fast is this in km/hr (1 mph = km/hr) – 105 km/hr

More Complicated practice How many seconds in a day? – 86,400 How many seconds in 3:45:15? – 13,515

More Complicated practice (cont’d)

Practice Vesna Vulovic survived the longest fall on record without a parachute when her plane exploded and she fell 6miles, 551 yards. What is the distance in meters? (there are km in 1 mile, and 1inch = 2.54 cm).

Practice Bicyclists in the Tour de France reach speeds of 34.0 miles per hour (mi/h) on flat sections of the road. What is this speed in (a) kilometers per hour (km/h) and (b) meters per second (m/s)?

PRACTICE Additional Practice available from worksheets

Using functions and using basic algebra to manipulate functions Functions

Bell work problem Calculate the change in distance (Δd) for an object that falls for 3 seconds (t) if it has an initial velocity (v i ) of 4.9 m/s, and an acceleration (a) of 9.8 m/s 2. Use the following formula:

Bell work answer Calculate the change in distance (Δd) for an object that falls for 3 seconds with (t) if it has an initial velocity (v i ) of 4.9 m/s, and an acceleration (a) of 9.8 m/s 2. Use the following formula:

Solving Physics Problems 1. Read the problem carefully. 2. Identify the quantity to be found. 3. Identify the quantities that are given in the problem. 4. Identify the equation that contains these quantities. 5. Solve the equation for the unknown. 6. Substitute the value given in the problem, along with their proper units, into the equation and solve it. 7. Check to see if the answer will be correct in the correct units. (dimensional analysis) 8. Check your answer to see if it reasonable.

Plug and Chug Simply plugging in the numbers represented by the variables And calculating the desired result Must put the equation in the “proper” form before you can do this – Rearrange the formula so that the desired variable is all by itself on the left: – i.e. Y= {some messy equation}

Practice – Using Formula Charts Use appropriate formula to calculate “average velocity” if an object moves a distance of 923 miles in 14 hours. (you can leave the answer in mph)

Practice – Using Formula Charts Use the appropriate formula to calculate net force that is applied if a mass of 3,900 kg (a Hummer) is accelerated 2.43 m/s 2. – 9501 kg·m/s 2 Use the appropriate formula to calculate the acceleration required to move an object with an initial velocity (v i ) of 0 m/s, a final velocity (v f ) of 26.8 m/s, over a displacement (Δd) of m. – 2.43 m/s 2

Rearranging simple functions Sometimes the desired variable is in the wrong place, so we must “solve” for the desired variable (get it all by itself and on top) On simple formulas we can Cross multiply – This works because we can always multiply each side of function by same number

Applying to Velocity/Time/Distance Use formula charts Show that there is “one” function Create two (2) additional ones

Variable Triangles If you are planning on a scientific/math oriented career (including business medical fields, computers) – need to master basic algebra skills (including formula manipulations) ΔdΔdv ΔtΔt

Variable Triangles - practice Can create for any ‘proportional’ equation

Variable Triangles - practice Awkward and does not really work for added variables or complex equations

Practice Solve the following equation for displacement (Δd). Then solve for time (Δt).

Rearranging simple functions Moving a value – always can add to one side, if we add the same to the other side – Always can subtract from one side if we subtract same from the other side Solve for x:

Using “rearranged” functions Using the averaged velocity function, solve the following: – The average velocity of the speed of light is 3e8 m/s. It takes 8 minutes (8*60 seconds) for light to reach the earth from the sun. How far is the sun? 144,000,000 km – If Michael Phelps swims m/s for 2 minutes (120 seconds), how far has he swam? 200 m

Advanced Practice Solve for v i =

Advanced Practice Solved for v i = Or: