PHYSICS I FOR DUMMIES.

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Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Conventions Used in This Book What You’re Not to Read Foolish Assumptions How This Book Is Organized Part 1: Putting Physics into Motion Part 2: May the Forces of Physics Be with You Part 3: Manifesting the Energy to Work Part 4: Laying Down the Laws of Thermodynamics Part 5: The Part of Tens Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part 1 Putting Physics into Motion Chapter 1 Using Physics to Understand Your World What Physics Is All About Observing the world Making predictions Reaping the rewards Observing Objects in Motion Measuring speed, direction, velocity, and acceleration Round and round: Rotational motion Springs and pendulums: Simple harmonic motion When Push Comes to Shove: Forces Absorbing the energy around you That’s heavy: Pressures in fluids Feeling Hot but Not Bothered: Thermodynamics Chapter 2 Reviewing Physics Measurement and Math Fundamentals Measuring the World around You and Making Predictions Using systems of measurement From meters to inches and back again: Converting between units Eliminating Some Zeros: Using Scientific Notation Checking the Accuracy and Precision of Measurements Knowing which digits are significant Estimating accuracy Arming Yourself with Basic Algebra Tackling a Little Trig Interpreting Equations as Real-World Ideas Chapter 3 Exploring the Need for Speed Going the Distance with Displacement Understanding displacement and position Examining axes Speed Specifics: What Is Speed, Anyway? Reading the speedometer: Instantaneous speed Staying steady: Uniform speed Shifting speeds: Nonuniform motion Busting out the stopwatch: Average speed Speeding Up (Or Down): Acceleration Defining acceleration Determining the units of acceleration Looking at positive and negative acceleration Examining average and instantaneous acceleration Taking off: Putting the acceleration formula into practice Understanding uniform and nonuniform acceleration Relating Acceleration, Time, and Displacement Not-so-distant relations: Deriving the formula Calculating acceleration and distance Linking Velocity, Acceleration, and Displacement Finding acceleration Solving for displacement Finding final velocity Chapter 4 Following Directions: Motion in Two Dimensions Visualizing Vectors Asking for directions: Vector basics Looking at vector addition from start to finish Going head-to-head with vector subtraction Putting Vectors on the Grid Adding vectors by adding coordinates Changing the length: Multiplying a vector by a number A Little Trig: Breaking Up Vectors into Components Finding vector components Reassembling a vector from its components Featuring Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration in two dimensions Displacement: Going the distance in two dimensions Velocity: Speeding in a new direction Acceleration: Getting a new angle on changes in velocity Accelerating Downward: Motion under the Influence of Gravity The golf-ball-off-the-cliff exercise The how-far-can-you-kick-the-ball exercise Part 2 May the Forces of Physics Be with You Chapter 5 When Push Comes to Shove: Force Newton’s First Law: Resisting with Inertia Resisting change: Inertia and mass Measuring mass Newton’s Second Law: Relating Force, Mass, and Acceleration Relating the formula to the real world Naming units of force Vector addition: Gathering net forces Newton’s Third Law: Looking at Equal and Opposite Forces Seeing Newton’s third law in action Pulling hard enough to overcome friction Pulleys: Supporting double the force Analyzing angles and force in Newton’s third law Finding equilibrium Chapter 6 Getting Down with Gravity, Inclined Planes, and Friction Acceleration Due to Gravity: One of Life’s Little Constants Finding a New Angle on Gravity with Inclined Planes Finding the force of gravity along a ramp Figuring the speed along a ramp Getting Sticky with Friction Calculating friction and the normal force Conquering the coefficient of friction On the move: Understanding static and kinetic friction A not-so-slippery slope: Handling uphill and downhill friction Let’s Get Fired Up! Sending Objects Airborne Shooting an object straight up Projectile motion: Firing an object at an angle Chapter 7 Circling Around Rotational Motion and Orbits Centripetal Acceleration: Changing Direction to Move in a Circle Keeping a constant speed with uniform circular motion Finding the magnitude of the centripetal acceleration Seeking the Center: Centripetal Force Looking at the force you need Seeing how the mass, velocity, and radius affect centripetal force Negotiating flat curves and banked turns Getting Angular with Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration Measuring angles in radians Relating linear and angular motion Letting Gravity Supply Centripetal Force Using Newton’s law of universal gravitation Deriving the force of gravity on the Earth’s surface Using the law of gravitation to examine circular orbits Looping the Loop: Vertical Circular Motion Chapter 8 Go with the Flow: Looking at Pressure in Fluids Mass Density: Getting Some Inside Information Calculating density Comparing densities with specific gravity Applying Pressure Looking at units of pressure Connecting pressure to changes in depth Hydraulic machines: Passing on pressure with Pascal’s principle Buoyancy: Float Your Boat with Archimedes’s Principle Fluid Dynamics: Going with Fluids in Motion Characterizing the type of flow Picturing flow with streamlines Getting Up to Speed on Flow and Pressure The equation of continuity: Relating pipe size and flow rates Bernoulli’s equation: Relating speed and pressure Pipes and pressure: Putting it all together Part 3 Manifesting the Energy to Work Chapter 9 Getting Some Work Out of Physics Looking for Work Working on measurement systems Pushing your weight: Applying force in the direction of movement Using a tow rope: Applying force at an angle Negative work: Applying force opposite the direction of motion Making a Move: Kinetic Energy The work-energy theorem: Turning work into kinetic energy Using the kinetic energy equation Calculating changes in kinetic energy by using net force Energy in the Bank: Potential Energy To new heights: Gaining potential energy by working against gravity Achieving your potential: Converting potential energy into kinetic energy Choose Your Path: Conservative versus Nonconservative Forces Keeping the Energy Up: The Conservation of Mechanical Energy Shifting between kinetic and potential energy The mechanical-energy balance: Finding velocity and height Powering Up: The Rate of Doing Work Using common units of power Doing alternate calculations of power Chapter 10 Putting Objects in Motion: Momentum and Impulse Looking at the Impact of Impulse Gathering Momentum The Impulse-Momentum Theorem: Relating Impulse and Momentum Shooting pool: Finding force from impulse and momentum Singing in the rain: An impulsive activity When Objects Go Bonk: Conserving Momentum Deriving the conservation formula Finding velocity with the conservation of momentum Finding firing velocity with the conservation of momentum When Worlds (Or Cars) Collide: Elastic and Inelastic Collisions Determining whether a collision is elastic Colliding elastically along a line Colliding elastically in two dimensions Chapter 11 Winding Up with Angular Kinetics Going from Linear to Rotational Motion Understanding Tangential Motion Finding tangential velocity Finding tangential acceleration Finding centripetal acceleration Applying Vectors to Rotation Calculating angular velocity Figuring angular acceleration Doing the Twist: Torque Mapping out the torque equation Understanding lever arms Figuring out the torque generated Recognizing that torque is a vector Spinning at Constant Velocity: Rotational Equilibrium Determining how much weight Hercules can lift Hanging a flag: A rotational equilibrium problem Ladder safety: Introducing friction into rotational equilibrium Chapter 12 Round and Round with Rotational Dynamics Rolling Up Newton’s Second Law into Angular Motion Switching force to torque Converting tangential acceleration to angular acceleration Factoring in the moment of inertia Moments of Inertia: Looking into Mass Distribution Merry-go-rounds and torque: A spinning-disk inertia example Angular acceleration and torque: A pulley inertia example Wrapping Your Head around Rotational Work and Kinetic Energy Putting a new spin on work Moving along with rotational kinetic energy Let’s roll! Finding rotational kinetic energy on a ramp Can’t Stop This: Angular Momentum Conserving angular momentum Satellite orbits: A conservation-of- angular-momentum example Chapter 13 Springs ’n’ Things: Simple Harmonic Motion Bouncing Back with Hooke’s Law Stretching and compressing springs Pushing or pulling back: The spring’s restoring force Getting Around to Simple Harmonic Motion Around equilibrium: Examining horizontal and vertical springs Catching the wave: A sine of simple harmonic motion Finding the angular frequency of a mass on a spring Factoring Energy into Simple Harmonic Motion Swinging with Pendulums Part 4 Laying Down the Laws of Thermodynamics Chapter 14 Turning Up the Heat with Thermodynamics Measuring Temperature Fahrenheit and Celsius: Working in degrees Zeroing in on the Kelvin scale The Heat Is On: Thermal Expansion Linear expansion: Getting longer Volume expansion: Taking up more space Heat: Going with the Flow (Of Thermal Energy) Getting specific with temperature changes Just a new phase: Adding heat without changing temperature Chapter 15 Here, Take My Coat: How Heat Is Transferred Convection: Letting the Heat Flow Hot fluid rises: Putting fluid in motion with natural convection Controlling the flow with forced convection Too Hot to Handle: Getting in Touch with Conduction Finding the conduction equation Considering conductors and insulators Radiation: Riding the (Electromagnetic) Wave Mutual radiation: Giving and receiving heat Blackbodies: Absorbing and reflecting radiation Chapter 16 In the Best of All Possible Worlds: The Ideal Gas Law Digging into Molecules and Moles with Avogadro’s Number Relating Pressure, Volume, and Temperature with the Ideal Gas Law Forging the ideal gas law Working with standard temperature and pressure A breathing problem: Checking your oxygen Boyle’s and Charles’s laws: Alternative expressions of the ideal gas law Tracking Ideal Gas Molecules with the Kinetic Energy Formula Predicting air molecule speed Calculating kinetic energy in an ideal gas Chapter 17 Heat and Work: The Laws of Thermodynamics Getting Temperature with Thermal Equilibrium: the Zeroth Law Conserving Energy: The First Law of Thermodynamics Calculating with conservation of energy Staying constant: Isobaric, isochoric, isothermal, and adiabatic processes Flowing from Hot to Cold: The Second Law of Thermodynamics Heat engines: Putting heat to work Limiting efficiency: Carnot says you can’t have it all Going against the flow with heat pumps Going Cold: The Third (And Absolute Last) Law of Thermodynamics Part 5 The Part of Tens Chapter 18 Ten Physics Heroes Galileo Galilei Sir Isaac Newton Charles-Augustin de Coulomb William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) Marie Salomea Skłodowska Curie Albert Einstein Emmy Noether Maria Goeppert Mayer Chen-Shiung Wu Jocelyn Bell Burnell Chapter 19 Ten Wild Physics Theories Time Slows Down Moving Objects Contract Heisenberg Says You Can’t Be Certain Black Holes Don’t Let Light Out Gravity Curves Space Matter and Antimatter Destroy Each Other Supernovas Are the Most Powerful Explosions The Universe Starts with the Big Bang and Ends with the Gnab Gib Microwave Ovens Are Hot Physics Most Matter is Invisible Glossary Index EULA