Physics I Workbook For Dummies with Online Practice

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• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 1Icons Used in This Book 2Beyond the Book 2Where to Go from Here 3Part 1: Getting Started With Physics 5Chapter 1: Reviewing Physics Basics 7Measuring the Universe 7Putting Scientific Notation to Work 10Converting between Units 11Converting through Multiple Units 14Converting Times 15Counting Significant Figures 16Coming Prepared with Some Algebra 18Being Prepared with Trigonometry 19Answers to Problems about Physics Basics 21Chapter 2: The Big Three: Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration 25From Point A to B: Displacement 25Reading That Speedometer 27Putting Pedal to Metal: Acceleration 29Connecting Acceleration, Time, and Displacement 31Connecting Velocity, Acceleration, and Displacement 33Answers to Problems about Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration 35Chapter 3: Vectors: Knowing Where You’re Headed 41Creating a Vector 41Understanding Vector Components 43Finding a Vector’s Components 45Finding a Vector’s Magnitude and Direction 46Adding Vectors Together 48Handling Velocity as a Vector 51Answers to Problems about Vectors 54Part 2: May The Forces Be With You 59Chapter 4: Applying Force 61Newton’s First Law of Motion 61Newton’s Second Law of Motion 62Force Is a Vector 65Calculating Net Force and Acceleration 67Sorting Out Weight and Mass 69The Balancing Act of Equilibrium 71Newton’s Third Law of Motion 73Answers to Problems about Force 74Chapter 5: Working with Inclined Planes 81Breaking Ramps Up into Vectors 81Acceleration and Inclined Planes 84Running Down Ramps: Speed 85Friction on Inclined Planes 87Starting from zero: Static friction 88Already in motion: Kinetic friction 89Static Friction along Ramps 90Kinetic Friction along Ramps 91Acceleration along Ramps Including Friction 93Answers to Problems about Inclined Planes 95Chapter 6: Round and Round: Circular Motion 101Converting between Angles 101Period and Frequency 103Getting into Angular Velocity 104Whipping Around with Angular Acceleration 106Connecting Angular Velocity and Angular Acceleration to Angles 108Connecting Angular Acceleration and Angle to Angular Velocity 109Handling Centripetal Acceleration 110Getting Forceful: Centripetal Force 112Answers to Problems about Circular Motion 114Part 3: Being Energetic: Work 121Chapter 7: Working the Physics Way 123A Different Kind of Work 124Dealing with the Net Force 125Getting Energetic: Kinetic Energy 127Getting Kinetic Energy from Work 129Storing Your Energy: Potential Energy 132Powering It Up 134Answers to Problems about Work 136Chapter 8: Getting Things to Move: Momentum and Kinetic Energy 147Acting on Impulse 147Getting Some Momentum 149Relating Impulse and Momentum 150Conserving Momentum 152Conserving Kinetic Energy — or Not 154Collisions in Two Dimensions 156Answers to Problems about Momentum and Kinetic Energy 159Chapter 9: Winding It Up: Rotational Motion and Torque 167Finding Tangential Speed 167Targeting Tangential Acceleration 170Angular Velocity as a Vector 171Angular Acceleration as a Vector 172Doing the Twist: Torque 173The Balancing Act: Rotational Equilibrium 176Answers to Problems about Rotational Motion and Torque 180Chapter 10: Getting Dizzy with Rotational Dynamics 185Putting Newton on Wheels 185Moments of Inertia for Everyone 187Doing Some Rotational Work 190Round and Round: Rotational Kinetic Energy 191Working with Ramps Again 193Can’t Stop This: Angular Momentum 195Answers to Problems about Rotational Dynamics 197Chapter 11: Simple Harmonic Motion 203Hooking into Hooke’s Law 203Simply Simple Harmonic Motion 205Getting Periodic 207Considering Velocity 208Figuring the Acceleration 210Bouncing Around with Springs 211Talking about Energy 213Following the Ticktock of Pendulums 214Answers to Problems about Simple Harmonic Motion 216Part 4: Obeying The Laws Of Thermodynamics 223Chapter 12: You’re Getting Warm: Thermodynamics 225Converting between Temperature Scales 225Getting Bigger: Linear Expansion 227Plumping It Up: Volume Expansion 230Getting Specific with Heat Capacity 231Changes of Phase: Latent Heat 234Answers to Problems about Thermodynamics 236Chapter 13: Under Pressure: From Solid to Liquid to Gas 243How Heat Flows: Convection 244How Heat Is Produced: Conduction 245How Heat Is Produced: Radiation 248A Biggie: Avogadro’s Number 250Ideally Speaking: The Ideal Gas Law 251Molecules in Motion 253Answers to Problems about Pressure 255Chapter 14: All about Heat and Work 261The First Law of Thermodynamics 261Constant Pressure: Isobaric Processes 262Constant Volume: Isochoric Processes 265Constant Temperature: Isothermal Processes 266At Constant Heat: Adiabatic 268The Direction of Heat: The Second Law of Thermodynamics 271Making Heat Work: Heat Engines 271Maximum Efficiency: Carnot Heat Engines 274The Third Law of Thermodynamics 275Answers to Problems about Heat and Work 276Part 5: Zap: Electricity 283Chapter 15: Static Electricity: Electrons at Rest 285Talking about Electric Charges 285Getting Forceful with Charges 286Electrical Forces Are Vectors 288Force at a Distance: Electric Fields 289Easy Electric Field: Parallel Plate Capacitors 291Ramping Up Some Voltage 293Electric Potential from Point Charges 294Answers to Problems about Static Electricity 297Chapter 16: Electrons in Motion: Circuits 305Electrons in a Whirl: Current 305Giving You Some Resistance: Ohm’s Law 306Powering It Up 308One after the Other: Series Circuits 309All for One: Parallel Circuits 311The Whole Story: Kirchhoff’s Rules 314Answers to Problems about Circuits 317Part 6: The Part Of Tens 327Chapter 17: Ten Common Mistakes People Make When Solving Problems 329Mixing Units 329Expressing the Answer in the Wrong Units 329Swapping Radians and Degrees 330Getting Sines and Cosines Mixed Up 330Failing to Treat Vectors as Vectors 330Neglecting Latent Heat 330Getting the Direction of Forces Wrong 331Getting the Signs Wrong in Kirchhoff Loops 331Adding Resistors Incorrectly 332Using the Wrong Temperature in the Ideal Gas Law 332Chapter 18: Ten Wild Physics Theories 333The Universal Speed Limit 333Through the Looking Glass, and What Chien-Shiung Found There 334Wanted: Dead and Alive 334Quantum Objects Can Tunnel 334Mass Is a Kind of Energy 334Vacuum Is Not Just Empty Space 335“Constants” in Physics Change 335Stuck in the Middle of a Proton 335The Expansion of the Universe Is Accelerating 336Some Things Never Change 336Index 337