Chapter 2 : Fundamental Definitions
Topics covered in this snack-sized chapter:
Fundamental Quantities used in the field of Mechanics arrow_upward
A body is a matter which occupies a finite space.
A body is made up of atoms and molecules arranged in a complex but continuous manner.
A body may be rigid or non-rigid (deformable).
A Rigid body is an idealization of a solid body which has a perfectly definite and unchanging shape and size.
Rigid body can be represented as collection of particles.
A body is considered deformable when the changes in distance between any two of its points cannot be neglected.
A Particle is an object whose size and shape can be ignored when studying its motion.
Only the position of the mass center of the particle needs to be considered.
Geometric region extends without limit in all direction in which Physical events of interest in mechanics occurs.
Points in space can be determined relative to some reference system.
The measure used to describe the size of physical system is known as Length.
Time can be defined as the interval between two events.
Measurement of interval is made by making comparison with some reproducible event such as the time required for the earth to orbit the sun.
Any substance that occupies space is called Matter.
A body is matter bounded by closed surface.
It is a measure of the inertia of a body, which is its resistance to a change of velocity.
Force is any influence that causes an object to undergo
- A change in direction, or
Force can also be described by intuitive concepts such as a push or pull.
A force has both magnitude and direction.
Force is a vector quantity.
Push or Pull on an object
A Vector is defined to be a directed line segment.
A vector quantity has both magnitude and direction.
- Examples: Acceleration, velocity, force, displacement, etc.
Vectors can be depicted graphically in two or three dimensions.
A Scalar quantity has only magnitude and no direction.
- Examples: Speed, time and distance.
Newton's laws of motion are three Physical Laws that form the basis for mechanics.
- They describe the relationship between the forces acting on a body and its motion due to those forces.
Newton’s first law of motion states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted on by an outside force. This is also called Inertia.
When a particle is acted on by an unbalanced force, the particle will be accelerated in the direction of the force
then magnitude of the acceleration will be directly proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the mass of the particle.
Where
-
is the external force acting on the body
-
is the mass of the body
-
is the acceleration of the particle in the direction of the force
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The forces of action
and reaction
between contacting bodies are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
This is sometimes called the Law of Action and Reaction.
- In the above figure enclosed air particles push balloon wall outwards and balloon wall pushes enclosed air particle inwards.
Mass and Weight are different in physics
as well as mechanics.
- For example, our mass does not change when we go to the Moon, but our weight does.
- Mass shows the quantity, and weight shows the size of gravity.
If we know our mass, we can easily find out our weight through-
Where
-
is weight in Newton
-
is mass in
-
is the acceleration of gravity in
If your mass is 50 kg
on Earth, than weight is
Weight is measured by Newton
| Quantity
| Unit
|
| Length
| Meter
|
| Mass
| Kilogram
|
| Time
| Second
|
| Acceleration
| Meter/second2
|
| Force
| Newton
|
| Velocity
| Meter/second
|
| Pressure/Stress
| Pascal
|
| Density
| Kilogram/meter3
|
| Work, Energy
| Joule
|
| Spring constant
| Newton/meter
|
| Moment of force
| Newton-meter
|
| Moment of inertia, mass
| Kilogram-meter2
|
| Area
| Meter2
|
| Frequency
| Hertz
|