Fundamental Physics and Measurements

Introduction and Fundamental Physics

• The lecture is about fundamental physics, specifically given by Dr. Irene Polycarpou at the European University Cyprus School of Medicine.
• Scenarios are used to illustrate the concepts.
• The lecture explores the common theme of static electricity.
• Physics is the fundamental science, underlying chemistry, biology, and other similar branches of natural science.

Example Questions in Physics

• The field of physics aims to answer fundamental questions about the universe.
• Questions include determining the sizes, masses, and distances of objects.
• Measurements are taken and expressed using standard units in these investigations.

Importance of Standard Units

• Accurate measurements are crucial.
• Standard units ensure that measurements can be understood and replicated by others consistently.
• Using standard units avoids miscommunication and errors.
• The NASA Mars Climate Orbiter incident serves as a real-world example highlighting the importance of standardized units in crucial applications, such as space missions.

Fundamentals of Physics

• Scientists observe phenomena and formulate fundamental questions.
• They use measurements and standard units to answer these questions in physics.

Physical Quantities

• A physical quantity is anything that can be measured.
• Units are essential to define the scale of measurements.
• Measurements are compared against established standards of permanence and reproducibility.

Standard Units

• The International System of Units (SI) is the set of standard units used in science.
• SI defines the fundamental quantities (e.g., mass, length, time, temperature).
• Different units for the same quantity have to be carefully converted using conversion factors.
• Conversion from one unit to another is crucial in scientific and technical calculations.

Derived and Secondary Units

• Derived units or secondary units are units that are derived from the fundamental units.
• These units include units for velocity, acceleration, force, work/energy, power, frequency, and pressure.

Prefixes

• Prefixes are used for large and small quantities that can be written in scientific notation.
• Prefixes allow concise expressing of very large or very small values.

Rules for Scientific Notation

• Scientific notation expresses numbers in the form of 'a × 10^b'.
• 'a' is a number between 1 (inclusive) and 10 (exclusive).
• 'b' is an integer (whole number) exponent.
• Using scientific notation for larger or smaller numbers improves clarity and reduces the potential for mistakes.

Conversion of Units

• Different units for the same quantity can be mathematically converted, applying appropriate conversion factors.
• Many everyday measurements can be converted into more appropriate standard units like meters, kilograms, seconds etc. for easier calculations.

Order of Magnitude

• Order of magnitude refers to the scale of sizes and distances of various objects/structures in the universe.
• The range covered spans both enormous scales like the universe down to scales of atoms, quarks and other microscopic objects.

Distances and Sizes

• Many small structures in the human body have sizes within the millimeter and micrometer ranges (e.g., alveoli in the lungs).
• Structures that are too small to be seen by the naked eye typically need specialized equipment such as microscopes (optical, electron microscopes).

Coordinate Systems

• Rectangular or Cartesian coordinates need points of origin (0, 0) to define positions of objects in space.
• This system uses x and y values.
• Polar coordinates utilize a radial distance (r) and an angle (θ)
• Conversions between these systems are essential for applications.

Mass and Inertia

• Mass is a measure of how much matter an object contains.
• Mass has inertia, which is an object's property to remain at rest or in motion unless acted upon by an external force.

Explore the essential concepts of fundamental physics in this quiz based on Dr. Irene Polycarpou's lecture at the European University Cyprus School of Medicine. Focus on static electricity, accurate measurements, and the importance of standard units in scientific investigation. Test your understanding of key physics scenarios and applications.