Introduction to Fundamental Physics

Introduction and Fundamental Physics

• The lecture is titled "Introduction and Fundamental Physics"
• Presented by Dr. Irene Polycarpou
• Part of the European University Cyprus, School of Medicine
• Various scenarios are shown visually, likely examples of forces in physics principles

Scenarios

• Scenario 1 shows a person with a dog, and a diagram of someone being electrocuted
• Scenario 2 shows a person walking in snow, and a dandelion image
• Scenario 3 shows a person sitting on a sofa, blowing a ball, and a scarecrow image

What Do All of These Things Have in Common?

• The scenarios likely illustrate the concept of static electricity

Example of Questions in Physics

• The lecture highlights questions regarding physical phenomena, like bridges, rockets, and the universe
• This implies that physics is used to study these complex systems and to answer these questions

The Universe Hierarchy of the Sciences

• A diagram categorizes sciences based on a scale of size, ranging from the visible universe to the fundamental particle
• Physics sits logically above life sciences and below social sciences on this large scale of study

Physics in Medicine

• Basic physics knowledge is important for understanding medicine including physiological processes and biomedical devices
• Understanding how physical agents interact with the body is necessary
• Physics concepts help advance medical technology

Fundamentals of Physics

• Physicists observe and ask basic questions about objects
• Measurements are taken and expressed in standard units

Why are Standard Units Important?

• Accuracy in measurement (I)
• Clear understanding and consistency for others (II)
• Avoiding mistakes or errors that can ruin complex projects

NASA Mars Probe Loss

• Lost due to a unit conversion error of force between pounds and newtons.
• This anecdote emphasizes the importance of standard units

Fundamentals of Physics (Continued)

•  A physical property that can be measured
• A standardized unit is needed for understanding the scale of a measurement
• Standard units facilitate reproducibility and permanence of measurements

Standard Units

• Laws of physics are expressed with physical quantities
•  A physical quantity is something that can be measured
•  The International System of Units (SI) is a system of units used

Derived and Secondary Units

• These units are created by calculation from standard units
• A series of calculations illustrate common example uses

Not all countries use SI

• The US uses the Imperial system instead.
• There are noticeable differences in unit systems

Prefixes

• Useful unit abbreviations for very large or very small values
•  Examples include km², m², cm²

Rules for Scientific Notation

• The format of writing scientific numbers
•  Example: 137,000,000 = 1.37 x 10^8

Using Scientific Notation

• Instructions to rewrite numbers in scientific notation
• Illustrative example numbers are provided

Rules for Scientific Notation (Further)

• Explicit rules for using scientific notation.
• Two case examples are provided to explain positive and negative exponents

Unit Conversions

• The process of converting one unit to another using conversion factors, based on powers of 10.

Order of Magnitude

•  A way of expressing physical dimensions and sizes of different objects.
• A graphical representation explains the concept with example measurements.
•  Multiple examples of size are provided (atom, nucleus, field, planet)

Order of Magnitude (in the Human Body)

•  Biological scales and examples are provided.
•  Illustrative examples of measurement of biological organs and their sizes.
• Uses various visual aids to illustrate biological scales.

Distances and Sizes

• The human lung structure and the alveoli are described.
• This reinforces the use of scale (microscopic to macroscopic)

Conversion of Units (Detailed)

• Formulas and conversion factors are listed.

Exercises

• Sample questions to convert unit values into different units.
•  These examples illustrate how to convert from one type of unit to another.

Vectors and Scalars

• Quantities with both magnitude and direction.
• Quantities with only magnitude.
• Diagrams illustrate the concept of vectors and scalars.

Coordinate Systems

•  Cartesian and polar coordinates on a graph.
• Illustrations of coordinate systems

Mass and Inertia

• How hard it is to move something.
• Related to weight. - distinct from weight
• Conserved and cannot be created or destroyed

Explore the basics of fundamental physics with Dr. Irene Polycarpou. This lecture discusses various scenarios illustrating static electricity and other physical principles. Join us as we examine how these concepts apply to real-world phenomena like bridges and rockets.