reference text: Giancoli, Douglas C. Physics. 5th Ed. Ed. Paul F. Corey. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Physics Explained
If you need a general summary of physics, stay here. Detailed outlines are on the "Physics Outlines" page and my priceless advce is on the "Physics Advice" page. Simple.
SUMMARY
MECHANICS
Speed, Displacement, Velocity
*SCALARS are basically just normal numbers. They ahve a MAGNITUDE (fancy name for number value) but NO DIRECTION; Speed is a scalar.
*VECTORS have a MAGNITUDE and a DIRECTION.
When adding vectors, break each into their hroizontal and vertical components using sin and cos, then add the horizontal components, and the vertical compenents, so that you have one horizonatal and one vertical componenet. Then use a2 + b2 + c2 to find the length of the final vector sum.
An easy way to find the direction is to use the parallelogram rule--connect the vectors tail-to-tail, then make a parallelogram of them by drawing 2 lines parallel to the originals. The diagonal is the direction.
AVERAGE SPEED = total distance / total time= s = d / t
if you graph distance vs. time, the slope is distance/ tome, which is speed.
the derivative is slope at a given point (calculus stuff, but IB seems to like the concept.
DISPLACEMENT is how far something is from the starting point, the shortest line you can draw between a start and end point.
Say you run a lap on a circular track. Your displacement is zero because you ended where you started.
VELOCITY is speed in a given direction; so it is a Vector.
average velocity = displacement / time = v = d/t
MOTION EQUATIONS:
acceleration = change in velocity/ time interval
distance equation: d = vot + ½at²
vf² = vo² + 2ad
Force of Friction = (coefficient of friction) (normal force)
If something is on an inclined plane, THE NORMAL FORCE IS THE COMPONENT OF THE WEIGHT THAT'S PERPENDICULAR TO THE SLOPE!
Energy
Potential energy = mgh
Kinetic energy = ½mv²
Spring PE = ½kx²
Thermo
Isobaric = constant pressure
Isochoric/isovolumetric = constant volume
Adiabatic = no heat flows in/out of system
Ideal gas law: PV = nRT
P = absolute pressure
V = volume
n = # of moles
R = gas constant
T = Kelvin temperature
P1V1/T1 = P2V2/T2
Work done compressing a gas isobarically = PΔV
Calorimetry
no total change in heat (delta Q = 0)
Q + Q = 0
heat gained + heat lost = 0
mcΔt + mL... -(mcΔt + mL...) = 0