In physics, concepts like force, energy, and motion go hand-in-hand with one another. An unbalanced force will cause an object to accelerate. Equal and opposite force pairs will cause an object to remain at rest or maintain a constant velocity if it is already in motion. When an applied force causes an object or systemContinue reading “EQUILIBRIUM STATICS: Stationary and Moving Center of Mass Derivation”
Author Archives: George Walker
STATIC EQUILIBRIUM: Concurrent Force Systems
A system that is acted upon by concurrent forces is in equilibrium when it remains motionless relative to an observer within the system’s frame of reference: In the diagram above, the system is a 200 N object that is suspended from a pulley. Since the system is not accelerating, we must search for forces thatContinue reading “STATIC EQUILIBRIUM: Concurrent Force Systems”
GAS LAWS: Boltzmann Constant Derivation
An ideal gas is a gas that behaves as if the only significant interactions between its atoms occurs during elastic collisions. Under ideal conditions, intramolecular force interactions due to charged particles, as well as systemic losses due to entropy, are ignored. In addition to these subatomic interactions occurring within a specified quantity of space, thereContinue reading “GAS LAWS: Boltzmann Constant Derivation”
CRYPTOCURRENCY: Coins that have Weathered the Storm
The future of financial transactions has been changed forever by the rise of computer programs that authenticate the validity of online transactions. Almost every noteworthy corporate entity has major investments into cryptocurrency, including Facebook ( FB ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), Goldman Sachs ( GS ), and many, many others; however, we are in theContinue reading “CRYPTOCURRENCY: Coins that have Weathered the Storm”
AP PHYSICS: Heat Transfer in a Calorimeter
Q: A kilogram ( kg ) of water with a temperature of 20o C is poured into a calorimeter. Subsequently, an unknown mass of stainless steel with a temperature of 80o C is placed in the water. What must the mass of the steel be in order for the temperature of the water to riseContinue reading “AP PHYSICS: Heat Transfer in a Calorimeter”
HEAT AND THERMAL ENERGY: Rate of Heat Transfer Within Various Materials
Thus far, discussions about the rate at which heat is transferred to a system has been ignored. We know from experience that materials that are removed from a hot oven will retain heat energy differentially in accordance with their subatomic structure. Fortunately, such observations have been used to construct a very modest yet useful expressionContinue reading “HEAT AND THERMAL ENERGY: Rate of Heat Transfer Within Various Materials”
HEAT AND THERMAL ENERGY: Heat Energy Absorbed by a Pot of Water
Q: A 3 kg aluminum pot is filled to capacity with 5 kg of water. If the pot and water are both raised from 25o C to 95o C, what total quantity of heat has been absorbed by the system? A: Although the pot and water both rise and reach a common final temperature, theyContinue reading “HEAT AND THERMAL ENERGY: Heat Energy Absorbed by a Pot of Water”
HEAT AND THERMAL ENERGY: Specific Heat Capacity of an Unknown Metal
Q: A sample of an unknown metal is heated to a predetermined temperature. It is subsequently placed within a quantity of water that is room temperature. The temperature of the water is determined to have risen by a certain amount after being measured a second time around. Generally speaking, how may this information be usedContinue reading “HEAT AND THERMAL ENERGY: Specific Heat Capacity of an Unknown Metal”
ROTATIONAL MOTION: The Frequency and Period of a Pendulum
Q: How may we derive an expression for the frequency ( f ) and period ( T ) of a pendulum? How does the motion of a rotating radius ( r ) within a unit circle relate to the centripetal or “ center seeking “ force that maintains a simple-pendulum system? A: We begin byContinue reading “ROTATIONAL MOTION: The Frequency and Period of a Pendulum”
ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: The Potential Energy of a Pendulum
Q: A pendulum of unknown mass ( m ) is rotated through an angle ( θ ) until it is vertically displaced by a distance ( Δh ). As a consequence, it has a gain in potential energy ( PE ) within the gravitational field that is directly proportional to its vertical displacement. If theContinue reading “ENERGY AND MOMENTUM: The Potential Energy of a Pendulum”
