Classical Mechanics 1 Revision

Flashcards covering units, kinematics, Newton's Laws, circular motion, energy, and projectile motion based on the Classical Mechanics 1 revision notes.

Speed ($v$)

A physical quantity whose unit of measurement is $m/s$.

Angular speed ($w$)

A physical quantity whose unit of measurement is $rad/s$.

Watt ($W$)

A unit of power that is equivalent to $J/s$.

Torque ($\tau$)

The vector product of position and force vectors, measured in units of $N.m$.

Linear momentum ($p$)

A physical quantity whose unit of measurement is $kg \cdot m/s$.

Angular momentum ($\vec{L}$)

The vector product of position and linear momentum vectors, measured in units of $kg \cdot m^2/s$.

Free fall

The motion of an object where gravity is the only force acting upon it.

Instantaneous velocity ($v$)

The rate of change of position with respect to time, defined by the formula $v = \frac{dx}{dt}$.

Friction

A force which resists the motion of an object due to its interaction with the surroundings.

Newton's 1st Law

States that in the absence of external forces, an object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion with a constant velocity continues its motion with its constant velocity.

Newton's 2nd Law

States that the net force acting on an object is directly proportional to its acceleration.

Newton's 3rd Law

States that for every action exerted by object ① on object ②, there is a reaction force exerted by object ② on object ① that is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.

Equilibrium

A state in which the sum of all forces acting on an object is equal to zero.

Scalar quantity

A physical quantity that has magnitude but no direction.

Vector quantity

A physical quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

Centripetal acceleration ($a_c$)

The acceleration of a particle moving in uniform circular motion, defined as $a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}$.

Periodic time ($T$)

The time interval for one complete revolution in uniform circular motion, defined as $T = \frac{2\pi r}{v}$.

Angular velocity ($w$)

The rate of angular displacement, defined as $w = \frac{2\pi}{T}$ for uniform circular motion.

Total energy

The sum of a system's kinetic energy, potential energy, and internal energy.

Horizontal range ($R$)

The total horizontal distance traveled in projectile motion, calculated as $R = \frac{v_i^2 \sin(2\theta_i)}{g}$.

Maximum height ($h$)

The peak vertical displacement in projectile motion, calculated as $h = \frac{v_i^2 \sin^{2}(\theta_i)}{2g}$.

Horizontal component of acceleration ($a_x$)

In projectile motion, this value is always zero.

Work

The scalar product of applied force and displacement vectors.

Spring force ($F_s$)

The force exerted by a spring, defined by the formula $F_s = -kx$.

Work-kinetic energy theorem

States that the net work done on a system ($W_{ext}$) equals the change in the kinetic energy ($\Delta K.E.$) when the only change is speed.

Potential energy

An amount of stored energy inside a system that has the ability to transform into another kind of energy.

Average power ($P_{av}$)

The change in energy $\Delta E$ during a time interval $\Delta t$, defined as $P_{av} = \frac{\Delta E}{\Delta t}$.