Physics 5B
Final project
Introduction
Physics can be described as a science that deals with energy and matter and their interactions. The science of physics is present in nearly all aspects of our daily lives. Science is very important because it generates the fundamental knowledge required for future advances in technology expected to continue driving our world’s economic engines. In other words, physics makes huge contributions to technological infrastructures while providing trained personnel necessary to capitalize on scientific discoveries and advances. From this course, we learn that physics is a wide field covering everything, and it seeks to understand the movement of things, why and what makes them move the way they do. The broad nature of this science explains why physics exists in different disciplines. This discussion explores various aspects of physics discussed during this course ranging from thermodynamics and matter, oscillating systems and waves.
Thermodynamics and Matter
Thermodynamics is a physics discipline dealing with understanding how heat is related to other energy forms. It describes converting thermal energy into different energy forms and their effect on the matter during this process (Rau, 2017). During the course, we learned that thermal energy could be described as the energy within a given substance because of its temperature that results from vibrating or moving molecules. Through thermodynamics, this energy is measured.
One good example that would describe thermal dynamics would be the pendulum, a physics mainstay. When a pendulum is swinging back and forth, it produces kinetic energy during the forward movement, converted into potential energy during the back movement. Eventually, the pendulum stops moving, and the kinetic and potential energy is converted into conservation energy. During this process, friction allowed for converting this energy into heat, and it is a perfect description of thermodynamics’ first law.
The second describes that most physics involves energy transformation and can be described using the following equation;
Total energy= kinetic energy + potential energy + internal energy (Rau, 2017).
According to the laws governing the conservation of energy, energy cannot be destroyed or created. As such, total energy during simple harmonic motions tends to be constant, but potential and kinetic energies are interchangeable (Arora, 2001).
Similar to thermodynamics, oscillating systems apply some related principles. (Triana & Fajardo, 2013) describes oscillating systems dynamic systems involving different parameters and variables that describe sedimentary environments, particularly during the formation of sediments. The amounts of variables necessary to describe oscillating systems are dependent on their complexity. In other words, oscillating systems function by at least one of the variables changing their positions before repeatedly returning to their originating positions. During this process, variables have to interact together to allow for repeated oscillations to happen. Classical physics describes dynamic systems as masses, movements, and positions connected by different equations (Triana & Fajardo, 2013). These systems are often simplified to the extent of appearing unreal in some situations.
Just like how a pendulum can be used to describe key aspects of thermodynamics, oscillating systems could be explained through Simple harmonic motions, one of them being to pluck a guitar. During this process, the resulting sound tends to last long and with a steady tone. Moreover, the string vibrates on an equilibrium position, with one oscillation being completed when a string begins from its initial position and travels to an extreme position to another extreme position before returning to its starting point (Triana & Fajardo, 2013). Oscillating systems are based on the motion that repeats their movement at regular intervals as exhibited by a guitar string.
The period of oscillating systems is affected by important factors that determine the stiffness of the system. Stiff objects tend to have a large constant force (k) that gives the system a smaller period (Triana & Fajardo, 2013). This can be exemplified by adjusting the stiffness of a driving board where the stiffer it gets, the faster the vibrations, and the periods tends to be shorter. Moreover, the period is also dependent on the mass of the oscillating system. Additionally, the more massive a systems get, the longer its period. For instance, Triana and Fajardo (2013) explain that heavy individuals on a driving board tend to bounce up and down slightly slower than light individuals. In other words, the mass and force are the two main factors affecting the frequency and period of oscillating systems.
Waves
Waves tend to be everywhere, and they can be described as disturbances traveling through a specific medium from one end to another. Cuzzucoli and Garrone (2019) gives the example of a slinky wave where when a slink gets stretched from one end to the other and then held at a rest position, it tends to assume the natural position of rest or equilibrium. The coil on the Slinky assumes this position naturally when spaced far apart at equal positions. A wave can be introduced in a slink when the first article’s displacement happens or moved from a position of equilibrium (Cuzzucoli and Garrone, 2019). This movement can be in any direction, but it finally returns to the original rest position once it happens. Moving the first slinky coil in a specific direction and returning to the equilibrium position generates the disturbance on the Slinky. The disturbance mobbing through a slinky is observable from a particular end to another. When the first coil of this Slinky is accorded a back and forth vibration, the disturbance caused forms the slinky pulse. The pulse generated can be described as a single disturbance moving from one end to another through a specific medium. In a situation where this Slinky’s first coil is periodically and continuously vibrating in a back and forth movement, a repeating disturbance is observed moving in the Slinky and endures over prolonged periods (Cuzzucoli and Garrone, 2019). This period and repeating disturbance moving through a given medium, particularly between different locations, leads to a wave’s formulation.
A transverse sinusoidal wave is probably the simplest wave in any one-dimensional string. During this type of wave, every point on the string experiences harmonic oscillations. Another type of wave involves a superposition, a combination of several waves within the same location. During this process, Cuzzucoli and Garrone (2019) explains that constructive interference can occur, and it refers to a process that occurs when identical wavers get superimpose within the phase. On the other hand, destructive interference happens when identical waves get superimposed out of phase. Standing waves occur when two waves get superimposed to produce waves varying in amplitude without propagation. Waves on string happen because resonant waves with fundamental frequencies happen at harmonics and overtones, higher fundamental multiples. Cuzzucoli and Garrone (2019) explains that when beats with similar frequencies get superimposed, beats occur with the resulting amplitude oscillating with beat frequencies given by the equation
fB = |f1 − f2|
Finally, any wave, whether sound, light, or water wave, produces two-point interference pattern sources, especially when these two sources get periodically disturbed with the same frequency (Adams & Hughes, 2018). Such patterns are characterized by patterns of alternating antinodal and nodal lines. The fact that light can produce these patterns confirms that indeed light exists in a wavelike nature.
Finally, in fluids mechanics, fluids are the materials in continuous deformation when exposed to a constant load (Durst, 2008). We learn that five important relationships are useful in solving fluid mechanics problems. These are stress, constitutive, regulating, kinematics, and conservation. Depending on a given system, fluid mechanics analysis can be alerted and it is a factor that simplifies vector quantities. Viscosity establishes the relationship between shear rate and shear stress. Additionally, Newtonian fluids tend to have constant viscosities, but non-Newtonian fluids have non-constant viscosity (Durst, 2008). Given that the vast majority of observable mass within the universe exists as a fluid state, this life wouldn’t exist as we know it without fluids. Moreover, the oceans and atmospheres as we know them today are fluids and fluid mechanics. As such, this science has its practical and scientific importance. Advancement in fluid mechanics, just like most physics branches, can result from mathematical analysis, experiments, or computer simulation (Durst, 2008). According to Durst (2008), these analytical approaches successfully find solutions to simplified and idealized problems. Such solutions are of huge value to developing understanding and insights, especially comparing experimental and numerical results. A good understanding of mathematics plays a key role in helping us understand various elements of fluid mechanics.
Conclusion
In conclusion, science is very important because it generates the fundamental knowledge required for future advances in technology expected to continue driving our world’s economic engines. Put differently, physics makes huge contributions to technological infrastructures while providing trained personnel necessary to capitalize on scientific discoveries and advances. For example, in thermodynamics, the pendulum is a physics mainstay. When a pendulum is swinging back and forth, it produces kinetic energy during the forward movement, converted into potential energy during the back movement. Eventually, the pendulum stops moving, and the kinetic and potential energy is converted into conservation energy. Similarly, oscillating systems could be explained through Simple harmonic motions, one of them being to pluck a guitar. During this process, the resulting sound tends to last long and with a steady tone. Moreover, the string vibrates on an equilibrium position, with one oscillation being completed when a string begins from its initial position and travels to an extreme position to another extreme position before returning to its starting point. Finally, Waves tend to be everywhere, and they can be described as disturbances traveling through a specific medium from one end to another. The fact that light can produce these patterns confirms that indeed light exists in a wavelike nature. From this course, we learn that physics is a wide field covering everything, and it seeks to understand the movement of things, why and what makes them move the way they do.
References
Adams, C. S., & Hughes, I. G. (2018). Two waves: Interference. Optics f2f, 33-50. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198786788.003.0003
Al-Azzawi, A. (2017). Spherical mirrors. Photonics, 153-171. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780849382949-11
Arora, C. P. (2001). Thermodynamics. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
Cuzzucoli, G., & Garrone, M. (2019). Oscillating systems. Classical Guitar Design, 41-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32992-1_3
Delplace, F. (2016). Fluid mechanics at atomic scale. Fluid Mechanics: Open Access, 03(02). https://doi.org/10.4172/2476-2296.1000133
Durst, F. (2008). Fluid mechanics: An introduction to the theory of fluid flows. Springer Science & Business Media.
Kneubühl, F. K. (2017). Standing waves. Oscillations and Waves, 451-478. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03468-2_9
Knobel, R. (1999). Superposition of standing waves. The Student Mathematical Library, 95-99. https://doi.org/10.1090/stml/003/13
Rau, J. (2017). Statistical physics and thermodynamics. Oxford Scholarship Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199595068.001.0001
Triana, C., & Fajardo, F. (2013). Experimental study of simple harmonic motion of a spring-mass system as a function of spring diameter. Revista Brasileira de Ensino de Física, 35(4). https://doi.org/10.1590/s1806-11172013000400005
