Monday, 22 October 2012


Generators and motors





Figure 2
A simple electric generator.

The crank represents a mechanical method of turning the loop of wire in a magnetic field. The change in magnetic flux through the loop generates an induced current; thus, the generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. The operation of a motor is similar to that of a generator but in reverse. The motor has similar physical components except that the electric current supplied to the loop exerts a torque, which turns the loop. The motor, therefore, converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.

Mutual inductance and self-inductance

Mutual inductance occurs when two circuits are arranged so that the change in current in one causes an emf to be induced in the other.
Imagine a simple circuit of a switch, a coil, and a battery. When the switch is closed, the current through the coil sets up a magnetic field. As the current is increasing, the magnetic flux through the coil is also changing. This changing magnetic flux generates an emf opposing that of the battery. This effect occurs only while the current is either increasing to its steady state value immediately after the switch is closed or decreasing to zero when the switch is opened. This effect is called self-inductance. The proportional constant between the self-induced emf and the time rate of change of the current is called inductance (L) and is given by 



The SI unit for inductance is the henry, and 1 henry = 1(Vs/A).
Using Faraday's law, inductance can be expressed in terms of the change of flux and current: 




Electromagnetic Induction problems
Faraday’s Law

1. (a) A coil of radius 20 cm consisting of 20 turns is held 2 meters above the south
end of a magnet. If the coil is dropped, determine the average induced EMF
(voltage) once the loop hits the magnet if the field strength at the 2 m height
is 0.005 T, and is 0.01 T at the surface of the magnet.








(b) What is the direction of the induced current, as seen from above the coil?









2..
A square loop of copper coil 10 cm on each side is in static magnetic field of
0.005 T perpendicular to the loop. The coil is deformed into a circle having the
same circumference as the square loop. If this shape-change occurs in 5 seconds,
and the coil has a resistance of 1 , determine the induced current in the coil.
3. A 100 turn conducting circular coil of radius 1 cm is placed in a magnetic field
of variable.




3. A 100 turn conducting circular coil of radius 1 cm is placed in a magnetic field
of variable strength B(t) = 0.01t + 0.01 Tesla, which is perpendicular to the
plane of the loop. Determine the induced EMF.


Lenz’s Law
When an emf is generated by a change in magnetic flux according to Faraday's Law, the polarity or direction of the induced emf is such that it produces a current whose magnetic field opposes the change which produces it.






Sunday, 29 July 2012



Wednesday, 16 May 2012

Einstein's Special Relativity

Inertial Frame of Reference
An inertial frame of reference is one in which
 have no acceleration when no net forces act on it.
The Speed of Light
It is quite natural to ask whether the principle of Galilean relativity also applies to
electricity, magnetism, and optics. Experiments indicate that the answer is no. Recall
that Maxwell showed that the speed of light in free space is 3x10^8 m/s. 
Physicists of the late 1800s thought that light waves moved 
through a medium called the ether and that the speed of light was c only in a special, 
absolute frame at rest with respect to the ether.


Saturday, 25 February 2012

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Unit 3 Motion Exercise
(Call 0405 610 255 or wanigara@yahoo.com for VCE Physics Tutoring)

Monday, 30 January 2012

Thursday, 19 January 2012

Unit 3 VCE PHYSICS AREA OF STUDY 2
ELECTRONICS & PHOTONICS (Study design)

(Ref: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/physics/physicsd.pdf)

Photonics is the science of using light to manipulate information and energy and involves all facets of visible, ultraviolet and infrared radiation; this includes its detection, transport, storage and manipulation. Photonics is the basis of much of modern communication technology. Photonic devices are used with electronic components in smoke detectors, burglar alarms, safety interlocks, televisions, cathode ray oscilloscopes (CRO), relative position sensors, communication devices including fibre optic cables, modulators and demodulators, CD readers and writers, and computer networks. Some phenomena which characterise the interface between electronics and photonics are introduced.
Students will use electronic and photonic devices and systems in domestic and industrial contexts.


Outcome 
On completion of this unit the student should be able to investigate, describe, compare and explain
the operation of electronic and photonic devices, and analyse their use in domestic and industrial
systems.
To achieve this outcome the student will draw on the following key knowledge and apply the key
skills listed.
Key knowledge
To achieve this outcome the student should be able to:
• apply the concepts of current, resistance, potential difference (voltage drop) and power to the
operation of electronic circuits comprising diodes, resistors, thermistors and photonic transducers
including light dependent resistors (LDR), photodiodes and light emitting diodes (LED), (V=IR,
P=VI);
• calculate the effective resistance of circuits comprising parallel and series resistance and unloaded
voltage dividers;
• describe energy transfers and transformations in opto-electronic devices;
• describe the transfer of information in analogue form (not including the technical aspects of
modulation and demodulation) using:
– light intensity modulation, i.e. changing the intensity of the carrier wave to replicate the amplitude
variation of the information signal so that the signal may propagate more efficiently
– demodulation, i.e. the separation of the information signal from the carrier wave;
• design, investigate and analyse circuits for particular purposes using technical specifications related
to potential difference (voltage drop), current, resistance, power, temperature and illumination
for electronic components such as diodes, resistors, thermistors, light dependent resistors (LDR),
photodiodes and light emitting diodes (LED);
* Analyse voltage characteristics of amplifiers including linear voltage gain (ΔVout/ΔVin) and
clipping;
• identify and apply safe and responsible practices when conducting investigations involving
electrical, electronic and photonic equipment.

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Work, Energy & Momentum problems
A rifle bullet of mass 0.01 kg strikes and embeds itself in a block of mass 0.99 kg, which rests on a horizontal friction less surface. The block is attached to a coil spring as shown in the figure. The impact compresses the spring by 0.10 m. 
(a) Calculate the Velocity of the block immediately after the impact
(b) Calculate the velocity of the bullet just prior to hitting the block. 
(c) At the instant that the block momentarily comes to rest, what has happened to the momentum?
            (A) It is now Stored in the spring
            (B) It has been transferred to the earth
            (C) It has been dissipated as sound and heat
            (D) It has been lost because the collision was not perfectly elastic


Saturday, 10 December 2011

1 & 2-D Motion VCE Physics Unit 3







VCE Physics Tutor -  Derrick, PhD (Monash Uni)
Mobile  0405610255


Drop me a mail with your VCE Physics questions
wanigara@gmail.com


VCE PHYSICS Unit 3 Study Guide

Core:Motion


NEWTON'S LAWS
Apply Newton’s three laws of motion in situations where two or more coplanar forces act along a straight line and in two dimensions;

CIRCULAR MOTION
Analyse the uniform circular motion of an object moving in a horizontal plane 
(Fnet= mv2/R) eg; A vehicle moving around a circular road; a vehicle moving around a banked track; an object on the end of a string;

Apply Newton’s second law to circular motion in a vertical plane; consider forces at the highest 
and lowest positions only;

PROJECTILES
• Investigate and analyse the motion of projectiles near Earth’s surface including a qualitative 
description of the effects of air resistance;


ENERGY , MOMENTUM, IMPULSE
Apply laws of energy and momentum conservation in isolated systems; 
• Analyse impulse (momentum transfer) in an isolated system, for collisions between objects moving in a straight line (F∆t = m∆v);
• Apply the concept of work done by a constant force
– work done = constant force × distance moved in direction of net force
– work done = area under force-distance graph;
• analyse transformations of energy between: kinetic energy; strain potential energy; gravitational potential energy; and energy dissipated to the environment considered as a combination of heat, sound and deformation of material
– kinetic energy, i.e. ½mv2
 --Elastic and inelastic collisions in terms of conservation of kinetic energy
– strain potential energy, i.e. area under force-distance graph including ideal springs obeying 
Hooke’s Law, ½kx2
– gravitational potential energy, i.e mg∆h or from area under force-distance graph and area under 
field-distance graph multiplied by mass;





GRAVITY, Circular motion of planets and astronomical Objects
• Apply gravitational field and gravitational force concepts, g = GM/r2
 and F = GM1M2/r2
• Apply the concepts of weight (W=mg), apparent weight (reaction force, N), weightlessness (W=0) 
and apparent weightlessness (N=0);
• Model satellite motion  (artificial, moon, planet) as uniform circular orbital motion 
•Identify and apply safe and responsible practices when working with moving objects and equipment in investigations of motion.



Vectors:
Vectors have both the magnitude and direction. An arrow can be used to represent a vector. The relative size of an arrow would indicates the relative magnitude of the vector.


Adding Subtracting Vectors;
Use the Head to -Tail  Rule when making vector diagrams.
Eg: If a car travels in northern direction at a velocity 75 km/hr and turn to east at 55 km/hr. Find the change in velocity of the car.


Questions & Answers:
Circular Motion

Ex 1. Two spheres of equal mass are attached to a light rod of negligible mass of length 3.0 m as shown in the figure below. The spheres and the rod are whirled around in a horizontal circle about the point O at a constant rate.



Sunday, 25 September 2011

VCE Physics Unit 3 & 4 Revision

Dr. Derrick brings you the best ever crash course in VCE Physics Unit 3 & 4.
Summary sheet. Practice Exams, Past Papers. Contact Dr Derrick 0405 610 255.
Bsc (Hons), MSc & PhD (Monash University). More than 15 years of Physics tutoring experience. 
email:  wanigara@yahoo.com