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

Resistor Colour Codes

Diodes

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.

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

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

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

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.

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