PHYS-200: Physics III

Summary

The students understand and apply the physics of fluids, electromagnetism, and special relativity.

Official source

https://edu.epfl.ch/coursebook/en/physics-iii-PHYS-200

Moodle Page

http://go.epfl.ch/PHYS-200

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Surface tension

Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces at rest to shrink into the minimum surface area possible. Surface tension is what allows objects with a higher density than water such as razor blades and insects (e.g. water striders) to float on a water surface without becoming even partly submerged. At liquid–air interfaces, surface tension results from the greater attraction of liquid molecules to each other (due to cohesion) than to the molecules in the air (due to adhesion). There are two primary mechanisms in play.

Bending

In applied mechanics, bending (also known as flexure) characterizes the behavior of a slender structural element subjected to an external load applied perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the element. The structural element is assumed to be such that at least one of its dimensions is a small fraction, typically 1/10 or less, of the other two. When the length is considerably longer than the width and the thickness, the element is called a beam.

Magnetostatics

Magnetostatics is the study of magnetic fields in systems where the currents are steady (not changing with time). It is the magnetic analogue of electrostatics, where the charges are stationary. The magnetization need not be static; the equations of magnetostatics can be used to predict fast magnetic switching events that occur on time scales of nanoseconds or less. Magnetostatics is even a good approximation when the currents are not static – as long as the currents do not alternate rapidly.

Strain energy

In physics, the elastic potential energy gained by a wire during elongation with a tensile (stretching) or compressive (contractile) force is called strain energy. For linearly elastic materials, strain energy is: where σ is stress, ε is strain, V is volume, and E is Young's modulus: In a molecule, strain energy is released when the constituent atoms are allowed to rearrange themselves in a chemical reaction. The external work done on an elastic member in causing it to distort from its unstressed state is transformed into strain energy which is a form of potential energy.

Constant current

A constant current (steady current, time-independent current, stationary current) is a type of direct current (DC) that does not change its intensity with time. If the load is constant, a steady current can be obtained via a constant voltage source. If the load is varying, a steady current can be obtained via a constant current supply source. An electrochemical cell is a device capable of either generating electrical energy from chemical reactions or facilitating chemical reactions through the introduction of electrical energy.