General physics concepts and notation
This short section reviews some general concepts and establishes some essential terminology and notation that apply across all of physics.
Physical quantities and units
In physics, when you talk about length or mass or energy, you want to be as precise as possible. Ideally, you want to be able to measure or calculate the things that you talk about. For example, the size of an object is not just a quality; it’s a quantity. Physical quantities are measurable properties. They can be given a numerical value, or magnitude.
There is something else that a physical quantity must have: a unit. For example, we don’t just say that the length of a particular table is 2; we say it is 2 meters. Meter (m) is the unit. Why ...
Get The Essential Guide to Physics for Flash Games, Animation, and Simulations now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
