What you will learn
Relate force, work, energy and power; apply basic electrical laws; explain how common sensors convert physical quantities; evaluate accuracy, precision and calibration evidence.
Course syllabus
- 1. Mechanics and energy
Force, motion, work and power in real equipment
- 2. Electrical physics
Voltage, current, resistance and electrical power
- 3. Sensors and calibration
How a physical quantity becomes a trustworthy signal
Free lesson · 34m
Force, motion, work and power in real equipment
Force changes motion or deforms a body. Newton’s second law links net force, mass and acceleration: F = m·a. Weight is a gravitational force, not the same quantity as mass. Friction, alignment and constraint forces often explain why real machines behave differently from an ideal free body.
Work transfers energy when a force acts through a distance. Power is the rate of that transfer. A motor can deliver the same work slowly with low power or rapidly with higher power. Rotating systems use torque and angular speed, with mechanical power equal to torque multiplied by angular speed when units are consistent.
Draw a simple free-body diagram before calculating. Identify the object, applied forces, reactions and direction. The diagram makes hidden assumptions visible and reduces sign errors.
Mass and weight differ; net force governs acceleration; work transfers energy; power measures the transfer rate; free-body diagrams expose assumptions.