Unidades y Dimensiones PDF

Newtonian Mechanics
8.01
Units and Dimensional Analysis
1
Dimensions in Mechanics
Physical quantities have dimensions.
These quantities are the basic dimensions:

- mass, length, time with dimension symbols M, L, T
Other quantities’ dimensions are more complex:

- [velocity] = length/time = LT-1
- [force] = (mass)(length) /(time)2 = MLT-2
- [any mechanical quantity] = Ma Lb Tc where a b, and
c can be negative and/or non-integer
2
Base Quantities
Name Symbol for Symbol for SI base

quantity dimension unit
Length l L meter
Time t T second
Mass m M kilogram
Electric current I I ampere
Thermodynamic Temperature T Θ kelvin
Amount of substance n N mole
Luminous intensity IV J candela

3
SI Base Units:
Second: The second (s) is the duration

of 9,192,631,770 periods of the
radiation corresponding to the transition
between the two hyperfine levels of the
ground state of the cesium 133 atom.
Meter: The meter (m) is now defined as

the distance traveled by a light wave in
vacuum in 1/299,792,458 seconds.
Mass: The SI standard of mass is a

platinum-iridium cylinder assigned a
mass of 1 kg
Image courtesy of the National Bureau of Standards
4
Speed of Light
In 1983 the General Conference on Weights and

Measures defined the speed of light to be the best
measured value at that time:
c = 299, 792, 458 meters/second
This had the effect that length became a derived

quantity, but the meter was kept around for practicality
5
Meter
The meter was originally defined as 1/10,000,000 of the arc

from the Equator to the North Pole along the meridian
passing through Paris.
To aid in calibration and ease of comparison, the meter was

redefined in terms of a length scale etched into a platinum
bar preserved near Paris.
Once laser light was engineered, the meter was redefined to

be a certain number of wavelengths of a particular
monochromatic laser beam.
The meter (m) is now defined as the distance traveled by a

light wave in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 seconds.
Worked Example: Proportions of
the Standard Kilogram
The standard kilogram is a cylindrical alloy of 90 % platinum

and 10 % iridium. The density of alloy is
! = 21.56 g " cm -3
Design a strategy for finding the optimal height and radius
for the standard kilogram keeping in mind that the surface is
occasionally cleaned of unwelcome atoms (dust). You don’t
have to solve this.
Proportions of Standard
Kilogram
Strategy; Since atoms collect on the surface, chose the radius and height to minimize
surface area.
Constant volume for cylinder:

V = ! r 2h
The surface area is
A = 2! r 2 + 2! rh = 2! r 2 + 2V / r
Minimize the area with respect to radius:
dA / dr = 4! r " 2V / r 2 = 0
Radius is one half height:
V = 2! r03 " r0 = h / 2
The volume determined from density
V = m / ! " 1000 g /22 g # cm -3 " 46.38cm 3

The radius is
( )
13
r0 = V / 2! 1.95 cm
The height is
h = 2r0 3.90 cm
Fundamental and Derived
Quantities: Dimensions and Units
The dimensions of (new) physical quantities

follow from the equations that involve them
F = ma
implies that
[Force] = M1 L1 T!2 = M L T !2
Since we use force so often, we define new units to

measure it: Newtons, Pounds, Dynes, Troy Oz.
9
Worked Example: Dimensions
Determine the dimensions of the following mechanical
quantities:
1. momentum
2. pressure
3. kinetic energy
10
Worked Example Solution:
Dimensions

quantities:
[momentum] = (mass)(velocity) = M L T-1
[pressure] = [force/area]=M L T -2 / L2 = M L-1 T-2
[kinetic energy] = [(mass)(velocity) 2 ] = M( L T-1 )2 = M L2 T-2
11
Checkpoint Problem:
Dimensions
quantities:
1.Work
2. power
12
Dimensional Analysis:
Strategy
When trying to find a dimensionally correct formula for a quantity from a

set of given quantities, an answer that is dimensionally correct will
scale properly and is generally off by a constant of order unity
Since:
[desired quantity] = Mα Lβ Tγ where α β, and γ are known
Combine the given quantities correctly so that:
[desired quantity] = Mα Lβ Tγ = (given1)X (given2)Y (given3)Z
- solve for X, Y, Z to match correct dimensions of desired quantity
13
Checkpoint Problem
Dimensional Analysis:
Period of a Pendulum
The length l of a simple pendulum, the mass m of the

pendulum bob, the gravitational acceleration g and
the angular amplitude of the bob are all possible
quantities that may enter into a relationship for the
period of the pendulum swing. Using dimensional
analysis, find (up to a dimensionless multiplicative
function) a function
(
Tperiod = f l, m, g,! 0 )
for the time it takes the pendulum to complete one
full swing (the period of the pendulum).
Checkpoint Problem:
Dimensional Analysis
The speed of a sail-boat or other craft that does not

plane is limited by the wave it makes – it can’t climb
uphill over the front of the wave. What is the
maximum speed you’d expect?
Hint: relevant quantities might be the length l of the

boat, the density ρ of the water, and the
gravitational acceleration g.
= l X !Y
Z
vboat g
15
Hint: Dimensions of quantities
that may describe the maximum
speed for boat
Name of Quantity Symbol Dimension

Maximum speed v LT-1
density ρ ML-3
Gravitational
g LT-2
acceleration
Length l L
16
MIT OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu
8.01SC Physics I: Classical Mechanics
For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.

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Newtonian Mechanics

Units and Dimensional Analysis

Physical quantities have dimensions.

These quantities are the basic dimensions:

Other quantities’ dimensions are more complex:

Name Symbol for Symbol for SI base

Electric current I I ampere

Thermodynamic Temperature T Θ kelvin

Amount of substance n N mole

Luminous intensity IV J candela

Second: The second (s) is the duration

Meter: The meter (m) is now defined as

Mass: The SI standard of mass is a

In 1983 the General Conference on Weights and

This had the effect that length became a derived

The meter was originally defined as 1/10,000,000 of the arc

To aid in calibration and ease of comparison, the meter was

Once laser light was engineered, the meter was redefined to

The meter (m) is now defined as the distance traveled by a

the Standard Kilogram

The standard kilogram is a cylindrical alloy of 90 % platinum

Constant volume for cylinder:

V = m / ! " 1000 g /22 g # cm -3 " 46.38cm 3

Quantities: Dimensions and Units

The dimensions of (new) physical quantities

Since we use force so often, we define new units to

Determine the dimensions of the following mechanical

[pressure] = [force/area]=M L T -2 / L2 = M L-1 T-2

[kinetic energy] = [(mass)(velocity) 2 ] = M( L T-1 )2 = M L2 T-2

When trying to find a dimensionally correct formula for a quantity from a

[desired quantity] = Mα Lβ Tγ where α β, and γ are known

Combine the given quantities correctly so that:

[desired quantity] = Mα Lβ Tγ = (given1)X (given2)Y (given3)Z

- solve for X, Y, Z to match correct dimensions of desired quantity

The length l of a simple pendulum, the mass m of the

The speed of a sail-boat or other craft that does not

Hint: relevant quantities might be the length l of the

that may describe the maximum

speed for boat

Name of Quantity Symbol Dimension

8.01SC Physics I: Classical Mechanics

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