CHAPTER

1: GENERAL PHYSICS

1. Physical
Units
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4

Quantities

and

Physical Quantities
SI Units
The Avogadro constant
Scalars and vectors

2. Measurement Technique
2.1 Measurements
2.2 Errors and uncertainties
1

1.1 Physical Quantities

Physical quantity is one that can be measured and consist of a
magnitude and unit.
In fact, we used physical quantities to observe and measure
something.
For example: length, mass, time, weight, electric current, force
and velocity.
Classified into 2 types:
Base quantity- physical quantities that cannot be defined in
terms of other quantities.
Derived quantity combination of different base quantities

1.2 SI units

SI Units International System of Units

In SI, prefixes are attached: used to denote very big or very small numbers.

Prefix
Tera
Giga
Mega
Kilo
Deci
Centi
Milli
Micro
Nano

Value
1 000 000 000
000
1 000 000 000
1 000 000
1 000
0.1
0.01
0.001
0.000 001
0.000 000 001

Standard
Form
1012

Symbol

109
106
103
10-1
10-2
10-3
10-6
10-9

G
M
k
d
c
m

Base Quantities
Base
Quantities
Length , l
Mass, m
Time, t
Temperature, T
Electric current,
I

SI Unit
Meter
Kilogram
Second
Kelvin
Ampere

Symbol
m
kg
s
K
A

Derived Quantities
Derived
Quantity

Symb
ol

Relationship with base

quantity

Derived
unit

Area

Length X Length

m2

Volume

Length X Length X Length

m3

Density

Mass / Length X Length X

Length

Kg m-3

Velocity

Length / Time

m s-1

Acceleratio
n

Velocity / Time

m s-2

Momentum

Mass X Velocity

kg ms-1

Pressure

Daya / Luas

Kg m-1 s-2 or N
m-2 or Pascal
(Pa)

Example
1:

Convert 8 feet to meter
Solution:
Given that
The ratio of is called a conversion factor
Therefore, 8ft = (8ft) =2.44m

Exercise:

1.Convert 2.4384 meter to feet

2. Convert 25 miles per hour to meters per second
3. Change into its SI unit
4. Change into its SI unit
5. Change into its SI unit
6. Change
7. Change 100g/ into its SI unit

8.
Change 320km/hour into its SI unit
9. Change 0.04 into its SI unit
10. Change 17.7 ps into its SI unit.
11. A human hair has a thickness of about 70 . What is
this in (a) meters and (b) kilometers?
12. Convert 13 inches to meter.

Exercise 2 (SCP 131)

1.
Write
a) 100 cm in metres (m)
b) 52 MA in A
2. 0.03 m =__________cm

3. 2

4. Which of the following is the longest?

A. 3m
C. 3mm
B. 3m
D. 3m

5.
5.23 mm =_________km
6. 7200 km=________ km
7. 123=__________
8. 2.16 km m
9. Which of the following prefixes of units are arranged in
descending order of magnitude?
A. deci,micro,centi,milli
B. deci,centi,milli,micro
C. centi, deci,micro,milli
D. centi, milli, micro, deci
10. Which of the following measurements is the longest?
A 7.25 dm
D m
B 7.25 cm
E km
C m
10

11.
Which of the following shows the correct conversion of
units?
A 2.9 MV =2.9 V
B 90
C 0.06 GJ = 6.0
D 35 dm = 3.5
12. Which of the following frequencies in Hz is the same as
150.2 GHz.
A. 1.502
D 1.502
B. 1.502
E 1.502
C. 1.502

11

13.
Which of the following shows the correct conversion?
A 50.2
B 70=7.0
C 200 km =2.00
D 380=3.80
14. Which of the following is a derived quantity?
A TemperatureC Volume
B Mass D Current
15 . The quantities below are derived from length, except
A
is based on metric system
B
has a lot of base units
C
is based on the international conference of all scientists.
D
is to help in the communication of the scientists of the world
12

16
Which of the following shows the correct matching
Quantity

Unit

velocity
Density

kg

temperature
temperature
current
current

volt
volt

17. Which of the following shows the correct relationship?

A 1 ns =
B 1 kg =g

C 1 MW =
D 1GHz =

13

18. Pressure is defined as

A force per unit area
C force per unit lenght
B mass per unit volume
19. Which of the followings is equal to 1 second?
A 10 ms
C 1000 ms
B 100 ms
D 10 000 ms
20. Which of the followings pair is true?
A Force Joule
B Frequency -per second
C Work watt
D Electrical charge - ampere
14

1.3 The Avogadro Constant

The
Avogadro constant is equal to the number of atoms in
exactly 0.012kg of carbon-12.
This number was found experimentally to be
6.02 has the unit of or per mol (abbreviation of mole).
One mole of any substance is the amount containing a number
of particles equal to the Avogadro constant. It could be atoms,
molecules, protons, neutrons or even grains of sand.

15

 The
mass of one mole of a substance is known as the molar
mass and is measured in kg .
The volume of one mole of a substance is known as the molar
volume.
Mass of one atom or molecule,
Hence M =m

16

 The
number of moles of a substance can be found by using the
following formulas:
1) Number of moles of a substance,

Or
2) Number of moles of a substance,

17

1.4 Scalars and vectors

A
scalar is defined as quantity that has a magnitude only.
Example: time, mass, length, temperature, density and energy.
Can be added or subtracted by using simple arithmetic.
Example:
8 kg + 4 kg = 12 kg
A vector is defined as a quantity that have both magnitude
and direction.
Example: force, velocity, acceleration and displacement.
A vector quantity is usually printed in bold as: A and also
written with a small arrow above it as : or .

18

Example
1:

The car shown in Figure 1 moves at a velocity of 60 to the left

Figure 1

19

 Sum of vectors
Sum of the vectors is another vector known as the resultant
vector, P+Q
Sum of vector follows the following rules:
a) commutative rule : P+Q=Q+P
b) associative rule : (P+Q)+R =P+(Q+R)
c) distributive rule : m(P+Q) = mP+mQ
Two method to find resultant vector :
a) Parallelogram of vectors
b) Triangle of vectors

20

a) Parallelogram of vectors
- The two vectors P and Q are represented by the adjacent sides
AB and AD of parallelogram. The line DC is drawn parallel to
AB and BC is drawn parallel to AD to complete the
parallelogram ABCD. The resultant vector (P+Q) is represented
by the diagonal AC in magnitude and direction.

21

b) Triangle of vectors
-The line AB is drawn to represent the vector P in magnitude and
direction. From B, the line BC is drawn to represent the vector Q.
The resultant (P+Q) is represented by the line AC in magnitude
and direction.

22

 Subtraction of vectors
the subtraction of two vectors P and Q can be written as the
sum of two vectors. P- Q = P +(-Q)

23

 Resolving a vector
A vector R may be considered as the sum of two vectors.
A vector has only one pair of components, which are mutually
perpendicular to each other as follow:

24


Unit
Vector
A vector unit is a vector that has a magnitude of 1 with no unit
Used to describe a direction of vectors.

The unit vector in the positive -, -, - directions are denoted by

respectively.

25


The above vector r can be written in term of Cartesian
coordinate (x,y,z) as
r = xi +yj +zk
Thus, the unit vector in the direction of r is
=

26

 For
example: if , a unit vector in the direction of the vector r
is
=
=
Addition of Two Vectors
Given vector
or b
Then, the resultant of the two vectors, is:
=
or (5,6)

27

Exercise

3:
1. Find the unit vector in the direction of the vector r given
below.
a) r = 3i+4j
b) r =2i-3j+5k
2. If and , find
a)
b)

28


product (dot product) of vector
Scalar

- is written as (read as dot b) and is given by

=
where = angle between the two vectors.
-the scalar of the two vectors obeys the following rules:
a) Commutative rule: = b
b) Distributive rule: = +
m ( )= (m
=
=(
where m is a scalar

29

c)
If are perpendicular to each other, the angle
= 0 . Hence

d) If and

are in the same direction (parallel), the angle = and cos

Hence

Exercise 4:
If = 5i+9j and b=7i-6j, find
a)
b) The angle between and
30


product (cross product ) of vectors
Vector

- written as (read as cross b) and has magnitude of

=
-The direction is perpendicular to the plane that contains and
and form a right hand system.
- Magnitude =0 if = , that is when and is parallel. hence,

31

 If
and are perpendicular, the angle =
Hence,
k

If = + and = +
=
= j+
= ( ) ( ) j+ ( ) k

32

2.Measurement Techniques
2.1 Measurement
Length
Measuring tape is used to measure relatively long lengths
For shorter length, meter rule or a shorter rule will be more
accurate

33

 Vernier Calipers
Consist of two scales which are main scale and vernier scale.
Allows measurements up to 0.01cm
Consists of a 0.9cm long scale divided into 10 divisions

34

 Method of reading the Vernier Callipers

1) Observe the zero mark 0 on the vernier scale.
2) Then write down the value of the reading on the main scale
before or exactly touching the0 mark on the vernier scale,i.e
3.1 cm in Figure above.
3) Hence, the reading = Reading on the main scale + Reading on
the vernier scale = 3.1 + 0.08 =3.18 cm

35

 Micrometer Screw Gauge

To measure diameter of fine wires, thickness of paper and
small lengths
Two scales : main scale and circular scale

36

 Taking the reading on the Micrometer Screw gauge

=Reading on the sleeve + Reading on the scale of the thimble

=7.00 mm+0.28 mm
= 7.28 mm
37

 Time
measured in years, months, weeks, minutes and seconds.
SI unit for time is the second (s).
Stopwatch
Measure short intervals of time
Two types: digital stopwatch, analogues stopwatch
Digital stop watch more accurate as it can measure time in
intervals of 0.01 seconds.
Analogue stopwatch measures time in intervals of 0.1 seconds.

38

39

 The table below show the range and precision of some

measuring instruments
Instrument

Range of
measurement

Accuracy

Measuring tape

0-5m

0.1 cm

Metre rule

0-1m

0.1cm

Vernier calipers

0-15cm

0.01cm

Micrometer
screw gauge

0-2.5cm

0.01mm

40

2.2 Errors and uncertainties

No
measurement can be absolutely accurate ; there will be
some sort of error and uncertainty in a measurement.
Example : time = 5 secondssecond
The 1 second is called the absolute uncertainty
There are two main types of errors:
i) Systematic errors
- due to zero or end errors which always occurs when the
instrument gives a non-zero reading.
- Cannot be eliminated or reduced by taking repeated readings
- Only can reduced by improving the procedure of taking the
measurements, using different instruments or getting
somebody else make the measurements
41

ii) Random errors

- Main source is the observer.
- Example of random error is parallax errors

- Can be reduced by taking repeated readings

- The mean/ average is the best estimate of the true value,.
42

References
J.S Walker (2011) Physics. Pearson Custom
Publishing
J.S Walker (2011) Principles of Physics. 9th Ed.
Wiley
M. Crundell: AS/A-Level Physics Essential Word
Dictionary: Philip Allan Updates, 2001.
J.D Wilson, A.J Buffa, B.Lou (2011) College
Physics. 6th Ed. Pearson Prentice Hall

43

Range and Grade

Marks
85 - 100
80 84
75 79
70 74
60 69
55 - 59
50- 54
45 49
40 44
35 39
30 34
0 29

Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
E
F
FX

Pointer
4.00
3.70
3.30
3.00
2.70
2.30
2.00
1.70
1.30
1.00
0.67
0.00
Tidak hadir peperiksaan
tanpa kebenaran

Dengan kebenaran
44

Tidak lengkap dan diberi