Chapter 1 GC Phy110

CHAPTER 1
Physical Units
Learning Outcomes
• Differentiate base and derived quantity.

• Apply the conceptual of measurement.
Sub-topics
MEASUREMENT UNITS AND UNIT CONVERSION

STANDARDS OF
MEASUREMENTS
Physical Quantities
• Physical quantities are quantities that are measurable with instruments in

laboratory.
• Examples of measurement: length (ruler), mass (balance), and temperature
(thermometer).
• Physical quantities are classified as either
i. base quantities
ii. derived quantities
Base quantities and units
Base quantity Base unit
Name Symbol Name Symbol
mass m kilogram Kg
• Definition : Base quantity is the Time t second s
basis of a physical measurement length l metre m
and it is not a combination of Electric I ampere A
current
any other quantities.
Temperature T,θ kelvin K
• There are 7 base quantities and Amount of n mole mol
units substance
Luminous candela cd
intensity
Derived quantities and units
Derived Defining Derived
quantity equation unit
density Density = mass / Kgm-3
• Definition : Derived quantity is a volume
combination of more than two velocity Velocity = ms-1
base quantities. displacement /
time
• For example, the defining
equation for the volume of a acceleration Acceleration = ms-2
cube of side l is: change of velocity
/ time
V=lXlXl
momentum Momentum = Kg ms-1
• The derived unit of volume is mass X velocity
obtained by multiplying together
the units of the base quantities.
Thus the derived unit of volume
is the cubic meter (m3).
Measurement
• Accuracy : the closeness of a

measured value to a
standard/known value.
• Precision: The closeness of two or

more measurements to each
other.
Uncertainty
• Accurate measurements are an important part of physics. But no
measurement is absolutely precise.
• There is an uncertainty associated with every measurement.
• When giving the result of a measurement, it is important to state the
precision or estimated uncertainty.
• For example, the width of a board might be written as 8.8 0.1 cm. The
0.1 cm represents the estimated uncertainty in the measurement, so
that the actual width most likely lies between 8.7 and 8.9 cm.
• For example, if the measurement is 8.8 and the uncertainty about 0.1
cm, the percent uncertainty is
Combination of uncertainties
Addition or Subtraction
• If x = a + b – c
• ∆x = ∆a + ∆b + ∆c
Multiplication or Division
• If x =
• ∆x = x
Example
A student has taken the following readings for a rectangle plate:

Length, a = 6.5 cm; width, b = 2.4 cm, thickness, c = 1.26 cm.
a. What is the uncertainty of a, b, and c?
b. Calculate the area of the rectangle and write down in term of x
∆x.
Solution
a. ∆x for a and b are 0.1 cm, and ∆x for c is 0.01 cm.

b. Area, A = a x b = 6.5cm x 2.4cm = 15.60 cm2
∆A = A= 15.60 = 0.89 = 0.89 cm2
15.6 0.9 cm2

Example
1. A rectangular plate has a length of 21.3 0.3 cm and width of 9.8

0.1 cm. Compute the area of the plate, including its uncertainty.
2. Find the volume of a spherical ball whose radius is r = 0.84 0.04
m and determine its uncertainty.
The uncertainty
Significant Figures (sf)
Rules For Significant Figures
1. All non-zero figures are significant

Ex: in 32.2 there are 3sf

2. All zeroes between non-zero digits are significant
Ex: in 302.8 and 33.8002 the zeroes are significant

3. All zeros to the right of a decimal point that follow a non-zero digit are significant
Ex: in 21.000 the zeroes are significant (5sf), but in 0.005 the zeroes are not
significant (1sf)

4. All other zeroes are not normally significant.

Multiplying/dividing
• The number of sf in the final answer should be the same as the number of sf
in the least accurate measurement.
• Least accurate means having the least number of s.f.
Ex :
24.75 cm X 6.780 cm = 167.805 cm2 = 167.8 cm2
Adding/subtracting

• The number of decimal places of the answer must be equal to the least
number of decimal places of the given numbers
Ex :
26.2 + 5.67 = 31.87 = 31.9
Example
1. For questions below, give your answer with correct significant

figure or decimal point.
a) Calculate 44.56005 s + 0.0698 s + 1103.2 s
b) Compute
c) A rectangular shape of copper plate with sides of 2.14cm by
4.07cm is usrd to cover a mounting of a machine. Determine the
surface area of this copper plate.
Answer
a) 1147.8 s (1dp)
b) 8.271 X 10-88(4sf)
c) 8.71 cm2
Scientific Notation
• One advantage of scientific notation is that it allows the number of

significant figures to be clearly expressed.
Ex : 3.69 X 104 (3sf)
Systems of units
• When dealing with laws and equations of physics it is very important to use a
consistent set of units.
• The most important is the System International, which is abbreviated SI.
• In SI units, the standard of length is meter, the standard for time is the
second, and standard for mass is kilogram. This system used to be called the
MKS (meter-kilogram-second) system.
• A second metric system is the cgs system, in which the centimeter, gram, and
second are the standard units of length, mass, and time.
• The British engineering system takes as its standards the foot for length, the
pound for mass, and the second for time.
Metric (SI) Prefixes
must memorize :’)
• In the metric system, the larger

and smaller units are defined in
multiples of 10 from the
standard unit, and this makes
calculation particularly easy.
Example
Length:
• 1 Tm = 1012 m
• 1 km = 103 m
• 1 µm = 10-6 m
Mass
• 1 Gg = 109 g
• 1 kg = 103 g
• 1 ng = 10-9 g
Time
• 1 Ms = 106 s
• 1 µs = 10-6 s
• 1 ps = 10-12 s
Unit Conversion Quantity Conversion factor
Length  1 km = 1000 m
 1 m = 100 cm
 1 cm = 10 mm
• Any quantity we measure, such  1 ft = 12 in
as a length, a speed, or an  1 in = 2.54 cm
electric current, consists of a  1 mile = 1.61km
number and a unit.
Mass  1 kg = 1000 g
• SI unit can be dividing into two  1 lbs (pound) = 0.45kg
types:  1 oz(ounce) = 28.3g
• mks system – meter –
kilogram – second time  1 h = 60 min
 1 min = 60 s
• cgs system –
centimeter – gram –  1 h = 3600 s
second
Prefix to unit
Unit to prefix
Examples
a. 1564 mm in m
b. 1750 g in Kg
c. 6.16 X 10-2 km in m
d. 87 hour in second
Example
a) 110 km/h to m/s
b) 340 m/s to km/h
c) 15 cm2 to m2
d) 1 g/cm3 to kg/m3
e) 10 nm to m
f) 15 A to μA
g) 100 MW to kW

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CHAPTER 1

• Differentiate base and derived quantity.

MEASUREMENT UNITS AND UNIT CONVERSION

• Physical quantities are quantities that are measurable with instruments in

• Accuracy : the closeness of a

• Precision: The closeness of two or

A student has taken the following readings for a rectangle plate:

a. ∆x for a and b are 0.1 cm, and ∆x for c is 0.01 cm.

∆A = A= 15.60 = 0.89 = 0.89 cm2

15.6 0.9 cm2

1. A rectangular plate has a length of 21.3 0.3 cm and width of 9.8

Rules For Significant Figures

1. All non-zero figures are significant

1. For questions below, give your answer with correct significant

• One advantage of scientific notation is that it allows the number of

• In the metric system, the larger

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