Units and Measurements

Units and Measurements
WALT
•To obtain dimensions for different physical quantities
•To state the principle of homogeneity of dimensions.
•To classify quantities into dimensional and dimensionless
constants.
WILF
• I Can obtain dimensional formula for different quantity
• I can state and apply principle of homogeneity to dimensional formula
• I can classify the physical quantities in to dimensional and dimensionless.
Measurement in Everyday Life
Physical Quantities
The quantities which are involved in a physical process are called physical
quantities.
OR
Quantities in terms of which laws of physics can be expressed and which can be
measured directly or indirectly.
Physical
Quantities
Fundamental Derived
Quantities Quantities
Fundamental(Base) Physical Quantity/Units
• The quantities which cannot be expressed in terms of other quantities are called
fundamental quantities
• The units of fundamental physical quantities are called fundamental units
• Example: Length(m), Mass(kg), Time(s), etc
• There are 7 fundamental quantities.
Fundamental / Base Unit Symbol
quantity
Length metre m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
Electric Current ampere A
Temperature kelvin K
Luminous Intensity candela cd
Amount of Substance mole mol
Derived Quantities/Units
• The quantities which can be derived with the help of fundamental quantities are called derived
quantities.
• The units of all other physical quantities which can be derived from fundamental units are called
derived units.
• Example: Area(m2), Volume(m3), Force(N), Work(J), Velocity(m/s),etc
System of Units
1. CGS System – Length(cm), Mass(g), Time(s) (Gaussian System)
2. FPS System – Length(foot), Mass(pound), Time(s) (British engineering system)
3. MKS System – Length(m), Mass(kg), Time(s)
4. SI Units - Fundamental / Base Unit Symbol
quantity
Length metre m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second S
Electric Current ampere A
Temperature kelvin K
Luminous Intensity candela cd
Amount of Substance mole mol
How to Derive the units?
Steps:
1. Write down the formula
2. Breakdown in terms of fundamental quantities
3. Write the units of fundamental quantities
4. You get the derived unit!!
• Q. Derive the units for Acceleration?

The two supplementary units are: 1. Plane angle (radian - rad)
2. Solid angle(steradian – sr)
Advantages of SI unit system

1. It is internationally accepted.
2. It is a coherent unit system. (Coherent, literally means logical or reasonable. Majority of
the SI units are derived from some fundamental units in a reasonable
manner. For example,1 Newton (SI unit of Force) = 1 Kg (SI unit of
mass) x 1 m (SI unit of distance) / s2 (SI unit of time) , therefore 1
Newton is a coherent unit of Force. Similarly for Power 1 Watt (SI unit
of Power) = 1 Joules (SI unit of Energy) / 1 sec (SI unit of Time),
therefore 1 Watt is a coherent unit of Power. As the SI system of units
represents or quantifies such physical quantities in a logical and
derived manner, they are said to be a coherent system of physical
units.)
3. It is rational unit of system. (The S.I. system makes use of only one unit for one physical
quantity. Therefore, it is a rational system.)
4. It is metric system.
Other important units of Length
For measuring large distance e.g., distance of planets and stars etc., some bigger units of length such
as astronomical unit, light year, parsec, etc. are used.
• The average distance between the Earth and the sun is called one astronomical unit.
1 AU = 1.496 X 1011 m
• The distance travelled by light in vacuum in one year is called light year
1 ly = 9.46 X 1015 m
• The distance at which an arc of length of one astronomical unit subtends an angle of one second at
a point is called parsec.
1 parsec = 3.08 X 1016 m
Dimensions
The dimensions of a physical quantity are the powers (or exponents) to which the fundamental units of
masses, length and time are raised to represent that physical quantity.
Dimensional Formula
• In mechanics, all the physical quantities can be written in terms of the dimensions [L], [M] and [T].
(Note that using capital letters within the square brackets [ ] to get the dimensional formula of any
physical quantity.)
Dimensional formula of some physical quantities

• Acceleration = [M0 L1 T-2]
• Mass density = [ML-3T0]
• Volume = [ M0L3T0]
Force= Mass X Acceleration = mass X length/ (time)^2

= [M] X [L]/ [T^2]
= [MLT-2]
1. Pressure
2. Work
3. Power
4. Surface tension
5. Surface energy
6. Thrust
7. Tension
8. Stress
9. Strain
10. Angular velocity
Dimensional formula
1. Pressure = force/area = MLT-2/L2 = [M1L-1T-2]

2. Work = Force X Distance = MLT-2 X L = [M1L2T-2]
3. Power = Work/time = ML2T-2/ T = [M1L2T-3]
4. Surface tension = Force/length = MLT-2/L = [ M1L0T-2]
5. Surface energy = Energy of free surface (Work) = [M1L2T-2]
6. Thrust = Force
7. Tension = Force
8. Stress = force/area
9. Strain = change in dimension/original dimension = [M0L0T0]
10. Angular velocity= angle/time = 1/T = [M0L0T-1]
Dimensional Equation:
The Equation obtained by equating a physical quantity
with its dimensional formula is called dimensional
equation of the given physical quantity.
Eg; Linear momentum = Mass X velocity = [M1L1T-1]
Impulse = Force X time = [ M1L1T-1]

Problem Solving Strategy ( Finding Dimensional Formulae)

1.First read the problem Carefully and then find out whether we
have given with formulae or any law.
2.Write the formula of a physical quantity for which the dimensions
to be known.
3.Convert the formulae of derived physical quantity into
fundamental quantities.
4.Write corresponding symbols for fundamental quantities,
Example [M])mass) , Length [L], Time[T].
5.Make proper algebraic combination and get result.
6.Arrange dimension in order MLT.
Applications of Dimensions
To check the correctness of an equation
To derive the relationships between

various physical quantities.
To convert one system of units to

another.
1. Checking the dimensional
consistency of Equation
– The magnitudes of physical quantities may be added
together or subtracted from one another only if they
have same dimensions.
– Mass cannot be added to velocity or an electric current
cannot be subtracted from time.
– We use the principle of homogeneity of dimension to
check the consistency and correctness of an equation.
Principle of homogeneity of
dimension
– It states that a physical quantity equation will be dimensionally
correct, if the dimensions of all the terms occurring on both sides of
the equation are same.
– Example: let us check the dimensional consistency of the equation

of motion,
– S= ut + ½ at^2
– Dimension of different terms are [s] = [L]
– [ut] = [ LT^-1][T] = [L]
– [ ½ at^2] = [LT^-2] / [ T^2] = [L]
– Question: Check whether given equation is dimensionally correct

– ½ m =mgh
– Wavength ƛ =
Research Work
Is there any physical quantity having units with out dimension?
There is no physical quantity which has dimensions but no

units because units are derived from the dimensional analysis itself.
However, on the contrary, there are some physical quantities which
have no dimensions but still have units. For eg., solid angle,
angular velocity etc.

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Units and Measurements

• Q. Derive the units for Acceleration?

Advantages of SI unit system

Dimensional formula of some physical quantities

Force= Mass X Acceleration = mass X length/ (time)^2

1. Pressure = force/area = MLT-2/L2 = [M1L-1T-2]

Eg; Linear momentum = Mass X velocity = [M1L1T-1]

Impulse = Force X time = [ M1L1T-1]

To check the correctness of an equation

To derive the relationships between

To convert one system of units to

– Example: let us check the dimensional consistency of the equation

– Question: Check whether given equation is dimensionally correct

There is no physical quantity which has dimensions but no

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