PHY130 FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS 1

CHAPTER 1 : SYSTEM OF UNITS

CHAPTER CONTENTS
1.1
1.2
1.3

Basic and derived quantity

Dimensional analysis
Unit conversion

1.1

Basic and derived quantity

Physical quantity
What is physical quantity? What is it example?
A physical quantity is a quantity that can be measured by using
measuring instrument.
Example:
Physical quantity

Measuring instrument

Length

Ruler, meter tape

Time

Digital watch

Temperature

Thermometer

Weight

Weighing scale

Can be divided into 2 categories:

1. Basic quantity
2. Derived quantity

1.1

Basic and derived quantity

Basic Quantity
Basic quantity can be defined as a physical quantity which are
basis to any physics measurement.
It have 7 quantities :
Basic quantity

SI unit

SI unit symbol

Length

meter

Mass

kilogram

kg

Time

second

Temperature

Kelvin

Current

Ampere

Amount of substance

mole

mol

Luminous intensity

candela

cd

1.1

Basic and derived quantity

Derived quantity
Derived quantities can be defined as physical quantities which
are derived from two or more basic quantities/combination of
basic quantity
Therefore, the unit of derived quantities are constructed from
combinations of the base unit.
Example:
Derived quantity

SI unit symbol

Area

m2

Volume

m3

Velocity

m s-1

Acceleration

m s-2

Density

kg m-3

1.2

Dimensions

Dimensions of a quantity are referring to the

basic units or basic quantities that make it up.
Symbol that used for basic units are L, T, and M
respectively for length, time, and mass; and
generally written using square brackets; [L], [T],
and [M]
Example:
Speed = distance/time ; SI unit = m/s
Dimensions of speed = [L]/[T] @ [L][T]-1
Volume = length x width x height ; SI unit = m3
Dimensions of volume = [L]3
Density = mass/volume ; SI unit = kg/m3
Dimension of density = [M]/[L]3 @ [M][L]-3

Basic
quantity

Basic
quantity
unit

Dimension
symbol

Length

[L]

Time

[T]

Mass

kg

[M]

1.2

Dimensional analysis

Why dimensions is important in physics?

can check either any equation is correct/valid or not

How to check?
Rule 1: the quantities the only can be added or subtracted if it have
same dimensions.

Example1: equation for v = u + at

refer to right side equation above;
dimension for u = [L/T] and dimension for combinations of at = [L/T],
so this quantities can be added because it have same dimensions.
Example 2: equation for v = u + at2
refer to right side equation above;
dimension for u = [L/T] and dimension for combinations of at2 = [L],
so this quantities cannot be added because it have different
dimensions.

1.2

Dimensional analysis

Rule 2: any equation only valid/correct if the dimensions of the

quantities on each side are same.
Example 1: equation for v = u + at
dimension for v = [L/T], and dimension for right side equation u +
at also [L/T], so this equation is exactly correct.
Example 2: equation for v = u + at2
dimension for v = [L/T], and dimension for right side equation
u + at2 = [L/T] + [L]
Because of the dimension of equation at the right side cannot be
added because of different dimension, so this equation is not
correct/valid.
When the dimension of equation at the left side is equal to the
dimension of equation at the right side, the dimensions of the
equation are said to be homogeneous.

1.3

Units

The measurement of any physical quantity is must made relative

to a particular standard or unit.
For example:
To specify the distance between Kuala Pilah and Kuala Lumpur
is 120 is meaningless. The specific unit must be given; because
120 m @ 120 cm @ 120 km is clearly very different.
In physics, we always deal with SI units. SI unit is Systeme
International unit (French for International System unit).
In SI units, the standard for length is the meter, the standard for
time is the second and the standard for mass is the kilogram.
This system used to be called the MKS (meter-kilogram-second)
system.

1.3

Prefixes

The standard prefixes with their

respective powers of 10 is given as in
table.

1.3

Prefixes

Any numbers/values can also be written

in standard scientific notation or prefixes
term. Example:
Values

Scientific
notation term

Prefixes term

2000 m

2 x 103 m

2 km

0.005 m

5 x 10-3 m

5 mm

45 000 000
bytes

45 x 106 bytes

45 Mbytes

0.00000008 s

80 x 10-9 s

80 ns

0.2 A

200 x 10-3 A

200 mA

1.3

Unit conversion

Some of basic conversion factor is given below:

1 km

1000 m

1m

100 cm

1 kg

1000 g

1 hour

60 min

1 hour

3600 sec

How to convert from one unit to another unit? Example:

1 m2

? cm2

1 m3

? mm3

100 km hr-1

? m s-1

50 g cm-3

? kg m-3

5 hour

? sec

8 MW

? kW