Science Department

UNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL

PHYSICS

CHAPTER 1: MEASUREMENT
ANSWERS

NAME:_____________________( ) CLASS: _________ DATE: __________

Exercise 1A: Physical Quantities & Units

1. magnitude
All physical quantities consist of a numerical ____________ unit
and a _______.

2. Fill in the blanks for the SI base quantities.

Basic Quantity Name of SI unit Symbol for SI unit

Length meter m

Mass kilogram kg

Time second s

Electric Current ampere A

Temperature Kelvin K

3. Derive the following units.

(a) speed (speed = distance travelled ÷ time)

dis tan ce m
= =m/s
time s

(b) acceleration (acceleration = change of speed ÷ time)

change in speed m / s
= = m / s2
time s

(c) density (density = mass ÷ volume)

mass kg
= 3 = kg / m 3
volume m

(d) force (force = mass x acceleration)

mass × accelerati on = kg × m / s 2 = kg m / s 2

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4. Complete the table below.

Prefix Symbol Multiple

kilo k x103

mega M x 106

centi c x 10-2

deci d x 10-1

milli m x 10-3

micro µ x 10-6

5. Convert the following to SI units.

9
Eg. 21
21 Gb = ________ × 10 b
32 -2
(a) 32 cm = ________ × 10 m
41 6
(b) 41 MJ = ________ × 10 J
2.1 -6
(c) 2.1 mg = ________ × 10 kg
92 -6
(d) 92 µs = ________ × 10 s

92 3
(e) 92 kΩ = ________ × 10 Ω

Chapter 1: Measurement
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Science Department

UNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL

PHYSICS

CHAPTER 1: MEASUREMENT
ANSWERS

NAME:_____________________( ) CLASS: _________ DATE: __________

Exercise 1B: Measurement of Length

1. Complete the following unit conversion:

(a) 1000
1 km = ____________ m

100
(b) 1 m = ___________ cm

(c) 10
1 cm = ____________ mm

0.001
(d) 1 m = _____________ km

(e) 0.001
1 mm = ____________ m

(f) 100
1 m2 = 1 m × 1 m = ________cm 100
× ________cm
4
2
1 x 10
= ________cm

(g) 0.01
1 cm2 = 1 cm × 1 cm = ________m 0.01
× ________m
1 x 10-4 2
= ________m

(h) 100
1 m3 = 1 m × 1 m × 1 m = ________cm 100
× ________cm 100
× ________cm

1 x 10 6
= ________cm3

(i) 1 cm3 = 1 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm = _______m

0.01 0.01
× _______m 0.01
× _______m

1 x 10-6
= ________m 3

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2. Name the parts of the vernier calipers.

Inside jaws

lock tail

Main scale
Vernier scale

Outside jaws

3. What are the vernier readings shown below?

cm cm
3 4 5 1 2 3

0 5 10 0 5 10

3.43 cm
(a) __________________ 1.39 cm
(b) __________________

mm cm
20 30 40 4 5 6

0 5 10 0 5 10

(c) __________________
28.7 mm (d) ___________________
4.00 cm

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Science Department

4. (a) The reading on a vernier calipers with its jaw closed is shown below.

0 1cm

0 5 10

-0.02 cm
What is the value of the error? ____________________________

(b) The internal diameter of a beaker is being measured using this vernier
calipers and the reading is shown below.
5cm 6cm

0 5 10

Determine the actual reading of the internal diameter of the beaker.

Actual reading = observed reading – zero error

= 5.04 – (-0.02 cm)
= 5.06 cm

5. (a) The reading on a vernier calipers with its jaw closed is shown below.

0 1cm

0 5 10

What is the value of the error? ____________________________

+0.02 cm

(b) The diameter of a cylinder is being measured using this vernier

calipers and the reading is shown below.
3cm

0 5 10

Determine the actual reading of the internal diameter of the beaker.

Actual reading = observed reading – zero error

= 5.54 – (+0.02 cm)
= 5.52 cm

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Science Department

6. Name the parts of the micrometer screw gauge.

sleeve
anvil ratchet
spindle

thimble
lock

frame

7. What are the micrometer readings shown below?

0
20
0 1 0 1 2
0
mm mm
10

1.63 mm
(a) ________________ 2.49 mm
(b) ________________

0 0 0 1 2 3

mm mm 10
40

0.95 mm
(c) ________________ (d) ________________
3.12mm

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Science Department

8. The diagram shows a micrometer screw gauge with its anvil and spindle
closed.

0
0
mm

(a) -0.02 mm
State the zero error of this instrument. ____________________

(b) The instrument is then used to measure the thickness of a coin.

What is the actual thickness of the coin?

Actual thickness = observed reading – zero error

= 1.58 mm – (-0.02 mm)
= 1.60 mm
0 1
10
mm

9. The diagram shows a micrometer screw gauge with its anvil and spindle
closed.

0
mm
0

(a) +0.03 mm
State the zero error of this instrument. ____________________

(b) The instrument is then used to measure the thickness of a wire.

What is the actual thickness of the wire?

Actual thickness = observed reading – zero error

= 0.89 mm – (+0.03 mm)
= 0.86 mm
0
40
mm

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10. Complete the table below for the micrometer reading according to whether the
instrument has zero error or not.

Zero error

Zero mark is 2 divisions Zero mark is 3 divisions

below horizontal line. above horizontal line.
Micrometer No
reading zero error

zero error = _____mm

+0.02 zero error = -0.03
_____mm

5
0
0
0.97 mm 0.95 mm 1.00 mm
45
mm

20
0
15 1.12 mm 1.10 mm 1.15 mm
10
mm

Chapter 1: Measurement
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Science Department

UNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL

PHYSICS

CHAPTER 1: MEASUREMENT
ANSWERS

NAME:_____________________( ) CLASS: _________ DATE: __________

Exercise 1C: Measurement of Time

1. The SI unit for the measurement of time is the second. Convert the following
times to second.

(a) 10 minutes = ___________seconds

600

(b) 120
2 hours = ___________ 7200
minutes = _____________ seconds

(c) 3 hours and 20 minutes = _______________

12,000 seconds

2. The digital stopwatch below shows the time a triathlon participant had taken to
complete the race.

What is the reading shown on the stopwatch?

2 h 28 min 53.54 s
_____________________________________________

3. Period
__________________ is the time taken for one complete oscillation.

4. Frequency
__________________ is the number of complete oscillation completed in 1 s.

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Science Department

5. The diagram shows a simple pendulum. The bob of the pendulum was pulled to
position A and released. It took 12.82 s for the pendulum to make 20
oscillations. Fixed support

(a) Circle the answer which describes the

path for one complete oscillation? string

1. A-B-C
2. B-C-B-A
3. B-A-B bob
4. B-A-B-C-B
A C
B

(b) Calculate is the period of the pendulum.

12.82
T= = 0.641 s
20

(c) Calculate how long it takes the pendulum bob to swing from A to B?

0.64
t= = 0.160 s
4

(d) The experiment was repeated and the time for 20 oscillations is now
13.23 s. Based on the two recordings, calculate the period of the
pendulum.

13.23 + 12.82
Ave time = = 13.025s
2
13.025
T= = 0.651s
20

(e) Circle the effect on the period of the pendulum:

(i) heavier pendulum bob Æ period is longer / not affected / shorter

(ii) more oscillations Æ period is longer / not affected / shorter

(iii) smaller angle of swing Æ period is longer / not affected / shorter

(iv) longer pendulum Æ period is longer / not affected / shorter

(v) oscillates on moon Æ period is longer / not affected / shorter

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Science Department

6. A pendulum oscillates between positions X and Z as shown in the figure

below. It takes 0.4 s to go from X to Z. What is the period of the pendulum?

T = 0.4 x 2
=0.8 s

X Z
Y

7. The simple pendulum shown in the diagram below is pulled aside at an angle
of 5° and then allowed to swing freely. Jasmine tries to determine the period
of oscillation by performing the experiment 5 times. Each time, the pendulum
completes 20 oscillations.

5°

The following are the values for the time for 20 complete oscillations of the
pendulum.

24.23 s 24.45 s 23.98 s 24.12 s 24.42 s

Determine the period of the pendulum.

24.23 + 24.45 + 23.98 + 24.12 + 24.42

Ave time =
5

121.2
=
5

= 24.24 s
24.24
T= = 1.21 s
20

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