1.

1:UNIT & MEASUREMENT

1.1:Physical Quantities & Unit
• A physical quantity is a term (a word) that is defined to
describe a physical property of an object or system.
• Examples
• -Length:define the distance between two points.
• -Mass: define the amount of substance in an object.
• -Time: define the duration of an incident or occurrence.
• -Speed:define as the rate of change of distance in a
certain time interval.
• -Stress : define as the force per unit cross-sectional
area.
• Every physical quantity can be measured
with a measuring scale and given a unit.
• A unit is the standard used to compare the
magnitude or measurement of a physical
quantity.
• All physical quantities can be divided into
2 categories:
 Base Quantities & Base Units
• Base Quantities are physical quantities
that measures the most basic or
fundamental properties of the body or
system.
• Base quantities are:
length,mass,time,current,temperature,
amount of substance and light intensity.
• Each of these base quantities are
measured using the following base units:
 Base Quantity S.I Unit Symbol
Length metre m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
Electric current ampere A
Temperature kelvin K
Amount of mole m
Substance
Light Intensty candela cd
• Each of these standard base units are defined:
• Example:1 metre is equal to 1650763.73
wavelengths of light emitted from the krypton-86
atom.
• 1 kilogram is the mass of a platinum-iridium
cylinder kept at the International Bureau of
Weights and Measures,Paris.
• 1 second is the time taken for 9192631770
vibrations of the light emitted by a caesium-133
atom.
Derived Quantities & Derived Units
• Physical quantities that are related to one
or more base quantities are called derived
quantities.
• Example:
• -area,A is length x length
• -speed,v is rate of change of distance/time.
• -volume,V is area x length
• -density,ρ is mass per unit volume.
• The derived units for the derived quantities
are obtained from the relation of the
quantity to the base quantities;
• Example:
• -unit of area,A is m x m =m2
• -unit of speed,v is m/s
• -unit of volume,is m2xm=m3
• -unit of density is kg/m3=kgm-3
Q1.
• What is the unit for
(a) acceleration?
(b) force?
1.2:Dimensions of Physical Quantities.

• The dimension of a physical quantity is the

relation between the physical quantity and the
base quantities.
• The dimension of a physical quantity is stated in
terms of M,L,T,A,θ,N and C which are the
dimensions for the base quantities
• The symbol for the dimension of a physical
quantity is represented by:
[physical quantity]
 Dimension of Base Quantities
• [mass]=M
• [length]=L
• [time]=T
• [electric current]=A
• [temperature]=θ
• [mole]=N
• [light intensity]=C
 Remember
• For numerical constant of proportionality
without unit, the [constant]=1
• Example:[π]=1
• To find the dimension of a derived
quantity, start from its definition.
 Rules of Operation For Dimension
• The operation for dimension follows the
rules of operation for multiplication and
division.
• Dimension for two different physical
quantities cannot be subtracted or added.
• Two physical quantities can be added or
subtracted if they are of the same unit or
dimension.
 Dimension of Derived Quantities.
• Write down the dimension of the following
quantities:
• (a) volume
• (b) density
• (c) velocity
• (d) acceleration
• (e) force
• (a) volume = length x length x length
[volume]=[length x length x length]
=[length]x[length]x[length]
=L x L x L
[volume]=L3
• (b)
mass
density 
volume
[mass] M
[density]   3
[volume] L
3
[density]  ML
• (c)
displacement
velocity 
time
[displacement ] L
[velocity ]  
[time] T
[velocity ]  LT 1
• (d)
change of velocity
acceleration 
time
1
[velocity] LT
[acceleration]  
[time] T
[acceleration]  LT  2
• (e)
force  mass  acceleration
[ force ]  [mass ]  [acceleration]
2
[ force ]  MLT
Q2:
• What is the dimension for :
• (a)the coefficient of static friction,μ?
• (b) stress.
Q3:
• Van der Waal’s equation for the pressure of a real gas is
given by the relation:
a
( P  2 )(V  b)  nRT
V
• where P = gas pressure,
• V= volume of gas,
R = molar gas constant,
T= temperature in Kelvin
a,b = dimensional constants
n= number of moles of gas.
What is the dimension and unit for a , and R?
 a a [a] a
( P  2 )  [ P]  [ 2 ]  2 [P  2
][V  b]  [nRT ]
V V [V ] V
 [a ]  [ P ][V 2 ]  [ P][V ]2 [ P ][V ] ML1T  2 L3
[ R]  
[n][T ] N
 ML1T  2 ( L3 ) 2
[ R ]  ML2T  2 N 1 1
[a ]  ML5T  2
 unit for R  kgm 2 s  2 mol 1 K 1
 unit for a  kgm5 s  2
or Jmol 1 K 1
(V  b)  [b]  [V ]  L3
 unit for b  m 3
1.3:Uses of Dimensions
• (1)To determine the unit for derived quantity.
Example:
[acceleration]  LT 2
 unit for acceleration  ms  2
[ force ]  MLT  2
 unit for force  kgms  2 or Newton, N
[ force ] MLT  2 1  2
[ pressure ]   2
 ML T
[area ] L
 unit for pressure  kgm 1s  2 or Nm  2 or Pascal , Pa
Q4:
• What is the dimension and unit for
energy?
Answer:
• [energy]=[F][s]=MLT-2L=ML2T-2
Unit of energy =kgm2s-2
(2)Dimensional Homogeneity Of An Equation.

• For a true or correct equation,the

dimensions of all terms in the equation are
the same, or the dimension on the left side
of the equation and the dimension on the
right side of the equation are the
same.The equation is said to be
dimensionally consistent or homogeneous.
• A correct equation is dimensionally
consistent.
v 2  u 2  2as is correct
[v 2 ]  [v]2  ( LT 1 ) 2  L2T  2
[u 2 ]  [u ]2  ( LT 1 ) 2  L2T  2
[2as]  [as]  [a]  [ s ]  ( LT  2 )  L  L2T  2
 v 2  u 2  2as is dim ensionally consistent
• A dimensionally • Example 1:
consistent equation is not 1 l
t is not correct
necessarily correct 2 g
because the value of 1 l
constant of proportionality t 
2

4 2 g
is wrong.
[t 2 ]  [t ]2  T 2
[l ] L
  T 2

[ g ] LT 2

• but dimensionally
consistent.
• A dimensionally • Example 2:
2
consistent equation is s
v 2  u 2  2as  2
is not correct.
not necessarily t
2
s
correct because it is [v 2 ]  [u 2 ]  [2as]  [ 2 ]  L2T  2
t
incomplete or has
extra terms. • but dimensionally
consistent.
• An equation that is dimensionally not
consistent is not correct.
v  u  2as is not correct
[v]  LT 1
[u ]  LT 1
[2as]  [as]  [a ]  [ s ]  ( LT  2 ) L  L2T  2
 v  u  2as is dim ensionally not consistent
1.4:Derivation of Physical Equation
• An equation relating a physical quantity to
other known physical quantities can be
derived by the method of dimension.
Example :
• The period of oscillation t of a simple
pendulum is dependent on its length,l and
the acceleration due to gravity g.
• Assume that the period, t  l x g y
 t  kl x g y
where k is the dim ensionaless cons tan t of proportionality
[t ]  [k ]  [l x ]  [ g y ] , where [k ]  1
T  Lx ( LT  2 ) y  Lx  yT  2 y
• Equating indices of T • The value of k, the
and L: constant of
 1  2 y proportionality can
1 only be determined
 y
2 through experiment.
1 1
0  x  y  x   y  (  ) 
2 2
1  12
Hence, t  kl g
2

l
tk
g
 STPM 2004
• If E is the rotational kinetic energy and L
is the angular momentum of a body,the
E
ratio has the same dimension as:
L

A. Velocity
B. Displacement
C. Frequency
D. momentum
 STPM 2000
• Which of the following products does not
have the same unit as work?
• A. Power x time
• B. Pressure x volume
• C. Torque x angular velocity
• D. Charge x potential difference
• E. Mass x gravitational potential
 GCE A-Level
• The experimental measurement of the
heat capacity C of a solid as a function of
temperature T is to be fitted to the
expression C=αT + βT3. What are the units
for α and β respectively.
• The energy of a photon of light of
frequency f is given by hf, where h is the
Planck constant. What are the base units
of h?