LESSON 2

The ampere is the current carried by two long

parallel wires placed one meter apart, when the
attractive force per unit length between two
wires is 2 x 10-7 Nm-1.

Units Of Measurement
Introduction
Physics is an experimental science. Theories are
useful only if their predictions agree with the results of
experiments. So measurement plays an important
part in physics.Together with other scientists ,
physicists have agreed on a single system of units for
the measurement of physical quantities .
A physical quantity is clearly defined with a numerical
value and a unit. A physical quantity can be measured
using a standard size called the unit.
Units identify the quantity that has been measured.
The standard size used must
(i) be easily reproduced
(ii) not have its magnitude changed
(iii) be internationally accepted

Prefixes
Prefix is a scientific notation word before the base
units and have certain value uses powers of 10.
Prefix
Tera
Giga
Mega
Kilo
Desi
Centi
Mili
Mikro
Nano
Piko

Although various systems of units have been used

over the years, scientists have generally agreed to
use the International System of Units (S.I. Unit).
Units for the base quantities are known as base units,
i.e. metre , kilogram, second, kelvin and
ampere.

Symbol
T
G
M
k
d
c
m

n
p

Factor
1012
109
106
103
10-1
10-2
10-3
10-6
10-9
10-12

Standard Form
The radius of earth 6400000000 mm and the
diameter a metal wire is 0.00000045 km. What is the
best way to write these numbers ?
The best way is try to write the numbers in shorthand
form.
The shorthand form of writing numbers is called
standard form.
In general, the standard form number is

The definition of base units.

The metre is the length of the path
traveled by light in vacuum during a time
interval of
1
of a second
299792458
The kilogram is the mass of a prototype
cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy that is kept
at the International Bereau of Weights and
Measures.

a x 10n

The second is 9192631770 periods of a

specified radiation from Cesium-133
atoms

where 1 a<10
and n are positive integers or
negative integers.

Example 1
Write the following numbers in standard form.

The kelvin is

1 of the
273.16
thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of
water

(a) 0.00008 m
(c) 0.0068 cm
(e) 345.2 x 104 m
(g) 7 x 10-5 x 8 x 106
(i) 6.2 x 109
3.1 x 103

(b)
(d)
(f)
(h)
(j)

5300 g
567.13 km
0.000078 x 10-6 s
3 x 108 + 8 x 106
3.8 x 10-2 - 7.2 x 10-3

Solution
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)

(i)

(j)

Solution

8.0 x 10-5 m
5.3 x 103 g
6.8 x 10-3 cm
5.7 x 102 km
3.5 x 106 m
7.8 x 1011 s
5.6 x 102
300 x 106 + 8 x 106
= 308 x 106
=3.08 x 108
2 x 106
-2

3.8 x 10 0.72 x 10
= 3.08 x 10-2

(a) 73 x 103 g = 7.3 x 104g x 103 = 7.3 x 107 mg

(b) 4.5 x 10-3 x 10-3
= 4.5 x 10-6s
= 4.5 x 10-6 x 10-6
= 4.5 x 10-12 Ms
Example 5
Convert
(a) 11.5 cm3 into the units of m3
(b) 72 km j-1 into the units of ms-1
(c) 5 g cm-3 into the units of kgm- 3

-2

Example 2

Solution
(a)

Convert the following lengths into the units of metre.

(a) 2.3 km
(b) 0.62 mm
(c) 3 x 106 cm
Solution

(b)

(a) 2.3 x 103 m

(b) 0.62 x 10-3 m = 6.2 x 10-4 m
(c) 3 x 106 x 10-2 m = 3.0 x 104 m

11.5 cm = 11.5 x 10-2 m

11.5 cm3 = 11.5 x (10-2m)3
= 11.5 x 10-6 m3
=1.15 x 10-5 m3
3
72 x10 m 72
=
= 2.0 x 101 m s-1
3 .6
60 x 60 s

(c ) 5 g cm-3 =

Example 3
Ekspress 22.5 g in the units of
(a) kg
(b) dg

Solution

5 x10 3 kg
1x (10 2 m) 3

5 x10 3 kg
1x10 6 m 3

= 5 x 10-3 x 106 m-3

= 5 x 103 kgm-3

(a) 22.5 x 10 -3 = 2.25 x10-2 kg

(b) 22.5 x 10-1 = 2.25 x 100 dg
Example 4
Ekspress
(a) 73 kg in terms of mg
(b) 0.0045 ms in terms of Ms

Tutorial 2 Scheme
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

B
C
C
C
D
B
B
A
D

10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

C
A
A
C
B
D
E
B
E