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PHYSICS
PHYSICAL
QUANTITIES AND
UNITS
L E A R N I N G O U TC O M E S
No.
i
ii
iii
iv
v
LEARNING OUTCOME
Concept of measurement
What qualifies a measurement?
What are the base quantities?
What are derived quantities?
Prefixes and multiples
L E A R N I N G O U TC O M E S
No.
vi
vii
viii
ix
x
LEARNING OUTCOME
The concept of homogeneity
Estimation of physical quantities
Scalar and vector quantities
Adding/subtracting vectors
Resolving vectors
CONCEPT OF
MEASUREMENT
A measurement is the best estimate
of a physical dimension.
Examples:
The height of a person is a measurement.
The time lapse between the beginning and
end of a 100 m race is also a
measurement.
W H AT Q U A L I F I E S A
MEASUREMENT?
To qualify as a measurement, a physical
parameter must have a value
(magnitude) and a unit.
For example, when measuring, these
have a meaning:
32.1 s, 126 kg, 1.25 10-6 m;
W H AT A R E T H E B A S E
QUANTITIES?
Scientists, to standardise the results of all
scientific work, have agreed on six base
quantities.
These 6 base quantities each have a:
base standard, (to qualify a measurement)
standard unit, and
symbol.
W H AT A R E T H E B A S E
QUANTITIES?
The six base quantities, units and symbols are
listed below.
BASE QUANTITY
SYMBOL
Length
meter
Time
second
Mass
kilogram
kg
Electric current
Ampere
Temperature
Kelvin
Amount of substance
mol
mol
W H AT A R E T H E B A S E
QUANTITIES?
We will look at one of the base
quantities, length to further
emphasise the concept of base
quantity, base standard and base
unit:
W H AT A R E T H E B A S E
QUANTITIES?
Base quantity length
Base standard - The metre is the
length of the path travelled by light
in vacuum during a time interval
of 1/299 792 458 of a second.
Base unit metre.
W H AT A R E T H E B A S E
QUANTITIES?
The other base standards are
available at this web - link:
http://www.bipm.org/en/si/base
_units/)
W H AT A R E T H E D E R I V E D
QUANTITIES?
W H AT A R E T H E D E R I V E D
QUANTITIES?
Examples: velocity, potential difference,
density, weight, electrical conductivity
are derived quantities.
Hence, the units for the derived
quantities, therefore, can be written in
terms of products or quotients of any
one or more of the base quantities.
W H AT A R E T H E D E R I V E D
QUANTITIES?
W H AT A R E T H E D E R I V E D
QUANTITIES?
Example:
.
Density =
Hence, the unit for
density is the quotient of the unit for
mass to the unit for volume, or unit
for density = kg m-3
P R E F I X E S A N D M U LT I P L E S
Prefixes are used to simplify
presentation of numbers.
For example, it is easier to write 1
MW instead of 1,000,000 W or 1 m
instead of 0.000001 m.
P R E F I X E S A N D M U LT I P L E S
Prefixes are useful to represent physical
quantities that are often too large (like
power, number of atoms) or too small
(like the size of an atom, wavelengths of
visible light.)
Link
to
prefixes:
http://www.bipm.org/en/measurement
-units/prefixes.html
P R E F I X E S A N D M U LT I P L E S
PREFIX
SYMBOL
MULTIPLE
Peta
1015
Tera
1012
Giga
109
Mega
106
kilo
103
hekto
102
deka
da
101
deci
10-1
centi
10-2
mili
10-3
micro
10-6
nano
10-9
pico
10-12
femto
10-15
THE CONCEPT OF
HOMOGENEITY
An equation is homogeneous if the units (SI)
on the left and right hand sides are the same.
Each term on the left hand or right hand side must
have the same units.
Check the homogeneity of the following equations:
a. p
mv mu
b. P
gh
c.
THE CONCEPT OF
HOMOGENEITY
We can also use our
understanding of homogeneity
to find:
I. units of constants.
II. units of other derived quantities.
THE CONCEPT OF
HOMOGENEITY
THE CONCEPT OF
HOMOGENEITY
This is due to the presence of unit less coefficients.
and
,
Example:
both equations are homogeneous
but only the first equation is
physically correct.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2011, Paper 12, question 2.
EXAMPLES
May/June 2008, Paper 1, question 2.
Recall
!
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2008, Paper 1, question 2.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2009, Paper 11, question 1.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2009, Paper 11, question 2.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2011, Paper 12, question 18.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2011, Paper 11, question 4.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2010, Paper 21, question 1.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2010, Paper 21, question 1
(contd).
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2010, Paper 21, question 1 (contd).
HOMEWORK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
HOMEWORK
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
HOMEWORK
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
HOMEWORK
25. Question 2, Paper 13, Oct/Nov 2013.
26. Question 4, Paper 13, Oct/Nov 2013.
27. Question 1, Paper 21, Oct/Nov 2013.
E S T I M AT I O N O F P H Y S I C A L
QUANTITIES
In Physics, it is often required to make
estimates of quantities without making
measurements.
It is a good practice for Physics students
to have good estimates of certain
quantities as will be discussed in the
next slide.
E S T I M AT I O N O F P H Y S I C A L
QUANTITIES
Exercise:
Work within your group and without making
any measurements, estimate the following
physical quantities:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
E S T I M AT I O N O F P H Y S I C A L
QUANTITIES
v. the diameters of a pencil and its lead,
vi. the volume of a brick,
vii. the volume of a drink in a drinking cup,
viii.the masses of a brick, person, and nail,
ix. the time between heartbeats,
x. the period of a pendulum
E S T I M AT I O N O F P H Y S I C A L
QUANTITIES
v. the diameters of a pencil and its lead,
vi. the volume of a brick,
vii. the volume of a drink in a drinking cup,
viii.the masses of a brick, person, and nail,
ix. the time between heartbeats,
x. the period of a pendulum
EXAMPLES
May/June 2011, Paper 12, question 3.
EXAMPLES
May/June 2008, Paper 1, question 3.
HOMEWORK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
HOMEWORK
9. Oct/Nov 2012, Paper 13, question 3.
10.May/Jun 2013, Paper 13, question 3.
11.Oct/Nov 2013, Paper 13, question 1.
VECTOR
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2011 Paper 12, Question 3
A DDING V EC TORS
Lets add two coplanar vectors, and 9 (
+
9
9)
:9
A DDING V EC TORS
Note that the head of the first vector ()
must coincide with the tail of the second
vector (9).
The resultant vector is drawn from the tail
of the first vector () to the head of the
second vector (9).
Vector addition is associative, i.e + 9= 9 +
A DDING V EC TORS
Link to applet: Vector Addition
Please use the applet to improve
on your understanding of vector
addition.
S U B T R A C T I N G V E C TO R S
Now lets subtract two coplanar vectors,
and 9 (
- 9)
9
9
9
S U B T R A C T I N G V E C TO R S
We can convert subtraction into addition
9 +(
9).
9
9=
The resultant vector is drawn from the tail
of the first vector () to the head of the
second vector (9).
Vector addition is NOT associative, i.e
9 ; 9 .
Well try 9 .
S U B T R A C T I N G V E C TO R S
Link to applet: Vector Subtraction
Please use the applet to improve
on your understanding of vector
subtraction.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2011 Paper 12, Question 12
Plane of reference
Fcos
v cos
v sin
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2008, Paper 1, Question 3.
EXAMPLES
May/June 2010, Paper 11, Question 5.
HOMEWORK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
HOMEWORK
9. Oct/Nov 2012, Paper 12, Question 4.
10.Oct/Nov 2012, Paper 12, Question 2.
11.Oct/Nov 2012, Paper 23, Question 1.
12.May/Jun 2013, Paper 11, Question 1.
13.May/Jun 2013, Paper 12, Question 1.
14.May/Jun 2013, Paper 13, Question 1.
15.May/Jun 2013, Paper 13, Question 4.
16.Oct/Nov 2013, Paper 13, Question 3.