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All these are studied in fundamental physics which is the heart of science.
1.3.1 Base units: there are 7 base units for various physical quantities, described below:
Electric Intensity of Amount of
Physical Qt. Length Mass Time Temperature
Current Light Substance
S.I unit meter kilogram second ampere kelvin candela mole
Symbol m kg s A K cd mol
1.3.2 Supplementary units: there are two units of purely geometrical quantities which are neither
base units nor derived, known as supplementary units.
Abu Bakkar Marwat (B.Sc. Yarn Manufacturing) NTU, Faisalabad. textilian4u@yahoo.com
F.Sc Part-1 (PHY) -MEASUREMENTS- 2/7
• Radian: it is plane angle between two radii of a circle which cut an arc on the
circumference, equal to the radius
• Steradian: it is solid angle (3-dimensional) subtended at the centre of a sphere by an area
of its surface equal to the square of radius of the surface.
Physical Qt. SI unit Symbol
Plane angle radian rad
Solid angle steradian sr
1.3.3 Derived units: these units are used for all other physical quantities and are derived from the
base and supplementary units. Some of them are as follows:
Physical Qt. Force Work Power Electric Pressure
charge
Unit newton joule watt coulomb pascal
Symbol N J W C Pa
In terms of base units kg m s-2 N m = kg m2 s-2 J s-1 = kg m2 s-3 As N m-2 = kg m-1 s-2
The uncertainty may occur due to limitation of an instrument. It is usually described as an error.
Precision or absolute uncertainty: it is equal to the least count of measuring instrument. For
vernier caliper having L.C = 0.01 cm, absolute uncertainty is ±0.01 cm
Fractional uncertainty: it the ratio of absolute uncertainty to the measured value. e.g., if a
measurement of 25.5 cm is taken by a meter rod with a L.C or absolute uncertainty of 0.1 cm, the
fractional uncertainty will be => 0.1/25.5 = 0.004
Percentage uncertainty: fractional uncertainty expressed as percentage is known as percentage
uncertainty (i.e., fractional uncertainty x 100) e.g., for 25.5 cm reading with 0.1 cm L.C,
0.1
percentage uncertainty will be => x100 = 0.4 %
25.5
So:
a precise measurement is the one which has less precision or absolute uncertainty
and
an accurate measurement is one which has less fractional or %age uncertainty (or error)
Example 1.1: the length, breadth and thickness of a sheet are 3.233 m, 2.105 m, and 1.05 cm
respectively. Calculate the volume up to the correct appropriate significant digits.
Solution:
Given that: length l = 3.233 m, breadth b = 2.105 m, and thickness t = 1.05 cm = 1.05 x 10-2 m
So volume V = l x b x t = 3.233 x 2.105 x 1.05 x 10-2 = 7.14573825 x 10-2 m3
As the factor “1.05 cm” has minimum number of significant figures equal to 3, the answer is
recorded up to 3 significant figures: V = 7.15 x 10 -2 m3
Example 1.2: the mass of a metal box measured by a lever balance is 2.2 kg. Two silver coins of
masses 10.01 g and 10.02 g measured by a beam balance are added to it. What is now the total
mass of the box correct up to the appropriate precision?
Solution:
Given that: box =2.2 kg, 1st coin = 10.01 g = 0.01001 kg, 2nd coin = 10.02 g = 0.01002 kg
Total mass = 2.2 + 0.01001 + 0.01002 = 2.22003 kg
since the factor 2.2 kg has the decimal point placed at 1, which is least of the all so answer is
rounded of to place the decimal point at 1. Ans = 2.2 kg
Example 1.3: the diameter and length of a metal cylinder measured with the help of vernier
calliper of least cont 0.01 cm are 1.22 cm and 5.35 cm. Calculate the volume V of the cylinder
and uncertainty in it.
Solution:
Given that: diameter d = 1.22 cm with L.C 0.01 cm, length l = 5.35 with L.C 0.01 cm.
Define the terms: distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration, mass & weight
Distance: the separation between two points is known as distance, denoted by “l”. The S.I unit of
distance is meter denoted by “m”. It is a scalar quantity.
Displacement: the smallest distance between to points is known as displacement, denoted by l
The S.I unit of displacement is meter denoted by “m”. It is a vector quantity.
Speed: distance traveled per unit time is known as speed, denoted by “v”.
s
Mathematically, v = , the units of speed: m/s. It is a scalar quantity.
t
Velocity: rate of change of displacement is known as velocity, denoted by “v”.
s
Mathematically, v = , the units of velocity: m/s. It is a vector quantity.
t
Acceleration: rate of change of velocity is known as acceleration, denoted by “a”.
v
Mathematically, a = , the units of acceleration is m/s2. It is a vector quantity.
t
Mass: the quantity of matter in a body. m = W/g. S.I unit-kg (kilogram), a scalar quantity.
Weight: it is the force with which earth attracts any object towards its centre. W = mg
S.I unit of weight is N (newton) it is a vector quantity.
F ×l
Example 1.4: Check the correctness of the relation v =
m
Solution:
Dimension of L.H.S of the equation v = [LT-1]
F ×l
1
-1 1/2
Dimension of R.H.S of the equation = ( ) 2 = (F x l x m ) = ( [MLT-2] x [L] x [M-1] )1/2
m
= ( [L2T-2] )1/2 = [LT-1], hence proved L.H.S = R.H.S and equation is correct.
Example 1.6: Find the dimensions and S.I units of coefficient of viscosity “η” in the relation of
Stokes law which is F = 6 π η r v
Solution: 6π is a number having no dimensions so it is not accounted in dimensional analysis.
F=ηrv
F
η=
r×v
Substituting the dimensions of F, r, and v in R.H.S
−2 −1
[ MLT ] [ MT ]
η= −1
=
[ L][ LT ] [ L]
-1 -1
η = [ML T ]
and S.I unit of coefficient of viscosity is kg m-1 s-1
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