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Self-Diagnostic Test
1. What is physics?
2. What is the importance of Scientific
Notation and Significant Figures?
3. What are physical quantities?
LESSON 1: MEASUREMENTS
MELC 1
Solve measurement problems involving
conversion of units, expression of
measurements in scientific notation.
LEARNING TARGETS
To achieve this, I must specifically be
able to
▪ Write in Scientific Notations
▪ Determine the number of Significant
Figures a certain measurement has.
▪ Perform mathematical processes
(addition, subtraction, division, and
multiplication) with Significant
Figures.
▪ Round off very small or very large
numbers.
▪ Be familiarized with the modern and
Introduction
We must be aware that physicist have
their own ‘language’, not that they talk gibberish
in our point of view, It just means that they have
their precise way of defining some words that are
very different from common definitions.
For example: speed and velocity are no longer
synonyms, mass and weight are no longer
synonyms, and acceleration is a change of
speed or direction
General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1
12-SECTION: SCORE:
Since physicists use language in a very
precise way, we must also learn to use that
language in the same manner. One way to “talk”
the way how physicist talks we must first
understand how to write and work with
Significant Figures and Scientific Notations.
Unlocking of Vocabulary
▪ Physicist – is a scientist who
specializes in the field of physics,
which encompasses the
interactions of matter and energy
at all length and time scales in
the physical universe.
▪ Physics - deals with matter,
energy and its transformation. As
an experimental science, its goal
is to understand the natural
world.
▪ Fundamental Measurable
Quantity – physical quantities
that are measured in base or
physical fundamental units:
length, mass, time, electric
current temperature, amount of
substance, and luminous
intensity.
▪ Significant Figures – They are
the digits which give us useful
information about the accuracy of
a measurement.
▪ Scientific Notation - Scientific
notation is the way that scientists
easily handle very large numbers
or very small numbers.
Scientific Notation / Significant Figures
Scientific notation is the way that
scientists easily handle very large or very small
numbers. For example, instead of writing
0.0000000056, we write 5.6 x 10-9. So, how
does this work? We can think of 5.6 x 10-9 as the
product of two numbers: 5.6 (the digit term) and
10-9 (the exponential term).
 Here are some examples of scientific
notation.
For non-graphing scientific calculators::
10000 = 1 x 104 24327 = 2.4327 x 104 • Punch the number (the digit number) into
1000 = 1 x 103 7354 = 7.354 x 103 your calculator.

100 = 1 x 102 482 = 4.82 x 102 • Push the EE or EXP button. Do NOT use
the x (times) button!
89 = 8.9 x 101
10 = 1 x 101
(not usually done)
• Enter the exponent number. Use the +/-
button to change its sign.
1 = 100 • Treat this number normally in all
subsequent calculations.
0.32 = 3.2 x 10-1
1/10 = 0.1 = 1 x 10-1
(not usually done) • To check yourself, multiply 6.0 x 105 times
4.0 x 103 on your calculator.
1/100 = 0.01 = 1 x 10-2 0.053 = 5.3 x 10-2
• Your answer should be 2.4 x 109.
1/1000 = 0.001 = 1 x 10-3 0.0078 = 7.8 x 10-3
Writing and speaking using SN is a time-
1/10000 = 0.0001 = 1 x 10-4 0.00044 = 4.4 x 10-4
saving tool for physicists like you, instead of
saying 150,000,000 km, you just say 1.5x108
km, which reminds me, is the approximate
As you can see, the exponent of 10 is the
distance of the earth from the sun.
number of places the decimal point must be
shifted to give the number in long-form. Significant Figures
A positive exponent shows that the All men are created equal, numbers? Not
decimal point is shifted that number of places to so. In the realm of physics, certain figures are
the right. A negative exponent shows that the deemed more significant than the other. In this
decimal point is shifted that number of places to section of this module, we look unto how to deal
the left. with Significant Figures (Yes, this again too).
In scientific notation, the digit term Significant Figures are those numbers of
indicates the number of significant figures in the important single digits (0 through 9 inclusive) in
number. The exponential term only places the the coefficient of an expression in scientific
decimal point. As an example, notation. The number of significant figures in an
expression indicates the confidence or precision
46600000 = 4.66 x 107
with which an engineer or scientist states a
This number only has 3 significant figures. quantity.
The zeros are not significant; they are only
SFs are sort of the "interesting" or
holding a place. As another example,
"important" digits. They are the digits that give us
0.00053 = 5.3 x 10-4 useful information about the accuracy of a
measurement.
This number has 2 significant figures. The
zeros are only place holders. Determining the Number of Significant
Figures
Scan this! The number of significant figures in a
measurement, such as 2.531, is equal to the
Need a quick review? Scan number of digits that are known with some
the QR! degree of confidence (2, 5, and 3) plus the last
digit (1), which is an estimate or approximation.
As we improve the sensitivity of the equipment
used to make a measurement, the number of
Working with SN significant figures increases.
On your scientific calculator:
Make sure that the number in scientific
notation is put into your calculator correctly.

General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1


Equipment Measurement Number of SF
Postage Scale 3 (1 g) 1 significant figure
Two-pan
2.53 (0.01 g) 3 significant figures
balance
Analytical
2.531 (0.001 g) 4 significant figures
balance
As you can see from the table above the
more ‘sensitive’ the equipment is the more
accurate the readings will be thus giving us more
SF.
To determine the number of Significant
Figures rules are to be followed.
Rules for counting significant figures are
summarized below.
▪ Zeros within a number are always
significant. Both 4308 and 40.05 contain
four significant figures.
▪ Zeros that do nothing but set the decimal
point are not significant. Thus, 470,000
has two significant figures.
▪ Trailing zeros that aren't needed to hold
the decimal point are significant. For
example, 4.00 has three significant
figures.
▪ If you are not sure whether a digit is
significant, assume that it is not. For
example, if the directions for an
experiment read: "Add the sample to 400
mL of water," assume the volume of water
is known to one significant figure.
General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1
Scan this!
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the QR!
Now that we know how to count the
number of SF, we must now understand how we
can work with them. Like what we said in the
previous slide, physicists often use numbers that
are in scientific notation, this goes hand in hand
with the number of SF a number has.
Remember that different mathematical
processes use different rules in SF in producing
the final answer.
Working with SFs
(Addition and Subtraction with Significant
Figures)
When measurements are added or
subtracted, the answer can’t contain no more
decimal places than the least accurate
measurement (or least precise).
150.0 g H2O (using significant figures)
+ 0.507 g salt
___________
150.5 g solution
In the example above 150.0g of water has
a decimal place of 1, while 0.507g of salt has 3
decimal places.
Water has the least precise value, with a
decimal place of 1, and so following the rule, the
final answer should not contain any more
decimal place than 1 too, thus we must round off
from 150.507g to 150.5g.
(Multiplication and Division with Significant
Figures)
The same principle governs the use of
significant figures in multiplication and division:
the result can be no more accurate than the least
accurate measurement. In this case, however,
we count the significant figures in each
measurement, not the number of decimal places.
To illustrate this rule, let us calculate the cost
of the copper in an old coin that is pure
copper.
 Let us assume that the coin has a mass of
2.531 grams, that it is essentially pure copper,
and that the price of copper is 67 cents per
pound. We can start by from grams to pounds.

Take a Break
We then use the price of a pound of
copper to calculate the cost of the copper metal.

There are four significant figures in both

the mass of the coin (2.531) and the number of
grams in a pound (453.6). But there are only two
significant figures in the price of copper, so the
final answer can only have two significant
figures.
So from 0.3749 cents, we have to round
off, and our final answer would be 0.37 cents.

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the QR!

Rounding Off
When the answer to a calculation contains
too many significant figures, it must be rounded
off. 10 digits can occur in the last decimal place
in a calculation. One way of rounding off involves
underestimating the answer for five of these
digits (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4) and overestimating the
answer for the other five (5, 6, 7, 8, and 9).
This approach to rounding off is summarized
as follows.
▪ If the digit is smaller than 5, drop this digit
and leave the remaining number
unchanged. Thus, 1.684 becomes 1.68.
▪ If the digit is 5 or larger, drop this digit and
add 1 to the preceding digit. Thus, 1.247
becomes 1.25.

General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1

 Definition of Measurements
Measurements
A quantitative observation includes
numbers and is also called a measurement. A
In the previous topic, we have introduced
measurement is obtained by comparing an
to the amazing realm of physics, we also
object to some standard. Now, what are those
discussed the simplified goals of physicists, we
standards?
also learned how to count and work with
significant figures and scientifically notated
numbers. We also pointed out that physicist (like
you, of course) has their own precise of
communicating, and that common English
synonyms do not work like normal (like this new
normal that we are having).
We also described that physicists must
deal with physical phenomena by describing
them through numbers and formulas, however,
the question arises, how do they deal with it
though? Simple, by measuring! Measurement is The History of Measurements
like an organism. It evolves through time,
meaning how we measure a kilogram before is Measurement, loosely defined is the
different from how we measure it today. length, amount, or size of something that is
measured by comparing to a standard. Long ago,
Scan this! the idea of a universal measuring system did not
Watch this video for a quick
view on the history of exist. That was, until the 18th century where
measurements and measurement became a cohesive system.
standards. We will explore
Before this period, countries such as
more afterwards.
France had measuring systems for nearly every
profession. In 1795 the number of
measurements in France alone numbered well
You will also learn how to “speak” like a
over seven hundred. The names for many units
physicist by understanding the concept of units.
of measurement were borrowed from human
And that just like any other language, it can be
morphology. For example, the foot, the hand, the
translated. In physics, the concept of this
pace, etc.
translation can be compared to the process of
conversion. In the process, you will understand Still, however, these units of
the importance of a unified system of measurement were not standardized. As
measurement in the scientific and academic industry and trade expanded across the world,
fields. the need became dire for a single standardized
Unlocking of Vocabulary system of measurement.
▪ Alloy - is a combination of a metal
with at least one other metal or As the adage says, “necessity is the
nonmetal. mother of all invention” and so if the trade was to
▪ Cubit – any of various ancient units flourish, a unified system was necessary to
of length based on the length of the create balance across the various industries and
forearm from the elbow to the tip of subsequently the world.
the middle finger and usually equal
to about 18 inches
▪ Human Morphology –studying the
structure of a human body.
▪ International System of Units (SI) -
French Systeme International
d'Unités, international decimal
system of weights and measures
derived from and extending the
metric system of units.
▪ Standardized- brought into
conformity with a standard done or
produced in a standard.
General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1

Length
If there were any measurement that has
proven to be the most useful to humanity, it
would be length. Examples of length include the
inch, the foot, the yard, and the mile. To maintain
a single idea of how long the measurement
should be, bars or rods were kept in central
public places. This measuring tool would be
considered the standard and thus distributed to
the community. In ancient times the dimensions,
called the cubit, were typically taken from the
king’s physical dimensions.
Mass
Mass is not quite as simple to measure as
length is. It turns out that wheat, grains of wheat
to be more exact, have a standardized size.
Essentially, mass can be measured regarding
grains of wheat. This is a method that is still used
by jewelers. Just as it is done with length, lumps
of metal can be kept in a public building that
represents the standard weight of a given
amount of grain. Unfortunately, mass can be
easily manipulated in this manner thus giving an
inaccurate reading.
Time
Time can be considered an abstract
measurement. You can’t see it, and it can only
be perceived through specialized means.
Throughout most of human history, we have
perceived time though days and weeks. Back
before modern technology individuals were able
General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1
to distinguish the time of day by using methods
such as the use of a sundial, a water clock, and
an hourglass. Also defined as a fraction of the
time it takes the earth to complete an orbit
around the sun.
The previous methods of measuring
physical quantities proved useful, however they
were flawed. For example, a bar hanged in the
central market as the standard of length can be
tampered with, and before you know, your meter
of cloth is just a quarter of a meter. Maybe we
can let this inaccuracy pass when we are trying
to buy a rag, however, building a tower would
require much more accuracy.
Physicists throughout the world use the
International System of Units (also called the SI
system). The SI system is the metric system,
which is convenient because units of different
sizes are related by powers of 10. The system
has physical standards for length, mass, and
time. These are called fundamental units
because they have an actual physical standard.
The standard SI unit for length is the
meter and is denoted by "m". Originally, the
meter was defined as the length between two
scratches on a piece of metal which was stored
in a secure vault under controlled conditions. The
meter's definition has changed over time, but it is
now accepted to be the distance light traveled in
one second. This process of finding the ‘meter’ is
more accurate since the speed of light is pretty
much constant (about 299,792 kilometers per
second).
The standard unit of time, the second, was
once defined as a fraction of the time it takes the
earth to complete an orbit around the sun but has
now been redefined in terms of the duration of
the splitting of an electron in a cesium atom.
Seconds are denoted by "s" or, less commonly,
"sec. “
Scan this!
Want to view what Cesium
Clock looks like? Scan the QR!
afterwards.
The standard unit for mass is the
kilogram. The kilogram's standard is previously
measured by the mass of the platinum-iridium
alloy kept near Paris, France. Other countries, of
course, keep copies. A kilogram is denoted "kg"
and is a multiple of the smaller unit of mass, the
gram ("g"). This standard measure is the last to (ex: Length – distance light traveled in a second).
be measured based on an actual physical object Physical Quantities are further divided into two:
but is now changed. Fundamental Quantities and Derived Quantities.
Let us explore each.

Scan this! Fundamental quantities are those

Watch the video on the next
slide to know the story
behind.
Scan the QR!
As mentioned earlier, the SI system is a
decimal system. Prefixes are used to change SI
units by powers of ten. Thus, one-hundredth of a
meter is a centimeter and one-thousandth of a
gram is a milligram. The metric units for all
quantities use the same prefixes. One thousand
meters is a kilometer and one thousand grams is
a kilogram.
The common prefixes are shown in the
table below!
physical quantities that cannot be expressed in
terms of other quantities. It is an independent
quantity. For example: Length, mass, time,
temperature, electric current, amount of
substance.
Derived quantities are those physical
quantities that are derived from the combination
of fundamental quantities. It is a dependent
quantity. For example: force, density, volume,
momentum, etc.
Scan this!
Why is it important to always
state the magnitude and the
unit of a physical quantity!
Scan the QR!

Common Prefixes Used with SI Units Systems of Measurements

Prefix Symbol Fractions Example
pico p 1 × 10-12 picometer (pm) English (Imperial) vs. Metric System

nano n 1 × 10-9 nanometer (nm) There are two main systems for
measuring distances and weight, the Imperial
micro μ 1 × 10-6 microgram (μg)
System of Measurement and the Metric System
Milli m 1 × 10-3 milligram (mg) of Measurement. Most countries use the Metric
System, which uses the measuring units such as
centi c 1 × 10-2 centimeter (cm)
meters and grams and adds prefixes like kilo,
deci d 1 × 10-1 decimeter (dm) milli, and centi to count orders of magnitude.
Multiples The Imperial System is also called The
tera T 1 × 1012 terameter (Tm) British Imperial because it came from the British
Empire that ruled many parts of the world from
Giga G 1 × 109 gigameter (Gm) the 16th to the 19th century.
mega M 1 × 106 megagram (Mg) After the U.S gained independence from
kilo k 1 × 10 3
kilogram (kg) Britain, the new American government decided
to keep this type of measurement.
hecto h 1 × 102 hectogram (hg)
The history of the metric system began in
deca da 1 × 101 decagram (dag)
the Age of Enlightenment with simple notions of
length and mass taken from natural ones, and
Physical Quantities decimal multiples and fractions of them. The
system was so useful it became the standard of
The previous discussion discusses how France and Europe in half a century.
physicists derived their measurements, and how
they derived it. The “stuff” that physicist
Scan this!
measures are called Physical Quantities,
Physical quantities are measurable properties of Why does the metric system
matter, as you have observed these physical matters? Scan the QR.
quantities used different reference standards

General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1

 Notice that the units of km cancel out,
leaving units of m. The next step is to fill in
English (Imperial) and Metric System Conversion
numbers so that the same length is in the
numerator and denominator:
1000𝑚
55𝑘𝑚/
1𝑘𝑚
Now do the arithmetic:
1000𝑚
55𝑘𝑚/ = 55, 000 𝑚
1𝑘𝑚
More Complex Conversions
More complex conversions may involve
more than one conversion factor. You will need
to think about what conversion factors you know,
then put together a chain of them to get to the
units you want.
Example. Convert 500 mg to kilogram.
Solution. First, write down a chain of
conversion factor ratios, filling in units so that
they cancel out correctly:
Conversion of Units 𝑔 𝑘𝑔
500mg × ×
𝑚𝑔 g
It is very common to have to work with
quantities that are given in units other than the Units cancel out to leave kg. Now fill in
units you would like to work with. Converting from the numbers, putting the same length in the
one set of units to another involves a numerator and denominator in the first factor,
straightforward, virtually foolproof technique and the same time in the numerator and
that’s very simple to double-check. We will denominator in the second factor:
illustrate the method here with some examples. 0.001 𝑔 1 𝑘𝑔
500mg × ×
1 𝑚𝑔 1000g
1. Write down the unit conversion factor as a
ratio and fill in the units in the numerator Finally, do the arithmetic:
and denominator so that the units cancel
0.001 𝑔 1 𝑘𝑔
out as needed. 500mg × × = 0.0005 𝑘𝑔
1 𝑚𝑔 1000g
2. Now fill in the numbers so that the
numerator and denominator contain the Conversions Involving Powers
same length, time, etc. (This is because
you want each factor to be a multiplication Occasionally we need to do something
by 1, so that you do not change the like convert an area or volume when we know
quantity—only its units.) only the length conversion factor

Simple Conversions Example. Convert 31 L to cm3.

A simple unit conversion involves only one
conversion factor. The method for doing the
conversion is best illustrated with an example.
Example. Convert 55 km to m.
Solution. First write down the unit conversion
factor as a ratio, filling in the units as needed:
𝑚 reduces to units of gallons. Now fill in the same
55𝑘𝑚/
𝑘𝑚
Solution. Let us think about what
conversion factors we know. We know the
conversion factor between L and cubic meters.
he conversion factors will look like this
𝑚𝑙 𝑐𝑚3
31 𝐿 × ×
𝐿 𝑚𝑙
With these units, the whole expression
length in the numerator and denominator of the

General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1

first factor, and the same in the numerator and
denominator of the second factor:

1000𝑚𝑙 1𝑐𝑚3
31 𝐿 × ×
1𝐿 1𝑚𝑙
Now do the arithmetic: 6. Convert 12.1 mm into cm
1000𝑚𝑙 1𝑐𝑚3 A) 1.21 mm
31 𝐿 × × = 31,000𝑐𝑚3 B) 12.1 cm
1𝐿 1𝑚𝑙 C) 1.21 cm

7. Convert 6.8 gal into ml

A) 25,740 L
B) 25,740 ml
Scan this!
C) 257, 740 ml
Need a quick review? Scan
the QR! 8. Convert 100900L to ml
A) 100,900,000 ml
B) 100,900 ml
C) 100,900,000 ml

9. Convert 60kph to m/s

A) 16.67 m/s
Lesson 1 -Activity 1 B) 1667 m/s
Consider the table below: Encircle C) 16.67 mm/s
your answer.
10. Convert 10 hours to s
1. Standard form of writing measurements is A) 36,000 s
used to B) 360,000 s
A) simplify the expression of very large and C) 360,000,000 s
small numbers.
B) limit the effort of scientist in writing
values. *See correct answer at Appendix A

C) used for aesthetic purposes only.

Summary
Write the following quantities in standard ▪ Measurement
form: Recent Definition
2. Radius of the earth = 6 370 000 m Length- Distance light travels at 1
A) 63.7 x 107 m sec
Time- Transition of the lowest
B) 6.37 x 106 m
energy state of cesium atom
C) 64 x 106 m
Mass- Value of the Planck constant
h to be 6.62607015×10−34 when
3. Mass of an electron = 0.000 000 000 000 expressed in the unit J⋅s.
000 000 000 000 000 000 911 kg = ▪ Fundamental Unit - units which are
A) 9.11 x 10-31 kg independent of any other unit (including
B) 91.1 x 10-30 kg themselves).
C) 9 x 10-32 kg ▪ Derived Unit - All those units which are
obtained by multiplying and/or dividing
4. Convert 10 weeks into min one or more fundamental units with or
A) 100,800 min without introducing any other numerical
factor.
B) 100,800,000 min
▪ Metric System, uses measuring units
C) 180 min
such as meters and grams and adds
prefixes like kilo, milli and centi to count
5. Convert 0.00378 kg into g orders of magnitude.
A) 37.8 g ▪ Imperial system, uses measuring units
B) 3.78 g such as feet, inches and pounds
C) 378 g General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1
 Lesson 1 – Reflection 1

Physics is a subject that deals with the

interconnections of different variables. These
variables may seem to have vague connections
(ex: global temperature and weather) but are a
direct result of each. If we are going to look at our
“new normal” today, it would also seem that we
are far apart.

In your own opinion, how could we

show that we are still part of one Bedan family
despite the challenges we are facing.

Test Yourself 1

Answer the quiz.

Scan the QR code
on the right.

General Physics 1 / Module 1 / Quarter 1