Chapter 1.

Physics &
Measurement
 NASA

PARCS is an atomic-clock mission scheduled to fly

on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2008.
The mission, funded by NASA, involves a laser-
cooled cesium atomic clock to improve the
Objectives: After completing this
module, you should be able to:
Name and give the SI units of the seven
fundamental quantities.
Write the base units for mass, length, and
time in SI and USCU units.
Convert one unit to another for the same
quantity when given necessary definitions.
Discuss and apply conventions for significant
digits and precision of measurements.
Measurements
Used to describe natural phenomena (mass,
length)
Needs defined standards (SI )

Characteristics of standards for measurement

Readily available
Some property that can be measured reliably
Must yield the same results when used by
anyone anywhere
Cannot change with time

4
The
mea
sure
of
thin
gs
 Physical Quantities
A physical quantity is a quantifiable
or assignable property ascribed to
a parti- cular phenomenon, body,
or substance.

Lengt Electri
Time
h c
Charg
e
 Units of Measure
A unit is a particular physical quantity
with which other quantities of the same
kind are compared in order to express
their value.
A meter is an
established unit for
measuring length.
Measuring Based on definition, we
diameter of say the diameter is 0.12
disk.
m or 12 centimeters.
 SI Unit of Measure for
Length
One meter is the length of path
traveled by a light wave in a vacuum
in a time interval of 1/299,792,458
seconds.

1m
1
t second
299, 792, 458
 SI Unit of Measure for
Mass
The kilogram is the unit of mass - it is
equal to the mass of the international
prototype of the kilogram.
This standard is the only
one that requires
comparison to an artifact
for its validity. A copy of
the standard is kept by
the International Bureau
of Weights and Measures.
 SI Unit of Measure for
Time
The second is the duration of 9 192 631
770 periods of the radiation
corresponding to the transition between
the two hyperfine levels of the ground
state of the cesium 133 atom.
Cesium Fountain
Atomic Clock: The
primary time and
frequency
standard for the
USA (NIST)
 Seven Fundamental
Units
Website:
http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/index.html
Quantity Unit Symbol
Length Meter m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second S
Electric Current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Luminous Intensity Candela cd
Amount of Mole mol
Substance
 Systems of Units
SI System: The international system of
units established by the International
Committee on Weights and Measures.
Such units are based on strict
definitions and are the only official
units for physical quantities.
US Customary Units (USCU): Older units
still in common use by the United
States, but definitions must be based
on SI units.
Quantities Used in
Mechanics
Inmechanics, three fundamental (Basic) quantities are used
Length
Mass
Time
Will also use derived quantities
These are other quantities that can be expressed in
terms of the basic quantities
Example: area ,speed, volume, density
Area is the product of two lengths
Area is a derived quantity
Length is the fundamental quantity

13
 Units for Mechanics
In mechanics we use only three
fundamental quantities: mass, length, and
time. An additional quantity, force, is
derived from these three.
Quantity SI unit USCS unit
Mass kilogram slug (slug)
(kg)
Length meter (m) foot (ft)
Time second (s) second (s)
Force newton (N) pound (lb)
Conversion of Units

When units are not consistent, you may need to

convert to appropriate ones
For example :
1 mile =1609 m =1.609 km
1 ft =0.304 m = 30.48 cm
1 m =39.37 in. =3.281 ft
1 in. =0.0254 m = 2.45 cm (exactly )
Units can be treated like algebraic quantities that
can cancel each other out
15
Conversion
Always include units for every quantity, you
can carry the units through the entire
calculation
Multiply original value by a ratio equal to one
Example
15.0 in ? cm
2.54 cm
15.0 in 38.1cm
1in
Note the value inside the parentheses is equal to 1
since 1 in. is defined as 2.54 cm

16
 Procedure for Converting Units

1. Write down quantity to be

converted.
2. Define each unit in terms of
desired unit.
3. For each definition, form two
conversion factors, one being the
reciprocal of the other.
4. Multiply the quantity to be
converted by those factors that will
cancel all but the desired units.
Example 1: Convert 12 in. to
centimeters given that 1 in. = 2.54
cm.
Step 1: Write down
Step 1: Write down
quantity to be 12 in.
converted.
Step 2. Define each 1 in. = 2.54
unit in terms of
cm
desired unit.
Step 3. For each
definition, form two 1 in.
conversion factors, one 2.54 cm
being the reciprocal of 2.54 cm
the other. 1 in
Example 1 (Cont.): Convert 12 in.
to centimeters given that 1 in. =
2.54 cm. 1 in. 2.54 cm
From Step 3. or
2.54 cm 1 in
Step 4. Multiply by those factors that
will cancel all but the desired units.
Treat unit symbols algebraically.
1 in. in.2
Wrong
12 in. 4.72
2.54 cm cm Choice
!
2.54 cm Correct
12 in. 30.5 cm
1 in. Answer!
Example 2: Convert 60 mi/h to units of
ft/s given 1 mi. = 5280 ft and 1 h =
3600 s.
Step 1: Write down mi
quantity to be
60
h
converted.
Note: Write units so that numerators
and denominators of fractions are
clear.
Step 2. Define each unit in terms of desired
units.
1 mi. = 5280 ft

1 h = 3600 s
Ex. 2 (Cont): Convert 60 mi/h to units of
ft/s given that 1 mi. = 5280 ft and 1 h =
3600 s.
Step 3. For each definition, form 2
conversion factors, one being the
reciprocal of the other.
1 mi 5280 ft
1 mi = 5280 ft or
5280 ft 1 mi

1h 3600 s
1 h = 3600 or
s 3600 s 1h

Step 3, shown here for clarity, can really

be done mentally and need not be
written down.
Ex. 2 (Cont): Convert 60 mi/h to units of
ft/s given that 1 mi. = 5280 ft and 1 h =
3600 s.
Step 4. Choose Factors to cancel non-
desired units.

mi 5280 ft 1 h
60 88.0 m/s
ft/
h 1 mi 3600 s
s

Treating unit conversions

algebraically helps to see if a
definition is to be used as a
multiplier or as a divider.
Exercise 1
A) Find the number of Kilometer in 1.00 mile ?

Solution :
Convert units from mi to km
Given :

23
B) Find the number of feet in 1.00 km

Convert from km to ft

24
25
 Exercise 2
How many nanoseconds dose it take light to
travel 1.00 ft in vacuum?

We know the speed of light in m/s

t = d /v .
Convert 1.00 ft to m and
t from s to ns.
The speed of light is v = 3.00108 m/s .
1 ft = 0.3048 m . 1 s =109 ns .
26
 Exercise 2-Solution
1 ft = 0.3048 m 1 s =109 ns .

t = d /v

27
 Example 3
The density of lead is 11.3 g/cm3 .What is this
value in kg/m3 ?
Convert the units from g to kg and from cm3
to m3.
1kg = 1000gm
1m = 100 cm
3
g 1 kg 100 cm kg
11.3 1.13 10
4

cm 1000 g 1 m
3 m3

28
 Exercises
1. What is the length of the 100-m run by a runner
expressed in yards?

2. The highest waterfall in the world is Angel Falls in

Venezuela, with a total drop of 979.0 m. Express this
drop in feet?

3: The speed limit of Malaysian Federal Highways is

90 miles/hours. What is the speed limit in term of
meter/second.

29
 Solutions:
Solution 1:
1 yd 3 ft 36in
100cm 1in 1 ft 1 yd
100m 109.36 yd
1m 2.54cm 12in 3 ft

30
 Solution: 2

100cm 1in 1 ft
79.0m 3212 ft
1m 2.54cm 12in

Solution: 3
1mil =5280 ft 1hr=3600
sec.

mi 5280 ft 1hr
90 132 ft sec
hr 1mi 3600 sec

31
 Tutorial 1
1-
(a) Use 1 mi=5280 ft and 1 h= 3600 s to convert 6o mi/h to unit ft/s ?
(b) the acceleration of a freely falling object is 32ft/s 2 . Use 1ft=30.48 cm to
express this acceleration in units of m/s2
(c ) the density of water is 1.0 gm/cm3 .Convert this density to units of kg/m3.
Answer: (a) 88ft/sec (b) 9.8m/s2 (c) 103Kg/m3

2- The density of lead is 11.3 g/cm3 .What is this value in kg/m3 ?

Answer : 1.13x104Kg/m3
3- An airplane travels at How long does it take to travel 1.00 km
Answer: 3.8 sec .

32
 Uncertainty of
Measurement
All measurements are assumed to be
approximate with the last digit
estimated.
The length in
cm here is
0 1 2
written as:
1.43 cm

The last digit 3 is estimated as

0.3 of the interval between 3 and
4.
 Estimated Measurements
(Cont.)
Length = 1.43 0 1 2
cm
The last digit is estimated, but is
significant. It tells us the actual length is
between 1.40 cm and 1.50. It would not
be possible to estimate yet another digit,
such as 1.436.
This measurement of length can be
given in three significant digitsthe last
is estimated.
 Significant Digits and
Numbers
When writing numbers, zeros used
ONLY to help in locating the decimal
point are NOT significantothers are.
See examples.
0.0062 cm 2 significant
figures
4.0500 cm 5 significant
0.1061 cmfigures
4 significant
50.0 cm figures3 significant
figures
50,600 cm 3 significant
figures
Rule
Rule 1.1. When
When approximate
approximate numbersnumbers
are
are multiplied
multiplied or
or divided,
divided, thethe number
number
of
of significant
significant digits
digits inin the
the final
final answer
answer
is
is the
the same
same asas the
the number
number of of
significant
significant digits
digits in
in the
the least
least accurate
accurate
of
of the
the factors.
factors. 45 N
Exampl P 6.97015 N/m 2
(3.22 m)(2.005 m)
e:
Least significant factor (45) has only
two (2) digits so only two are justified in
the answer.
The appropriate
PP =
= 7.0
7.0 N/m
N/m 22
way to write the
answer is:
Rule
Rule 2.
2. When
When approximate
approximate numbers
numbers areare
added
added oror subtracted,
subtracted, the
the number
number of of
significant
significant digits
digits should
should equal
equal the
the
smallest
smallest number
number of of decimal
decimal places
places of
of any
any
term
term in
in the
the sum
sum oror difference.
difference.
Ex: 9.65 cm + 8.4 cm 2.89 cm =
15.16 cm
Note that the least precise measure is
8.4 cm. Thus, answer must be to
nearest tenth of cm even though it
requires 3 significant digits.
The appropriate 15.2
15.2 cm
cm
way to write the
answer is:
 Example 3. Find the area of a metal
plate that is 95.7 cm by 32 cm.

A = LW = (8.71 cm)(3.2 cm) = 27.872

cm2
Only 2 digits AA = 28 cm
= 28 cm 22

justified:
Example 4. Find the perimeter of the
plate that is 95.7 cm long and 32 cm
wide.
p = 8.71 cm + 3.2 cm + 8.71 cm +
3.2 cm
Ans. to tenth of cm: pp =
= 23.8
23.8 cm
cm
 Rounding Numbers
Remember that significant figures
apply to your reported result.
Rounding off your numbers in the
process can lead to errors.
Rule:
Rule: Always
Always retain
retain at
at least
least
one
one more
more significant
significant figure
figure in
in
your
your calculations
calculations thanthan the
the
number
number youyou are
are entitled
entitled to
to
report
report in
in the
the result.
result.
With calculators, it is usually easier
to just keep all digits until you report
the result.
 Rules for Rounding
Numbers
Rule 1. If the remainder beyond the last
digit to be reported is less than 5, drop
the last digit.
Rule 2. If the remainder is greater than
5, increase the final digit by 1.

Rule 3. To prevent rounding bias, if the

remainder is exactly 5, then round the
last digit to the closest even number.
 Examples
Rule 1. If the remainder beyond the last
digit to be reported is less than 5, drop
the last digit.
Round the following to 3 significant
4.99499 becomes 4.99
figures:
0.0940 becomes
3 0.0940
95,632 becomes 95,600

0.0203 becomes
2 0.0203
 Examples
Rule 2. If the remainder is greater
than 5, increase the final digit by 1.
Round the following to 3 significant
figures: becomes
2.3452
2.35
0.0875 becomes
7 0.0876
23,650.0 becomes
1 23,700
4.99502 becomes 5.00
 Examples
Rule 3. To prevent rounding bias, if the
remainder is exactly 5, then round the last
digit to the closest even number.
Round the following to 3 significant
figures:
3.7750 becomes 3.78
0
0.02445 becomes
0 0.0244
96,650 becomes 96,600
0
5.0950 becomes
0 5.10
 Working with Numbers
Classroom work and
laboratory work
should be treated
differently.
In class, the
Uncertainties
in quantities In lab, we know
are not the limitations of
usually the
known. Round measurements.
to 3 We must not
significant keep digits that
are not justified.
Classroom Example: A car traveling
initially at 46 m/s undergoes constant
acceleration of 2 m/s2 for a time of 4.3 s.
Find total displacement, given formula.
x v0t 2 at
1 2

(46 m/s)(4.3 s) 12 (2 m/s 2 )(4.3 s) 2

197.8 m + 18.48 m 216.29 m
For class work, we assume all given info
is accurate to 3 significant figures.

XX =
= 217
217
m
m
Laboratory Example: The length of a
sheet of metal is measured as 233.3 mm
and the width is 9.3 mm. Find area.
Note that the precision of each
measure is to the nearest tenth of a
millimeter. However, the length has
four significant digits and the width
has only three.
How many significant digits are in the
product of length and width (area)?

Two (9.3 has least significant

digits).
Lab Example (Cont.): The length of a
sheet of metal is measured as 233.3 mm
and the width is 9.3 mm. Find area.
Area = LW = (233.3 mm)(9.3
mm)
Area = 2169.69
mm2 W = 9.3
But we are entitled mm
to only two
L = 233.3 mm
significant digits.
Therefore, the
answer becomes:
Area
Area = = 2200
2200
mm
mm 22
Lab Example (Cont.): Find perimeter of
sheet of metal measured L = 233.3 mm
and W = 9.3 mm. (Addition Rule)
p = 233.3 mm + 9.3 mm + 233.3 mm +
9.3 mm
p = 485.2 mm
W = 9.3
Note: mm
Note: The
The answer
result is
determined
has more by the
least precise L = 233.3 mm
significant digits
measure. (the tenth
than the width
of a mm)
factor in this case.
Perimeter
Perimeter =
= 485.2
485.2
mm
mm
 Scientific Notation
Scientific notation provides a short-hand method for expressing
very small and very large numbers.
9

0.000000001 10 Examples:
6

0.000001 10 93,000,000 mi = 9.30 x 107 mi
3

0.001 10 0.00457 m = 4.57 x 10-3 m
1 100
876 m 8.76 x 102 m
1000 103 v
0.00370 s 3.70 x 10-3s
1,000,000 106
vv 3.24 x 10 55
3.24 x 10 m/sm/s
1,000,000,000 109
 Scientific Notation and
Significant Figures
With Scientific notation one can easily keep track of
significant digits by using only those digits that are
necessary in the mantissa and letting the power of ten
locate the decimal.
Example. Express the number
0.0006798 m, accurate to three
significant digits.
Mantissa x 10-4 6.80
6.80 x 10-4m
x 10 -4
m
m
The 0 is significantthe last digit in
doubt.
 SUMMARY
Seven Fundamental
Units
Quantity Unit Symbol
Length Meter m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second S
Electric Current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Luminous Intensity Candela cd
Amount of Mole mol
Substance
 Summary: Procedure for
Converting Units
1. Write down quantity to be
converted.
2. Define each unit in terms of
desired unit.
3. For each definition, form two
conversion factors, one the
reciprocal of the other.
4. Multiply the quantity to be
converted by those factors that will
 Summary Significant
Digits
Rule 1. When approximate numbers
are multiplied or divided, the number
of significant digits in the final answer
is the same as the number of
significant digits in the least accurate
of the factors.
Rule 2. When approximate numbers are
added or subtracted, the number of
significant digits should equal the
smallest number of decimal places of any
term in the sum or difference.
 Rules for Rounding
Numbers
Rule 1. If the remainder beyond the last
digit to be reported is less than 5, drop
the last digit
Rule 2. If the remainder is greater than
5, increase the final digit by 1.

Rule 3. To prevent rounding bias, if the

remainder is exactly 5, then round the
last digit to the closest even number.
 Working with Numbers
Classroom work and lab work should
be treated differently unless told
otherwise.

In the classroom, In lab, the number

we assume all of significant figures
given info is will depend on
accurate to 3 signi- limitations of the
ficant figures. instruments.