WHAT IS PHYSICS?
Physics is the scientific study of matter and energy and how they interact with each other. 
This energy can take the form of motion, light, electricity, radiation, gravity . . . just about 
anything. 
 
Physics deals with matter on scales ranging from sub‐atomic particles (i.e. the particles that make 
up the atom and the particles that make up those particles) to stars and even entire galaxies. 
 PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
A physical quantity refers to a quantity that can be measured and is written with a magnitude and 
unit. Find out and fill in the measurements for the objects given in the table below. 
 
Physical Quantities  Magnitude (size)  Name of Unit  Symbol for unit 
Your mass in kilograms       
Length of your index finger       
Your reaction time        

BASE/FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITIES

SI units (le Système international d'unités) 
To standardize the units used for measurements, an internationally system of units for basic 
physical quantities known as S.I. units were defined. 7 key quantities shown in the table below: 

Name of Base/Fundamental Quantity Symbol SI Unit

1. Length L/s metre(m)

2. Mass kilogram(kg)

3. Time t

4. Temperature kelvin(K)

5. Electric current I

6. Amount of substance mol(mol)

7. Luminous intensity Iv candela(cd)

 
 DERIVED QUANTITIES
Other physical quantities such as area or volume of an object are called derived quantities 
because they have units derived from the basic physical quantities.  
 
Underline the S.I unit
 
Name of Derived Quantity Symbol Formula SI Unit
1. Area A m2 , cm2, mm2
2. Volume V m3, cm3, mm3
3. Velocity v v=s/t , kmj-1
4. Acceleration a a = ∆v / t ms-2
5. Density ρ=m/V , gcm-3
6. Pressure p Nm-2, pascal(Pa)
7. Work W=Fxs Nm, joule(J)
8. Power P=W/t Js-1, watt(W)
9. Energy E E = mc2 J

PREFIXES OF UNITS
In order to simplify writing of quantities which have very large numerical values or very small 
numerical values, prefixes are used. Prefixes basically represent factors of tens.  

Multiplication
Prefix(symbol) Numerical Value Examples
Factor
tera ( T ) 1012 1 000 000 000 000 2 TN (teranewton)
giga ( G ) 109 1 000 000 000 5 Gm (gigameter)
mega ( M ) 106 1 000 000 13 MW (megawatt)
kilo ( k ) ↑ 103 1 000 18 kg (kilogram)

centi ( c ) ↓ 10-2 0.01 55 cm (centimeter)

mili ( m ) 10-3 0.001 24 mm (milimeter)
micro ( µ ) 10-6 0.000 001 89 µm (micrometer)
nano ( n ) 10-9 0.000 000 001 17 nm (nanometer)
pico ( p ) 10-12 0.000 000 000 001 21 pm (picometer)
 EXAMPLES OF UNIT CONVERSION FOR BASE QUANTITIES

a) LENGTH
1. The distance of Kota Bharu city to Kuala lumpur city is 474 km. Find the distance in the
units of meter and centimetre.

2. A student is 160 cm tall. Determine his height in kilometre and millimetre.

3. The distance from planet Earth to Sun is 1.5 x 108 km. Find the distance in
megameter(Mm)?

b) MASS
1. A bag of cement has a mass of 50 kg. Convert the unit to gram(g)?

2. A wooden block has a mass of 380 g. Convert the unit to kilogram(kg)?

3. The mass of a lorry is 2 tons. Determine its mass in gram(g)?

c) TIME
1. Convert 8 hours to minute?

2. Convert 300 seconds to hour?

3. An aeroplane took off from Kuala Lumpur airport at 1400 hours and arrived at New Delhi
airport at 1830 hours. Calculate the duration of the journey in minute and second?

EXAMPLES OF UNIT CONVERSION FOR DERIVED UNITS

a) AREA
1. The floor area of a science laboratory is 40 m2. Find the area in cm2 and mm2?

The measurements of A4 size paper is 300 mm long and 210 mm wide. Find the area of
2. the paper in m2? AND to cm2?

b) VOLUME
1. A steel water tank could be filled with 25 m3 of water. What is its volume in cm3?

3?
2. A beaker has a volume of 7.68 x 104 mm3. Determine its volume in cm3? AND in m
 MEASURING LENGTH

Length measuring  Example of readings  Precision ( Smallest  Maximum reading 

Instrument  unit it can measure)   
15 cm ruler  10.3 cm,    15.0 cm  
Metre rule  25.6 cm,    100.0 cm 
Vernier caliper  5.05 cm,6.02 cm    15.00 cm 
Micrometer screw gauge  1.25 mm, 2.10mm    25.00 mm 

 
BEFORE YOU MAKE A MEASUREMENT…. 
Always take note of these: 
(A) Parallax errors—Placing the eye at the wrong position 
 
Wrong!  Correct!

(B) Zero errors – when the zero on the main scale and the zero on vernier scale do not meet. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
             Zero error on Vernier Calipers        Zero error on micrometer 
 
How to avoid parallax error?
VERNIER CALLIPERS

A vernier calliper has two scales – consisting of a main scale and a vernier
scale. The accuracy of the reading measured with a vernier calliper is up to 0.1
mm or 0.01 cm. Any reading measured with a vernier calliper must be recorded
to two decimal point. For example, the diameter of a marble measured with a
vernier calliper is found to be 2 cm sharp. Its measurement must be recorded as
2.00 cm.
The following examples illustrate the method of using those instruments:

Example 1: ( Figure 2.1)

The reading is 3.7 mm or 0.37 cm

Example 2: (Figure 2.2)

The reading is 15.8 mm or 1.58 cm

Vernier Calipers

1. Read the following Vernier caliper measurements. (The

scales have been enlarged for easier reading.) The Vernier
caliper is calibrated in metric units.

(a) 1 2 3 4 5 6

(b) 1 2 3 4 5 6

(c) 1 2 3 4 5 6

(d) 1 2 3 4 5 6

(e) 1 2 3 4 5 6

(f) 1 2 3 4 5 6
MICROMETER SCREW GAUGE

A micrometer screw gauge consists of a main scale and a thimble scale. The
main scale is callibrated in milimeter(mm) and each shortest section is 0.5 mm.
Thimble scale has 50 small sections of equal length. Micrometer screw gauge
reading is accurate up to 0.01 mm atau 0.001 cm. Its reading must be recorded
up to three decimal points. For example, the diameter of a marble is measured to
be 3 cm sharp, so the reading must be recorded as 3.000 cm.

The following examples illustrate the use of Micrometer Screw Gauge:

Example 1:

Recorded measurement: 7.5 + 0.38 = 7.88 mm or 0.788 cm

Example 2:

Recorded measurement: 7.5 + 0.22 = 7.72 mm or 0.772 cm

Worksheet ( Vernier Calipers / Micrometer Screw Gauge )
RECORDING THE MEASUREMENT

The correct way of recording the measurement of the above instruments:

Question 9

Identify the measuring instruments used for the measurement of lengths below:

Measuring instrument Length

12.0 cm

8.75 cm

0.633 cm