2.

UNITS, DIMENSIONS AND ERROR ANALYSIS

1. The unit of coefficient of viscosity in SI system is 11. The dimensions of light year are
(a) m/kg-s (b) m-s/kg2 (a) L-1 (b) T-1
2
(c) kg/m-s (d) kg/m-s (c) L (d) T
2. Which one of the following is not a unit of time? 12. If L denotes the inductance of an inductor through which
(a) Lunar month (b) Leap year a current I is flowing, the dimensions of LI2 is
(c) Parallactic second (d) Solar day (a) ML2T-2 (b) not expressible in MLT
3. “The weight of a body is 12 g.” This statement is not (c) MLT-2 (d) M2L2T-2
correct because 13. The frequency of vibration of a string is given by
(a) the weight should be expressed in kg 1
p  F 2
(b) the correct symbol for gram is gm  =   . Here p is the number of segments in
2l  m 
(c) the correct symbol for unit of weight is not used
(d) some reason other than those given above which the string is divided, F is the tension in the string
and l is its length. The dimensional formula for m is
4. SI units of gas constant are (a) M0L0T0 (b) ML-1T0
(a) W K-1 mol-1 (b) N K-1 mol-1 (c) ML T0 -1
(d) M0LT-1
-1 -1
(c) J K mol (d) erg K-1 mol-1
14. If P represents radiation pressure, c represents speed of
5. A pressure of 106 dynes/cm2 is equivalent to light and Q represents radiation energy striking unit area
(a) 105 N/m2 (b) 104 N/m2 per second, then non-zero integers x, y and z such that
6 2
(c) 10 N/m (d) 107 N/m2 PxQycz is dimensionless are
6. The velocity of a particle is given by: v = at 2 + bt + c If v (a) x = 1, y = 1, z = –1 (b) x = 1, y = –1, z = 1
is measured in ms-1 and t is measured in s, the unit of (c) x = –1, y = 1, z = 1 (d) x = 1, y = 1, z = 1
(a) a is ms-1 15. Given that v is the speed, r is the radius and g is the
(b) b is ms-1 acceleration due to gravity. Which of the following is
(c) c is ms-1 dimensionless?
(d) a and b is same but c is different (a) v2/rg (b) v2r/g
2
7. The unit of Planck’s constant h is same as that of (c) v g/r (d) v2rg
(a) energy (b) work 16. If force (F), length (L), current (I) and time (T) are taken
(c) linear momentum (d) angular momentum as bases, then the dimensions of ε0 are
8. The dimensional representation of latent heat is identical (a) FL2I2T-2 (b) F-1L2I2T2
-1 -2 2 2
to that of (c) F L I T (d) F2L2I2T2
(a) internal energy (b) angular momentum 17. An experiment measured quantities a, b, c and then x is
(c) gravitational potential (d) electric potential 2
calculated from x = ab . If the percentage errors in a, b
9. If C and R denote capacity and resistance, the dimensions c 3

of CR are and c are ±1%, ±3% and ±2% respectively, the

(a) M0L0T1 (b) M0L2T-2 percentage error in x can be
(c) M0L0T-2 (d) M1L0T0 (a) ±13% (b) ±7%
10. E, m, J and G denote energy, mass, angular momentum (c) ±4% (d) ±1%
and gravitational constant respectively. Then the 18. One centimeter on the main scale of vernier calipers is
dimensions of EJ2/m5G2 are divided into ten equal parts. If 10 divisions of the main
(a) angle (b) length scale coincide with 8 small divisions of the main scale,
(c) mass (d) time the least count of the calipers is
(a) 0.01 cm (b) 0.02 cm
(c) 0.05 cm (d) 0.005 cm
19. The length of one rod is 2.53 cm and that of the other is 14. (b): [P] = [ML-1T-2]
1.27 cm. The least count of measuring instrument is 0.01 [c] = [LT-1]
cm. If the two rods are put together end to end, the
[Q] = [MT-3]
combined length can be expressed as
(a) (3.80 ± 0.01) cm (b) (3.80 ± 0.02) cm Given that PxQycz = [M0L0T0]
(c) (3.80 ± 0.03) cm (d) (3.80 ± 0.04) cm [ML-1T-2]x [MT-3]y [LT-1]z = [M0L0T0]
20. If physical quantity X is represented by X = MaLbT-c and Mx+y L-x+z T-2x-3y-z = M0L0T0
the maximum percentage errors in M, L and T are α%,
x+y=0
β% and γ% respectively, then the total maximum
percentage error in X is –x + z = 0
(a) (αa + βb - γc) % (b) (αa + βb + γc) % –2x –3y – z = 0
(c) (αa - βb - γc) % (d) none of these Solving. We get x = 1, y = –1, z = 1
SOLUTIONS 15. (a): v2/rg
1. (d): kg/m-s 1 q 1q 2
16. (c): F =
2. (c): Parallactic second is the unit of distance. 4 0 r 2
3. (c): the correct symbol for unit of weight is ‘gf’. [q1q 2 ] IT x IT
[ 0 ] = = = F -1L- 2 I 2 T 2
-2 3 [Fr 2 ] FL2
4. (c): R = PV = (N m x m )
nT (mol x K) l m
17. (a): For x = a b maximum percentage error in x can
-1 -1 -1 -1
= N m K mol = J K mol cn
6 -5 be
5. (a): 10 6 dynes/cm2 = 10 x 10 N = 10 5 N/m 2
10 - 4 m 2 ∆x  ∆a   ∆b   ∆c 
x100 = l   x100 + m  x100 + n  x100
6. (c): Here the unit of a is ms-3, b is ms-2, c is ms-1. x  a  
b  c 
7. (d): The unit of Planck’s constant h and angular ∆x
= 1(± 1) + 2(± 3) + 3(± 2) = ± 13%
momentum L is kg m2 s-1. x
8. (c): The dimensional representation of latent heat and 18. (b): Least count = 1 MSD – 1 VSD
2 -2
gravitational potential is [L T ]. = 1 − 8  = 2 mm = 0.02 cm
9. (a): CR = q x V = q = t  10  10
V I q 19. (b): Total length = 2.53 + 1.27 = 3.80 cm.
t
10. (a): [E] = [ML2T-2] ∆l = 0.01 + 0.01 = 0.02

[J] = [ML2T-1] Combined length = (3.80 ± 0.02) cm

[G] = [M-1L3T-2] 20. (b): X = MaLbT-c

ΔM ΔL ΔT
 E J 2  [ML2 T -2 ] [ML2 T -1 ]2 = α% , = β% , =γ%
 5 2 = M L T
m G  [M]5 [M -1L3 T - 2 ]2
∆x  ΔM   ΔL   ΔT 
= [M0L0T0] = [angle] = a  + b  + c 
x  M   L   T 
11. (c): L
= (αa + βb + γc) %
12. (a): LI2 has the dimensions of energy ML2T-2.
2 −2
13. (b): m = p F = [MLT ] = [ML−1T 0 ]
2 2 2 −2
4l ν [L T ]