Chapter 1.

Measurement
1.What is Physics?
2. Measuring Things
3. The International System of Units
4. Length
5. Time
6. Mass
7. Changing Units
8.Calculations with Uncertain Quantities
 What is Physics?

Physics is the study of the

basic components of the
universe and their
interactions. Theories of
physics have to be verified
by the experimental
measurements.
 Measurement
• A scientific measurement requires:
(1) the definition of the physical quantity
(2) the units.

• The value of a physical quantity is actually the

product of a number and a unit .

• The precision of the measurement result is

determined by procedures used to measure them.
Basic Measurements in the Study of Motion

• Length: Our “How far?” question involves

being able to measure the distance between two
points.

• Time: To answer the question, “How long

did it take?”

• Mass: Mass is a measure of “amount of

stuff.”
 The Système International (SI) of units
• The SI, or metric system of units is the
internationally accepted system of units for
measurement in all of the sciences, including
physics.

• The SI consists of base units and derived

units:
(1) The set of base units comprises an
irreducible set of units for measuring all
physical variables
(2) The derived units can be expressed in
terms of the base units
The SI Base Units
• Time: One second is the time taken by 9 192
631 770 oscillations of the light (of a specified
wavelength) emitted by a cesium-133 atom or
One second is the duration of 9.192631770 ×
109 periods of the radiation corresponding to
the transition between the two hyperfine
levels of the ground state of the cesium-133
atom.
• This definition is based on the operation of a
caesium atomic clock.
• In atomic physics, hyperfine structure refers to
small shifts and splitting's in the
energy levels of atoms, molecules, and ions,
due to interaction between the state of the
nucleus and the state of the electron clouds.
• Length: One meter is the distance
traveled by light in a vacuum in a time
interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second

• Base standards must be both accessible and invariable. If we

define the length standard as the distance between one’s nose
and the index finger on an outstretched arm, we certainly have
an accessible standard—but it will, of course, vary from
person to person. The demand for precision in science and
engineering pushes us to aim first for invariability.
Mass: One kilogram is the
mass of this thing
(a platinum-iridium cylinder
of height=diameter=39
mm)

Atomic mass units (u)

 Scientific Notation
All Physics quantities should be written as
scientific notation, which employs powers
of 10.

The Order of magnitude of a number is the

power of ten when the number is
expressed in scientific notation
 Example
• Determine the order of magnitude of the
following numbers:
(a) A=2.3×104, (b) B=7.8×105.
 Changing Units
In chain-link conversion, we multiply the original
measurement by one or more conversion factors. A
conversion factor is defined as a ratio of units that is
equal to 1.

For example, because 1 mile and 1.61 kilometers are

identical distances, we have:
 EXERCISE 1
• (a) Explain why it is correct to write
1 min/60 s = 1, but it is not correct to write
1/60 = 1.
• (b) Use the relevant conversion factors
and the method of chain-link conversions
to calculate how many seconds there are
in a day .
 Calculations with Uncertain Quantities
Significant Figures: Read the number from left to right,
and count the first nonzero digit and all the digits
(zero or not) to the right of it as significant.

• Significant figures and decimal places are different

• The most right digit gives the absolute precision, which
tells you explicitly the smallest scale division of the
measurement.
• Relative Precision is the ratio of absolute precision
over the physics quantity.
 EXERCISE 3

• Determine the number of significant

figures, absolute precision, relative
precision in each of the following numbers:
(a) 27 meters, (b) 27 cows, (c) 0.003429
87 second, (d) 1.970500 × 10–11 coulombs,
(e) 5280 ft/mi.