CHAPTER 1: MEASUREMENT

1.1 PHYSICAL QUANTITIES

At the end of the lesson, student should be able to:

a) Explain physical quantities
b) Explain with examples base quantities and derived quantities.
c) Describe derived quantities in terms of base quantities and their corresponding S.I. units
d) Explain with examples, scalar quantities and vector quantities.

1. Physical quantities is the quantities that can be measured.

2.Physical quantities must be stated in magnitude with its unit.

Symbol Unit

Time, t = 100 s

Physical quantity magnitude

3. Imperial system and metric system. Imperial system is not widely use in the whole world.

3. Physical quantities consists of:

a) base quantities
b) derived quantities
4. Base quantities – quantities that cannot be derived in other term of quantities.

Base quantity Symbol SI unit Symbol of SI unit

Length l Metre m
Mass m Kilogram kg
Time t Time s
Temperature T Kelvin K
Electric current I Ampere A
Light intensity Iv Candela cd
Quantity of matter n Mole mol