Chapter Two

MEASUREMENT AND CONVERSION

“Dishonest scales are abominations to the Lord, but a just weight is
His delight.”
Proverbs 11:11

2.1 Measurement

Reasons for the delay of the development of science

a) The lack of a number system
b) The lack of systems of measurement & computation

General classification of physical quantities

a) Fundamental – directly measured
b) Derived - indirectly measured

2.2 Development of Measurement (for Discussion)

2.3 Systems of Measurement

There are two systems of measurement commonly used by physicists: the

METRIC and the ENGLISH systems.

The Metric system has two variations, the MKS system and the CGS
system. The English system is called the FPS. The acronym MKS, CGS
and FPS stands for the three basic units of measurement; namely, the
length, the mass, and the time.

Systems of Measurement

System Length Mass Time

Metric MKS Meter (m) Kilogram Second
CGS Centimeter (kg) Second
(cm) Gram (g)
English FPS Feet (ft) Slug Second

General conference of International Bureau of Weights and Measures

 established International System of Units (S.I.)

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 Batas Pambansa # 8 dated Jan. 1, 1983 enacted the use of the Metric
System in the Philippines.
Basically the process of measurement is _____________________.

Standard – An unknown quantity is compared with a known quantity.

Standard Unit – The standard of measurement used for a particular
quantity.

2.4 Standard Units

Length (distance)
 One tenth of a millionth of the distance along the meridian from
the equator to the north pole passing Paris.
 The wavelength of this orange-red light produced when an
electric discharge passes through the gas KRYPTON 86
ATOM has been established as the world’s standard for length
1,650,763.73 wavelengths = 1 m
 Optical Interferometer is the device that measures wavelengths
which is the distance that light travels in a vacuum in a time of
1/299 792 458 second.

Mass
 Is based on the mass of a platinum-iridium cylinder that is kept
at the International Bureau of Weight and Measures in Paris.

Time
 Historically is defined as 1/86,400 of a mean solar day.
 At present, it refers to the time occupied by 9,192,631,770
vibrations of light emitted by a CESIUM 133 ATOM.

2.5 Units of Measurement (Metric System)

Seven Fundamental Quantities in Metric System

Quantity Unit
Length Meter (m)
Mass Gram (g)
Time Second (s)
Electric Current Ampere (a)
Temperature Kelvin (K)
Luminous Intensity Candela (cd)
Amount of Substance Mole (mol)

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2.6 Conversion

Conversion of one unit to another in the same system or to another system

can be done by the application of ratio and proportion.

CONVERSION FACTORS
Length Work and Energy

1 in. = 2.54 cm 1 J = 0.7376 ft-lb = 107 ergs

1 ft. = 0.3048 m 1 kcal = 4186 J
1 mi = 5280 ft = 1.609 km 1 Btu = 1055 J
1 m = 3.281 ft 1 kWh = 3.600 x 106 J
1 yrd = 3 ft 1 eV = 1.602 x 10-19 J
1 km = 0.6214 mi
1 angstrom (A) = 10-10 m Power

Mass 1 hp = 550 ft-lb/s =745.7 W

1 W = 0.7376 ft-lb/s
1 slug = 14.59 kg
1 kg = 1000 grams = 6.852 x 10-2 slug Pressure
1 atomic mass unit (u) = 1.6605 x 10-27 kg
(1 kg has a weight of 2.205 lb where the 1 Pa = 1 N/m2 = 1.450 x 10-4 lb/in2
acceleration due to gravity is 32.174 ft/s2) 1 lb/in2 = 6.895 x 103 Pa
1 atm = 1.013 x 105 Pa = 1.013 bar =
Time 14.70 lb/in2 = 760 torr

1 day = 24 hr = 1.44 x 103 min = 8.64 x 104 s Volume

1 yr = 365.24 days = 3.156 x 107 s
1 liter = 10-3 m3 = 1000 cm3 = 0.03531 ft3
Speed 1 ft3 = 0.02832 m3 = 7.481 U. S. gallons
1 U. S. gallon = 3.785 x 10-3 m3 = 0.1337 ft3
1 mi/h = 1.609 km/hr = 1.467 ft/s = 0.4470 m/s
1 km/h=0.6214 mi/h = 0.2778 m/s = 0.9113 ft/s
Angle
Force
1 radian = 57.30o
1 lb = 4.448 N 1o = 0.01745 radian
1 N = 105 dynes = 0.2248 lb

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STANDARD PREFIXES USED
TO DENOTE MULTIPLES OF TEN BASIC MATHEMATICAL
FORMULAE

Prefix Symbol Factor

Tera T 1012 Area of a circle = r2
Giga G 109 Circumference of a circle = 2r
Mega M 106 Surface area of a sphere = 4r2
Kilo k 103 Volume of a sphere = 4/3r3
Hecto h 102 Pythagorean theorem: c2=a2 + b2
Deka da 101 Sine of an angle: sin  = opp / hyp
Deci d 10-1 Cosine of an angle: cos  = adj / hyp
Centi c 10-2 Tangent of an angle: tan  = opp / adj
Milli m 10-3
Law of cosines: c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos 
Micro  10-6
Law of sines: a / sin  = b / sin  = c/ sin 
Nano n 10-9
Quadratic Formula:
Pico p 10-12
Femto 10-15 If ax2 + bx + c = 0, then x = (-b  b2 –
f
4ac)/(2a)

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