REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

PHILIPINE ENGINEERING AND AGRO-INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE INC.
Brgy. Lomidong, MSU Main Campus, Marawi City 9700
SEC Reg. No.: CN200826621; CHED Accredited; TIN: 006-449-685

MODULE 1
UNITS AND
MEASUREMENTS

Name: ____________________________
Prepared by:
Year/Section: ______________________
Ms. Pebeth D. Manes
ID No.: ____________________________
Instructor
MODULE 1: UNITS AND MEASUREMENTS

Lesson 1A: Standard and Units

Any number that is used to describe a physical phenomenon quantitatively is called physical quantity. For
example, describing your weight and height. When you use a number to describe a physical quantity, we must
always specify the unit we are using; to describe a weight as simply as “52.4”, it wouldn’t mean anything.
To make accurate and reliable measurements, we need units of measurement that do not change and that can
be duplicated by observers in various locations. The system of units commonly used by scientist and engineers
is the International System of Units or SI units.

SI unit
time Seconds (s)
length Meter (m)
mass Kilogram (kg)
force Newton (N)
power Watt (W)
energy Joule (J)

Lesson 1B: Unit Consistency

We use equations to express relationship among physical quantities, represented by algebraic symbol. Each
algebraic symbol always denotes both a number and a unit. For example, might represent a distance of 10
m, a time of 5 s, and a speed of 2 m/s.
An equation must always be dimensionally consistent. You can’t add apples and automobiles; two terms may
be added or equated only if they have the same units. For example, if a body moving with constant speed
travels a distance in a time , these quantities are related by the equation

If is measured in meters, then the product must also be expressed in meters. Using the above numbers as an
example, we may write
=( ) ( ) = 10

NOTE: Always use units in calculation. When a problem requires calculations using numbers with units,
always write the numbers with correct units and carry the units through the calculation as in the example
above.

Sample Problems
The following conversions occur frequently in physics and are very useful.
a) Use 1 mi = 5280 ft and 1 hr = 3600 s to convert 60 mph to units of ft/s.
Solution:

60 × ×

b) The acceleration of a freely falling object is 32 . Use 1 ft = 30.48 cm to express this acceleration in units
of .
Solution:

32 × ×

c) The density of water is 1.0 . Convert this density to units of .

Solution:

1.0 × ×

Lesson 2: Uncertainty and Significant Figures

Science is based on observation and experiment -- that is, on measurements. Measurements always have
uncertainties. The uncertainty is also called the error because it indicates the maximum difference there is
likely to be between the measured value and the true value.
The factors contributing to uncertainty in a measurement include:
1. Limitations of the measuring device,
2. The skill of the person making the measurement,
3. Irregularities in the object being measured,
4. Any other factors that affect the outcome (highly dependent on the situation).
Accuracy and Precision of a Measurement
Accuracy and precision are two important factors to consider when taking measurements. Both accuracy and
precision reflect how close a measurement is to an actual value, but accuracy reflects how close a
measurement is to an a known or accepted value, while precision reflects how consistent results are when
measurement are repeated. If your measurements are not very accurate or precise, then the uncertainty of
your values will be very high. In more general terms, uncertainty can be thought of as a disclaimer for your
measured values.

Lesson 2A: Significant Figures

In many cases the uncertainty of a number is not stated explicitly, instead the uncertainty is indicated by the
number of meaningful digits, or significant figures, in the measured value. Significant figures are reliable and
absolutely necessary to indicate the quantity of something.
To determine the number of significant figures in a number use the following three rules:
a) Non-zero digits are always significant.
Ex. 143 has three significant figures
b) Any zeros between two significant digits are significant.
Ex. 8051 has four significant figures
c) Leading zeros are NOT significant.
Ex. 0.0024 has only two significant figures
d) Trailing zeros to the right of the decimal are significant.
Ex. 92.00 has four significant figures
Note: It’s important to understand that “zero” doesn’t mean “nothing”. Zero denotes actual information, just
like any other number. You cannot tag on zeros that aren’t certain to belong there.
e) Trailing zeros in a whole number with no decimal shown are NOT significant.
Ex. Writing just “540” indicates that the zero is not significant, and there are only two significant figures in this
value.
f) For a number in scientific notation: N × , all digits comprising N are significant but “10” and “ are
NOT significant.
Ex. has three significant figures for 88.2 but “10” and “4” are NOT significant.

Lesson 2B: Scientific Notation

When we calculate with very large or very small numbers, we can show significant figures much more easily by
using scientific notation, sometimes called powers-of-10 notation. As we know, the whole numbers can be
extended till infinity, but we cannot write such huge numbers on a piece of paper. Also, the numbers which
are present at the millions place after the decimal needed to be represented in a simpler form. Thus, it is
difficult to represent a few numbers in their expanded form. Hence, we use scientific notations.
The general representation of scientific notation is:
;1≤N
To determine the power or exponent of 10, we must follow the rules listed below.
1. The base should be always 10.
2. The exponent must be a non-zero integer, that means it can be either positive or negative.
3. The absolute value of the coefficients is greater than or equal to 1 but it should be less than 10.
4. Coefficients can be positive or negative numbers including whole and decimal numbers.
Let us understand how many places we need to move the decimal point after the single-digit number with the
help of the below representation.
A. If the given number is multiples of 10 then the decimal point has to the left, and the power of 10 will
be positive.
Ex. 6000 = is in scientific notation
B. If the given number is smaller than 1, then the decimal point has to move to the right, so the power of
10 will be negative.

Ex. 0.000 = is in scientific notation

More Examples
490000000 =

1230000000 =
50500000 =
0.000000097 =

0.0000212 =

Practice Problems
Convert the following numbers to scientific notation.
a. 28100000
b. 7890000000
c. 0.00000542
Convert the following to standard form.

a.
b.
c.