GENERAL PHYSICS 1

ENGR. MARK ANGELO Y. SANTOS, ECT

WHAT IS PHYSICS?

• physikḗ , meaning "knowledge of nature"

• Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its
motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and
force.
• Physics can, at base, be defined as the science of matter, motion, and energy. Its laws
are typically expressed with economy and precision in the language of mathematics.
WHY STUDY PHYSICS?
• Physics helps us to understand the world around us, find quantitative physical laws for
everything, bring a broad perspective to any problem and satisfy our curiosity.
• Physics is the science that helps us understand various natural phenomena that are embedded
in our reality. We use physics in our daily life activities such as walking, cutting, watching,
cooking, and opening and closing things.
• Physics is one of the most elementary sciences that contributes directly to the development of
science and the development of new technologies.
• Human civilization progress we witnessed in recent centuries is due in one way or another to
the science of physics, especially finding the laws of motion and after discovering the
principles upon which many devices are built, such as means of communication.
OBJECTIVES

• 1. solve measurement problems involving conversion of units and

expression of measurements in scientific notation;
• 2. differentiate accuracy from precision;
• 3. differentiate random errors from systematic errors;
LESSON 1
MEASUREMENTS
THE SI UNITS
Base Quantity Name Symbol

• Length/Distance meter m
• Mass kilogram kg
• Time seconds s
• Electric Current ampere A
• Temperature kelvin K
• Amount of Substance mole mol
• Luminous Intensity candela cd
SI FUNDAMENTAL UNIT
SI FUNDAMENTAL UNIT
UNIT CONVERSION
UNIT CONVERSION EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
Convert 12 km to m
 UNIT CONVERSION ACTIVITY
Solution #1 Solution #2 Solution #3

Convert 2 m to ft convert 5 kg to lb convert 10 ft to inches

EXAMPLE

• If the fundamental unit for time is second, why is the speed of a moving vehicle
expressed in kilometers per hour (kph)? This is further complicated in other countries,
like US, where speed is often expressed in miles per hour (mph).
• It is important to note that there is another system of measurement being utilized by
other countries, and it is called the English system. Some basic units in this system are
1 inch = 2.54 cm and 1kg = 2.2 lbs.
• SOLVE!!!
You often hear that the prevailing speed in our roads here in Cabanatuan is 60 km/hr
(kph). Let us express 60 kph in meters per second.
CONTINUATION

SOLUTION
1 mile = 5280 feet 1 Hr = 3600 sec
1 yard = 3 feet
SCIENTIFIC NOTATION

• Scientific notation is a way of expressing numbers that are too large or too
small to be conveniently written in decimal form. It may be referred to as
scientific form or standard index form, or standard form
TABLE OF SCIENTIFIC NOTATION
HOW DOES IT WORK?
EXAMPLE

• SOLUTION
ACCURACY & PRECISION
DEFINITION AND DIFFERENCE
WHAT IS ACCURACY AND WHAT IS PRECISION?
DEFINITION
• Accuracy and Precision Science is based on experimentation that
requires good measurements. Measurement and experimentation are
fundamental to physics. To test whether recognized patterns are
consistent, physicists perform experiments with numerous
measurements, leading to new ways of understanding observable
phenomena in nature. The validity of a measurement can be described in
terms of its accuracy and precision. Accuracy is how close a
measurement is to the correct value for that measurement.
On the other hand, Precision states how well repeated
measurements of something generate the same or similar results.
ACCURACY & PRECISION
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
WHY IS ACCURACY AND PRECISION IMPORTANT?

• In order to get the most reliable results in a scientific inquiry, it is important to

minimize bias and error, as well as to be precise and accurate in the collection
of data. Both accuracy and precision have to do with how close a
measurement is to its actual or true value
ERRORS
DEFINITION AND COMPARISONS
RANDOM VERSUS SYSTEMATIC ERRORS

• An error results because of the deviation of measured data from

being precise. RANDOM ERRORS are results unpredictable or inevitable changes
during data measurement. Noise from an electronic device, temperature
variation during volume of gas measurement, and uncontrollable presence of wind
at determination of the simple pendulum’s period are some examples of random
errors.
• On the other hand, SYSTEMATIC ERRORS usually come from the
measuring instrument or in the design of the experiment itself. These errors limit the
accuracy of results..
ESTIMATION OF ERROR & PERCENT DIFFERENCE

Estimation of Error
To estimate the error in a measurement, we need to know the expected or standard value and
compare how far our measured values deviate from the expected value. The absolute error,
relative error, and percentage error are different ways to estimate the errors in our
measurements Error estimation can also use the mean value of all the measurements if there is no
expected value or standard value.
Percent difference
A measure of how far apart the different measured values are from each other, and is
therefore an indication of precision. Percent difference is given by the equation where x1 andx2
are two measured values in an experiment
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
SEE YOU NEXT MEETING