CHAPTER 1

PHYSICS AND MEASUREMENT

Physical quantity

A physical quantity is a quantity which can be measured.

Basic quantities

Length, mass and time are called basic quantities because other quantities can be measured in terms of them.

Basic quantities and their units

quantity SI units MKS CGS FPS

length metre ( m ) metre ( m ) centimetre ( cm ) foot ( ft )

mass kilogram ( kg ) kilogram ( kg ) gram ( g ) slug ( sl )

time second ( s ) second ( s ) second ( s ) second ( s )

Mass

This Platinum Iridium cylinder is the

standard kilogram.
Measurement of length

Measuring tape Metre rule ( or ) half-metre rule

- accuracy: 0.1 cm - accuracy: 0.1 cm

- suitable for length of several metres. - suitable for length of several cm to 1 m.

Vernier calipers

- accuracy: 0.01 cm

- suitable for length between 1 cm and 10 cm

Micrometer screw gauge

- accuracy: 0.01 mm

- suitable for lengths of less than 2 cm.

Stopwatch

• Measure short intervals of time

• Two types: digital stopwatch, analogue stopwatch
• Digital stopwatch more accurate as it can measure time in intervals of 0.01
seconds.
• Analogue stopwatch measures time in intervals of 0.1 seconds.
Prefixes

• Prefixes simplify the writing of very large or very

small quantities
Prefix Abbreviation Power
nano n 10−9
micro  10−6
milli m 10−3
centi c 10−2
deci d 10−1
kilo k 103
mega M 106
giga G 109
Measurement of volume

Volume is the amount of space occupied.

SI unit of volume - cubic metre ( m3 )

Volume of regular solids is calculated with the correct formula.

( e.g. volume of rectangular solid, V = length x breadth x height )

Volume of irregular solids can be found by using a measuring cylinder or

by using a displacement can.

Mass

Mass is the quantity of matter in a body. Mass is also a measure of inertia.

Exercises

Weight

The attracting force of the earth acting on a body is defined as the weight of the body.

W = mg

W = weight ( newton = N )

m = mass ( kg )

g = acceleration due to gravity ( 10 m/s2 ) Or g = gravitational field strength ( 10 N/kg = 10 m/s2 )

 Measuring Mass
Two kinds of physical quantity

1. scalar quantity

2. vector quantity

Scalar quantity

A quantity which has only magnitude is called a scalar quantity.

( e.g. mass, length, time, temperature, work, density, speed. )

Vector quantity

A quantity which has both magnitude and direction is called a vector quantity.

( e.g. displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum, weight, impulse. ) Measuring Temperature

A Force Magnitude = 100 N

Direction = Left
 Density

Density is the mass per unit volume of a substance.

Exercises
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