Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION AND MEASUREMENT

Objectives:
After studying this chapter, the students should be able to:
 To know the importance of physics in the technological development.
 Recall some mathematical concepts and principles.
 Understand the two systems of measurement, the English system and the metric
system.
 Be able to covert measurement of physical quantities from one system of units to
another system of units.

1.1 Introduction
The achievement in the space travel is one of the triumphs of modern technology. It
required pioneering works in many different areas, from aerodynamics design to material
science to sophisticated control systems. All these have required applications of basic
physical laws.
Why do we study physics? For two reasons. One, physics, a basic science, is the
foundation of all engineering and technology. No engineer could design any kind of practical
device without first understanding the basic principles involved. To design a airplane or even
a mouse trap, you have to understand the basic laws of physics.
But there’s another reason. The study of physics is an adventure. You will find it
challenging, sometimes frustrating. It will appeal to your sense of beauty as well as to your
rational intelligence. It is a way of thinking. It makes you ask “Why?” all the time. A bridge
collapse for no apparent reason. Why did it collapsed? A ship at sea suddenly turns on its
side and sinks without any visible cause. Why? Whoever is made to investigate these
accidents will have to think and find reasons for seemingly unexplainable mishaps. He has to
go back to his knowledge of physics and think what physical laws come into play.

1.2 Scope and Nature of Physics

Physics is a science originated as the study of natural philosophy. It attempted to describe
and explain the nature. Physics is also called an experimental science. Physicists observe
phenomena of nature and try to find patterns and principles that relate these phenomena. It is
developed according to the procedures of the scientific method consisting of observation,
recording, analysis, prediction and experimentation. Once a certain phenomenon is
observed, data are collected and analyzed and from these a theory is formulated. The theory
is verified by experiment and tested. When the results of the experiments confirm the theory,
then the law theory ceases to be theory, and it becomes a law, a law of nature. This law is
expressed symbolically and is therefore amenable to the methods of mathematics. Physics,
therefore, leans on mathematics as its fundamental tool.
According to Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) dropped a light bodies and heavy bodies from
the top of Leaning Pisa Tower to find out whether they fell at different rates or at the same
time. From the results of the experiments, he made the inductive leap to the principle, or
theory, that the acceleration of a freely falling body is independent of its weight.
No theory is ever regarded as the final or ultimate truth; there is always the possibility
that new observations will require revision of a theory. It is in the nature of physical theory
 that we can disprove a theory by finding behavior that is inconsistent with it, but we can
never prove that a theory is always correct.
Getting back to Galileo, suppose we drop a feather or a stone. They certainly do not fall
at the same velocity. This does not mean that Galileo’s theory was wrong; it means that this
theory was not complete. If we drop the feather and the stone in a vacuum, to eliminate the
air resistance, then they will fall at the same velocity.
An essential part of the interplay of theory and experiment is learning how to apply
physical principles to a variety of practical problems. At various points in our study we will
discuss systematic problem-solving procedures that will help you to set up problems and
solve them efficiently and accurately. Learning to solve problems is absolutely essential; you
do not now unless you can do physics. This means not only learning the general principles,
but also learning how to apply them in specific situations.
Physics is also defined as the science of energy and matter. Energy and matter are so
universal, that perhaps, there is nothing that can not be related to either energy or matter.
Physics is chiefly concerned with the laws and properties of the material universe. These
laws are studied in related fields or divisions of physics such as mechanics, heat, sound,
electricity and magnetism, light, and nuclear physics.

1.3 Review of Some Mathematical Concepts and Principles

Rules on the use of Exponent

a) When multiplying two exponents of the same base, add the exponents.
(5m3) (3m2) = (5) (3) (m3+2) = 15 m5

b) To obtain an exponent of an exponent, multiply the powers.

(2ft2)3 = [(21) ( ft2)]3 = 21(3) ft2(3) = 8 ft6

c) When dividing two exponents of the same base, subtract the exponent.
20 mm5 20 mm5-3
--------- = ---------- = 4 mm2
5 mm3 5

Scientific Notation
Scientific notation is more convenient way of expressing very large number and very
small numbers. In scientific notation, the number is expressed as the product of an integral
power of 10 and a number equal or greater than one. The exponent of 10 represents the
number of places the decimal point is moved to the right or to the left. A negative exponent
indicates that the decimal point is moved to the right, while a positive exponent tells that the
decimal point was move to the left.
The following examples illustrate the changing of usual number to the scientific notation:

236.78 = 2.3678 x 102

0.453 = 453 x 10-3
Trigonometric Functions of an Acute Angle of a Right Triangle
Sine A = side opposite angle A/hypotenuse Sin A = a/c
Cosine A = side adjacent to angle A/hypotenuse Cos A = b/c
Tangent A = side opposite /side adjacent to angle A Tan A = a/b

Pythagorean theorem:
The square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the two other sides.
In symbols:
c 2 = a 2 + b2

c a

A b C

Figure 1-1 Right triangle ABC

The Sine Law and The Cosine Law

The sine law states that in any triangle, any side is proportional to the sine of the
opposite angle. In symbols,
a b c
= =
sin A sin B sin C

The cosine law states that in any triangle the square of one side is equal to the
sum of the squares of the two other side minus twice the product of these two sides
multiplied by the cosine of the angle between them. In formula,

c2 = a2 + b2 - 2ab cos C
a2 = b2 + c2 - 2bc cos A
b2 = a2 + c2 - 2ac cos B

b a

A B
c

Figure 1-2 Oblique Triangle ABC

1.4 Measurement and Units
Physics is an experimental science and has grown to be a quantitative science. As such, it
deals with measurement. When we measure a quantity, we always compare with another
quantity or some reference standards. Every measured quantity involves, (1) a number or
numeric, and (2) a unit. The unit gives the size of the quantity used as the basis of
comparison. The number gives the number of times the unit is contained in the quantity being
measured. When we say that a car is 4.35 meters long, we mean that it is 4.35 times as long
as a meter stick, which we define to be 1 meter long.
There are different systems of units used, but in any system certain quantities are taken as
basic quantities. These fundamental quantities are generally the Mass, Length, and Time. All
other physical quantities are called derived quantities.
Of the many units used in engineering and science, two systems in common use are (1)
the English system, and (2) the metric system.

Table 1.1 Basic Quantities and Units

Quantities English unit symbol Metric unit symbol
Mass pound lb gram Gram g
Length foot ft meter Meter m
Time second s second sec

1.5 Prefixes
Once we have defined the fundamental units, it is easy to introduce a larger and smaller
units for the same physical quantities. In the metric system these other units are always
related to the fundamental units by multiples of 10 or 1/10. We usually express the
multiplicative factors in exponential notation: 1000 = 103, 1/1000=10-3, etc. For example
1000m = 103m or 1km, using metric prefix kilo which is equal to 103. Table 1-2 lists the
standard metric prefixes with their meanings and abbreviations.
Table 1-2 Metric Prefixes for Powers of 10
Power of 10 Prefix Abbreviation Pronunciation
1018 exa E ex-a
10 15
peta P pet-a
1012 tera T ter-a
10 9
giga G jig-a
10 6
mega M meg-a
103 kilo k kil-oe 1000 units= 1km
10 2
hecto h Hec-to 100 units= 1 hm
10 1
deka da De-ka 10 units=1dam
10 0
Unit of measure Ex)meter
10-1 deci d De-ci 1/10 unit=1 dm
10-2 centi c cen-ti 1/100unit= 1cm
10 -3
milli m mil-I 1/1000 unit= 1 mm
10 -6
micro µ my-kro
10 -9
nano n nan-oe
10-12 pico p pee-koe
10-15 femto f fem-toe
10-18 atto a at-toe
Example 1.1 Express 36,500,000 watts using metric prefix

36,500,000 can be expressed as 36.5 x 106 (using scientific notation)

therefore, 36,500,000 W = 36.5 MW

Example 1.2 Express 0.0025A using metric prefix

0.0025 can be written as 2.5 x 10-3

therefore, 0.0025A = 2.5mA

1.6 Conversions of Units of Length and Mass

English Units of Length Metric Units of Length
1 foot (ft) = 12 inches (in) 10 millimeters (mm) = 1 centimeter (cm)
1 yard (yd) = 3 feet (ft) 100 centimeter (cm) = 1 meter (m)
1 mile (mi) = 5,280 feet (ft) 1000 millimeter (mm)= 1 meter (m)

Metric to English units of Length English to Metric units of Length

1 meter (m) = 39.37 inches (in) 1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeter
1 meter (m) = 3.28 feet (ft) (cm)
1 kilometer (km) = 0.6241 mile (mi) 1 mile (mi) = 1.609 kilometer (km)
1 mile (mi) = 1609 meter (m)

English Units of Mass Metric Units of Mass

16 ounces (oz) = 1 pound (lb) 1000 grams (gm) = 1 kilogram
2000 pounds (lb) = 1 short ton 1000 kilogram (kg) = 1 metric ton

Metric to English units of Mass English to Metric units of Mass

1 gram (g) = 0.035 ounce (oz) 1 ounce (oz) = 28.348 grams (g)
1 kilogram (kg) = 2.205 pounds (lb) 1 pound (lb) = 0.454 gram (g)
1 metric ton = 1.102 short ton 1 short ton = 0.907 metric ton
1 metric ton = 2,200 pounds (lb)

Commonly used Capacity or Volume Measure

4 quarts (qt) = 1 gallon (gal)
2 pint (pt) = 1 quart (qt)
1 gallon (gal) = 231 cubic inches (in3)
1 cubic foot (ft3) = 7. 48 gallons (gal)
1 gallon (gal) = 3.785 liters (L)
1 cubic meter (m3) = 1000 liters (L)
Example 1.3 Express 88.5 inches as feet

1 ft
88.5 in x ----------------- = 7. 375 ft
12 in

Example 1.4 Express 5.2 cm as inches

1 in
5.2 cm x ----------------- = 2.047 in
2.54 cm

Example 1.5 Express 78 inches as feet and inches

1 ft 12 in
78 in x ----------------- = 6.25 ft 6 ft and 0.25 ft x -------------- = 3 in
12 in 1 ft

78 inches = 6 ft 3 in

Example 1.6 Express 3 m2 as ft2

( 3.28ft )2
3 m x ----------------- = 32.292 ft2
2

( 1m )2

Example 1.7 Express 4.5 cubic meters as cubic yards

( 1 yd )3
4.5 m x ----------------- = 5.886 cubic yards
3

(0.914m)3

Example 1.8 Express 15 L as gallons

(1 gal )
15 L x --------------- = 3.963 gallons
(3.785L)
Example 1.9 Express the speed of 60 miles / hr to ft / s

60 miles 5,280 ft 1 hr
------------ x ----------- x ----------- = 88 ft / s or 88 fps
hr 1 mile 3600 s

Name :_______________________________ Score : ____________________

Schedule:_____________________________ Instructor:__________________

Exercises 1.1 Express each quantity as indicated.

1. 16.25 feet as yards

2. 0.6 mile as feet

3.

4. 2.5 yards as inches

5. 6500 ft as km

6. 286 km as mi

7. 4.6 m as yd

8. 234 in as dm

9. 8 ft 2.25 in as m

10. 6.2 yd as ft and inches

11. 80 km per hr to ft/s (fps)

Name :_______________________________ Score : ____________________
Schedule:_____________________________ Instructor:__________________

12. A man’s height is 5 ft and 5 inches and his weight is 135 lbs. Express his height in
meters and his weight in kg.

13. Express the density of water of 1000 kg / m3 to lb / ft3

14. Express 5,000V using metric prefix

15. Express 0.000056Farad using metric prefix