Dear student,

Here is the answer of your question. I hope the following paragraphs will clear your
concept about unit and dimension.

Numbers are meaningless for the physicist without the correct use of units. It makes
no sense to say "the distance from my house to school is two", unless we follow that
statement with "miles" or "kilometers", or whichever unit makes the statement true. We
will distinguish between dimension, the abstract quality of a measurement without scale
(ie., length), and unit, the quality of a number which specifies a previously agreed upon
scale (ie., meters). While dimensional arguments are of primary importance in
understanding the qualitative behavior of systems, the use of units are necessary for the
predictions we seek.

The four fundamental dimensions are length, time, mass and electric charge. These
qualities of numbers are fundamentally different, and make up the building blocks for all
of our studies. We perceive three spatial dimensions of length, upon which we build
dimensions of area and volume (notice the different use of the word dimension). Area
and volume have "composite dimension", by which we mean that more than one factor of
a fundamental dimension appears (area = length squared, volume = length cubed). Time,
likewise, will often appear in higher powers in a composite dimension. Consider the rate
of change of speed: "my car can accelerate at 6 miles per hour per second":

6 miles / hour / sec = 6 miles / (hour sec).

Dimensions: Dimensions of a physical quantity are,the powers to which the fundamental

units are raised to get one unit of the physical quantity.

The fundamental quantities are expressed with following symbols while writing
dimensional formulas of derived physical quantities.

Mass →[M] ; Length→[L]; Time→[T]; Electric current →[I] ; Thermodynamic

temperature →[K] ;Intensity of light →[cd] ; Quantity of matter →[mol] .

Dimensional Formula: Dimensional formula of a derived physical quantity is the

“expression showing powers to which different fundamental units are raised”.

Ex : Dimensional formula of Force F →[ ]

Dimensional equation:When the dimensional formula of a physical quantity is

expressed in the form of an equation by writing the physical quantity on the left hand
side and the dimensional formula on the right hand side,then the resultant equation is
called Dimensional equation.

Ex: Dimensional equation of Energy is E = [ ].

Question : How can you derive Dimensional formula of a derived physical quantity.

Ans : We can derive dimensional formula of any derived physical quantity in two ways

i)Using the formula of the physical quantity : Ex: let us derive dimensional formula of
Force .

Force F→ma ; substitute the dimensional formula of mass m →[M] ; acceleration →[

]

we get F → [M][ ]; F →[ ].

ii) Using the units of the derived physical quantity. Ex: let us derive the dimensional
formula of momentum.

Unit of Momentum ( p ) → [ ];

kg is unit of mass → [M] ; is unit of length → [L] ; sec is the unit of time →[T]

Substitute these dimensional formulas in above equation we get p →[ ].

Quantities having no units, can not possess dimensions: Trigonometric ratios,

logarithmic functions, exponential functions, coefficient of friction, strain, poisson’s
ratio, specific gravity, refractive index, Relative permittivity, Relative permeability. All
these quantities neither possess units nor dimensional formulas.

• Quantities having units, but no dimensions : Plane angle,angular displacement, solid

angle.These physical quantities possess units but they does not possess dimensional
formulas.

• Quantities having both units & dimensions : The following quantities are examples
of such quantities.

Area, Volume,Density, Speed, Velocity, Acceleration, Force, Energy etc.

Principle of Homogeneity of dimensions: The term on both sides of a dimensional

equation should have same dimensions.This is called principle of Homogeneity of
dimensions. (or) Every term on both sides of a dimensional equation should have same
dimensions.This is called principle of homogeneity of dimensions.

Uses of Dimensional equations : dimensional equations are used i) to convert units from
one system to another,

ii)to check the correctness of the dimensional equations iii)to derive the expressions
connecting different physical quantities..
Limitations of dimensional method: The limitations of dimensional metthod,s are

i)The value of dimensionless constants can not be calculated using dimensional methods,

ii) We can not analyze the equations containing trigonometrical, exponential and
logarithmic functions using method of dimensions.

iii)If a physical quantity is sum or difference of two or more than two physical quantities,
such physical quantities can not be derived with dimensional methods,

iv)If any equation having dimensional constants like, G, R etc can not be derived using
dimensional methods,

v)If any equations is involving more than three fundamental quantities in it, such
expressions can not be derived using dimensional methods.

Regards