UNITS AND MEASUREMENT:

Introduction: Physics deals with different natural phenomena with the help of some physical
laws which use one or more physical quantities. So, to describe different natural phenomena,
we have to know about physical quantities and about their measurement. .
Fundamental quantity: The physical quantities which do not depend on any other quantity
are called fundamental quantities.
Examples: length, time mass etc.
In the field of physics there are only seven fundamental quantities. These are LENGTH,
MASS, TIME, THERMODYNAMIC TEMPERATURE, ELECTRIC CURRENT,
LUMINOUS INTENSITY and AMOUNT OF SUBSTANCE.
Derived Quantities: the quantities which are formed by one or two fundamental quantities
are called derived quantities.
Examples: speed, acceleration, momentum, force etc. There are lot of derived quantities in
the field of physics.

SI unit system (International system of units): In SI there are seven fundamental units
and two supplementary units.
SI units of seven fundamental quantities are given bellow:

SL Physical quantities Name of unit Symbol of unit

NO.
01 LENGTH metre M
02 MASS kilogram Kg
03 TIME second S
04 ELECTRIC CURRENT Ampere A
05 THERMODYNAMIC Kelvin K
TEMPERATURE
06 LUMINOUS INTENSITY Candela Cd
07 AMOUNT OF SUBSTANCE mole Mol

The supplementary units in SI are given bellow:

Definition of supplementary units:

1. Radian (radian): one radian is an angle subtended at the centre of a

circle by an arc of length equal to the radius of the circle. It is denoted by
ϴ.
Plane angle= (arc length)/ radius
SI unit of plane angle is radian (rad).

2. Steradian(sr): one steradian is the solid angle subtended at the centre

of a sphere by its surface area equal to the square of the radius of the sphere.

Solid angle Ω = S/r2

SI unit of solid angle is steradian (sr).
Dimensions:- The dimensions of a physical quantity are the powers to which the
fundamental units are raised in order to obtain the derived unit of that quantity.
If the dimension of a physical quantity are a in length, b in mass and c in time, then the
dimensional formula of that quantity can be written as [MaLbTc].
Symbols, of fundamental quantities, to be used in determining the dimensional formula
of different derived quantities:
Sl Physical quantities Symbol
no
01 Length L
02 Mass M
03 Time T
04 Electric current I
05 Temperature ϴ
06 Luminous Intensity J
07 Amount of Substance N

Principle of homogeneity: The dimensional formula of each term of a physical equation

must be same. This principle implies that only those quantities can be added and subtracted or
equated which have same dimensions.

Uses of Dimensional Analysis: The Dimensional analysis has the following uses-
i) conversion of the value of one physical quantity from one unit
system to another unit system.
ii) checking the correctness of any physical equation.
iii) To derive the relationship between various physical quantities.
Limitations of dimensional analysis:
1. The value of dimensionless constant involved in the physical quantity can not be
determined.
2. It fails to give the information about trigonometric functions, logarithmic, exponential and
complex quantities involved in the physical relation.
3. Since there are only three physical quantities namely M,L and T, whose powers can be
compared on the two sides of the equation, therefore the dimensional analysis fails to derive
the relation involving more than three independent factors.
4. A dimensionally correct equation may not be true physical relation because the
dimensional equality is not sufficient for the correctness of a given physical relation.
Significant Figures:
Every measurement results in a number that includes reliable digits and uncertain digits.
Reliable digits plus the first uncertain digit are called significant digits or significant
figures.
Rules for determining number of significant figures
1.All non-zero digits are significant.
2.All zeros between two non-zero digits are significant irrespective of decimal place.
3. All zeros to the right of the last non zero digits are not significant figures.
4. All zeros to the right of the decimal point and to the left of the non-zero digit are not
significant figures.
5. All zeros to the right of the decimal points and to the right of the non-zero digits are
significant figures.
Rules of Rounding off
i) If the digit to be dropped in a number less than 5, then the preceding digit remains
unchanged.
ii) If the digit to be dropped in a number greater than 5, then the preceding digit is raised by
1.
iii) If the digit to be dropped in a number is equal to 5, then the preceding digit remains
unchanged if it is even or raised by 1 if it is odd.
Combination of Errors:

(a) Sum and Difference:- Suppose limiting errors in two physical quantities x and y are
±Δx and ±Δy respectively and z = x+y. The maximum possible error in z becomes,
Δz=Δx+Δy
Consider next the difference z = x-y
The maximum possible error in z becomes, Δz=Δx+Δy.
Therefore, when two quantities are added or subtracted, the limiting error in the final
result is the sum of limiting errors in the quantities involved.
(b) Product and Quotient:- z = x.y
The maximum possible error in z becomes,
( )max = )
Consider next the quotient, z = x/y.
In this case also the maximum possible error in z becomes,
( )max = ).
 Questionaries
Very short Answer Questions. (1 marks questions):

1. Define the term’ accuracy’ of measurement?

2. What do you understand by ‘precision’ of the measurement?
3. Define least count.
4. How many metres are there in one fermi?
5. Name one quantity which is dimensional less but having unit. Name the unit also.
6. Round off to three significant figures.
i)20.46m ii)59.25cm iii) 34.21cm

Short Answer questions (both 2 and 3 marks separately)

1. Explain three types of errors observed in measurement.

2. Which of the following measurements is more precise and which is more accurate
i) 4.00mm ii) 4.00cm iii) 4.00m iv) 40.00m
3. The temperature of two bodies measured by a thermometer are ϴ1= 30˚C±0.5˚C and ϴ2=
40˚C±0.5˚C. Calculate the temperature difference between the bodies and error in the
measurement.
4. If V= (50±2)V and I= (5±0.1)A and R=(V/I), where R is resistance. Find the percentage
error in R.
5. If x= at+bt 2, where x is in metre and t in seconds. What are the units of a and b?
Long Answer questions (5 marks)

1. What do you understand by derived quantities? Write SI units of force, work and power.

2. What do you understand by errors in measurement? Explain different types of errors.

3. What do you understand by the combination of errors? If P=xa.yb.zc , then determine the
percentage error in measurement of the quantity P.

4. State the principle of homogeneity. With the help of dimensional analysis, derive the
relation T=2Π.√(l/g), where, T refers to the time period of simple pendulum, l refers to the
length of pendulum and g refers to the acceleration due to gravity.

5. Define absolute error, fractional error and percentage error in measurement. If the true
value of any physical quantity is not given but the value of some measurements are given,
then how can I find the true value of this quantity?
 6. A new system of units is proposed in which unit of mass is a kg, unit of length is b metre
and unit of time is c second. How much will 5J measure in this new system?

Assertion Reasoning questions

In the following questions 1 and 2, a statement of assertion followed by a statement of

reason is given, choose the correct answer out of the following choices
(A) Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct and the Reason is the correct explanation
of the Assertion.
(B) The Assertion and the Reason are correct but the Reason is not the correct explanation of
the Assertion.
(C) Assertion is correct but the Reason is wrong statement.
(D) Both assertion and reason are wrong statements

1. Statement I: Mass and length are fundamental physical quantities.

Statement II: Mass of an object depends on its length.
(a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D
2. Statement I: Density of a substance is derived physical quantities.
Statement II: [Density]=[ML-3T0]
(a)A (b) B (c)C (d) D
3. Statement I: Relative density of a substance is a dimensionless quantity
Statement II: Relative density of a substance is the ratio of the density of the substance to the
density of water.
(a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D
4. Statement I: If the error in measurement of the radius of a solid sphere is 1%, the
permissible error in its volume is 3%.
Statement II: The permissible error is calculated by the formula, = 3× .
(a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D
5. Statement I: Dimensional formula of linear momentum is same as that of the angular
momentum.
Statement II: Impulse= change in momentum
(a) A (b) B (c) C (d) D

Paragraph based Questions

Significant Figures
Every measurement involves errors. Thus, the result of measurement should be reported in a
way that indicates the precision of measurement. Normally, the reported result of
measurement is a number that includes all digits in the number that are known reliably plus
the first digit that is uncertain. The reliable digits plus the first uncertain digit are known as
significant digits or significant figures. In multiplication or division, the final result should
retain as many significant figures as are there in the original number with the least significant
figures. In addition or subtraction, the final result should retain as many decimal places as are
there in the number with the least decimal places.
(i) State the number of significant figures in the following :
0.007 m2 , 2.64 × 1024 kg , 0.2370 g /cm3

(a) 1, 2,3 (b) 2,3,4 (c) 4.3,4 (d) 1, 3, 4

(ii) The mass of a box measured by a grocer’s balance is 2.3 kg. Two gold pieces of masses
20.15 g and 20.17 g are added to the box. What is the total mass of the box upto correct
significant figures ?

(a) 2.34 kg (b) 2.3 kg (c) 2.40 kg (d) 2.00 kg

(iii) What is the difference in the masses of the two gold pieces to correct significant figures
as in question (ii) ?
(a) 0.01 g (b) 0.1 g (c) 0.02 g (d) 0.20 g

(iv) 5.74 g of a substance occupies 1.2 cm3. Express its density by keeping the significant
figures in view.
(a) 4.78 g/cm3 (b) 4.75 g/cm3 (c) 5 g/cm3 (d) 4.8 g/cm3

(v) Each side of a cube is measured to be 7.203 m. What are the total surface area and the
volume of the cube to appropriate significant figures?

(a) 311.3 m2, 373.7 m3 (b) 31.13 m2, 373.7 m3 (c) 5011.5 m2, 373.7 m3 (d) 511.5 m2, 7653.7 m3

Checking the Dimensional Consistency of Equations

The magnitudes of physical quantities may be added together or subtracted from one another
only if they have the same dimensions. In other words, we can add or subtract similar
physical quantities. Thus, velocity cannot be added to force, or an electric current cannot be
subtracted. from the thermodynamic temperature. This simple principle called the principle of
homogeneity of dimensions in an equation is extremely useful in checking the correctness of
an equation

1. The wavelength associated with a particle of mass m and moving with velocity v is given
by λ= h/mv, where h is Planck's Constant. The dimensional formula of h is

(a) [M L2 T] (b) [M L-1 T-1] (c) [M L2 T-1] (d) [M L T-1]

2. Power P is related to distance x and time t as P= .The dimensional formula of b is

(a) [M0 L T-2] (b) [M0 L2 T2] (c) [M0 L2 T-2] (d) [M0 L2 T0]

3. If F = ax + bt2 + c where F is force, x is distance and t is time. Then what is

dimension of ?
(a) [M L2 T-2] (b) [M L T-2] (c) [M0 L0 T0] (d) [M L T-1]
4. A dimensional Constant is

(a) Strain (b) Universal Gas Constant (c) Relative density (d) Refractive Index

5. Which of the following physical quantities do not have the same dimensions?

(a) Pressure, Young's modulus, stress (b) Electromotive force, voltage, potential
(c) Heat, Work, Energy (d) Electric dipole, electric field, flux