XI PHYSICS

CHAPTER 2
UNITS AND MEASUREMENTS
INTRODUCTION

The comparison of any physical quantity with its standard unit is

called measurement.
Physical Quantities

All the quantities in terms of which laws of physics are described,

and whose measurement is necessary are called physical
quantities.
Units
A definite amount of a physical quantity is taken as its standard
unit.
The standard unit should be easily reproducible, internationally
accepted.
 Fundamental Units
Those physical quantities which are independent to each other
are called fundamental quantities and their units are called
fundamental units.
PARALLAX METHOD

The apparent displacement or the difference in apparent direction of an

object as seen from two different points not on a straight line with the
object especially : the angular difference in direction of a celestial body as
measured from two points on the earth's orbit.
MEASURING LARG E DISTANCES – PARALLAX METHOD

p arallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an

object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the
angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. distance
between the two viewpoints is called b asis.

measuring distance of a planet using parallax method

similarly, α = d/d
whereα = ang ular size of the planet (angle subtended by d at earth)
and d is the diameter of the planet.αis angle between the direction of
the telescope when two diametrically opposite points of the planet are
viewed.
SIG NIFICANT FIG URES: -

THE SIG NIFICANT FIG URES ARE NORMALLY THOSE DIG ITS IN A MEASURED QUANTITY
W HICH ARE K NOW N RELIAB LY PLUS ONE ADDITIONAL DIG IT THAT IS UNCERTAIN.

FOR COUNTING OF THE SIG NIFICANT FIG URE RULE ARE AS:
(I) ALL NON- Z ERO DIG ITS ARE SIG NIFICANT FIG URE.
(II) ALL Z ERO B ETW EEN TW O NON-Z ERO DIG ITS ARE SIG NIFICANT FIG URE.
(III) ALL Z EROS TO THE RIG HT OF A NON-Z ERO DIG IT B UT TO THE LEFT OF AN
UNDERSTOOD DECIMAL POINT ARE NOT SIG NIFICANT. B UT SUCH Z EROS ARE
SIG NIFICANT IF THEY COME FROM A MEASUREMENT.
(IV ) ALL Z EROS TO THE RIG HT OF A NON-Z ERO DIG IT B UT TO THE LEFT OF A DECIMAL
POINT ARE SIG NIFICANT.

(V ) ALL Z EROS TO THE RIG HT OF A DECIMAL POINT ARE SIG NIFICANT.

(V I) ALL Z EROS TO THE RIG HT OF A DECIMAL POINT B UT TO THE LEFT OF A NON-Z ERO
DIG IT ARE NOT SIG NIFICANT. SING LE Z ERO CONV ENTIONALLY PLACED TO THE LEFT
OF THE DECIMAL POINT IS NOT SIG NIFICANT.

(V II) THE NUMB ER OF SIG NIFICANT FIG URES DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE SYSTEM OF
UNITS.
ADDITION OR SUB TRACTION W ITH SIG NIFICATN FIG URE :-

IN ADDITION OR SUB TRACTION , THE RESULT SHOULD B E REPORTED

TO THE SAME NUMB ER OF DECIMAL PLACES AS THAT OF THE
NUMB ER W ITH MINIMUM NUMB ER OF DECIMAL PLACES.
FOR EX: A= 3 3 4 .5 K G ; B = 23 .4 5 K G THEN A + B = 3 3 4 .5 K G + 23 .4 3 K G =
3 5 7 .9 3 K G
THE RESULT W ITH SIG NIFICANT FIG URES IS 3 5 7 .9 K G

MUTIPLICATION AND DIV ISION IN SIG NIFICANT FIG URE :-

IN MULTIPLICATION OR DIV ISION, THE RESULT SHOULD B E

REPORTED TO THE SAME NUMB ER OF SIG NIFICANT FIG URES AS
THAT OF THE NUMB ER W ITH MINIMUM OF SIG NIFICANT FIG URES.
❖ DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
The derived unit of all the physical quantities can be suitably
Expressed in the term of fundamental unit of-
Mass – (M)
Length-(L)
Time -(T)
Ex. Area= L x B = m x m =
Ex . Velocity = d/t = {L/T} = LT-1
❖ Hence, the dimension of a physical quantities are the power
To which the fundamental unit of mass , length and time have
To be raised in order to obtain it unit .
It show the dependents on fundamental units.
 Different type of variable and constant
* Dimensional variable- The quantities like area , volume Velocity force
posses dimension but not have constant value .+

• Non-dimensional variable- The quantities like angleSpecific gravity ,

strain etc. neither posses dimension Nor constant value.

*dimension constant- posses dimension also have a Constant value.

Ex- gravitational constant , Plank’s constant , Ryberg etc.

*Non-dimensional constant- Constant quantities having No dimension

like –Include pure no. 1,2,3,4, pi trignometrical function.
USES OF DIMENSIONAL EQUATION
1. To check the correctness of physical equation.
2. To derive the relation between different physical
phenomenon.
3. To change from one system of unit to another.
HOMOGENEITY OF DIMENSION
• If two equation have physically equal relation so, they also
dimensionally
Equal.
KE = PE
½ mv2 = mgh =
M(LT-1)2 = M x (LT-2‑) x L KE = PE
MLT-2 = ML2T-2
H
SOME DIMENSIONAL FORMULA
ERROR
THE LACK IN ACCURACY IN THE MEASUREMENT DUE TO THE LIMIT OF
ACCURACY OF THE INSTRUMENT OR DUE TO ANY OTHER CAUSE IS
CALLED AN ERROR.

1 . AB SOLUTE ERROR
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRUE VALUE AND THE MEASURED
VALUE OF A QUANTITY IS CALLED ABSOLUTE ERROR.

IF A1 , A2, A3 ,…, AN ARE THE MEASURED VALUES OF ANY QUANTITY A

IN AN EXPERIMENT PERFORMED N TIMES, THEN THE ARITHMETIC
MEAN OF THESE VALUES IS CALLED THE TRUE VALUE (AM ) OF THE
QUANTITY.
THE ABSOLUTE ERROR IN MEASURED VALUES IS GIVEN
BY
ΔA1 = AM – A1
ΔA2 = AM – A1
………….
ΔAM = ΔAM – ΔAN
2. MEAN ABSOLUTE ERROR
THE ARITHMETIC MEAN OF THE MAGNITUDE OF ABSOLUTE ERRORS IN
ALL THE MEASUREMENT IS CALLED MEAN ABSOLUTE ERROR.
3. RELATIVE ERROR THE RATIO OF MEAN
ABSOLUTE ERROR TO THE TRUE VALUE IS CALLED
RELATIVE

4. PERCENTAGE ERROR THE RELATIVE ERROR

EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGE IS CALLED
PERCENTAGE ERROR.
PROPAG ATION OF ERROR

(I) ERROR IN ADDITION OR SUBTRACTION LET X = A + B

OR X = A – B
IF THE MEASURED VALUES OF TWO QUANTITIES A AND
B ARE (A ± ΔA AND (B ± ΔB), THEN MAXIMUM
ABSOLUTE ERROR IN THEIR ADDITION OR
SUBTRACTION.
ΔX = ±(ΔA + ΔB)

(II) ERROR IN MULTIPLICATION OR DIVISION LET X = A X

B OR X = (A/B).
IF THE MEASURED VALUES OF A AND B ARE (A ± ΔA)
AND (B ± ΔB), THEN MAXIMUM RELATIVE ERROR
PROB LEM. 2.1 6 FIND THE SIG NIFICANT FIG URE IN THE
FOLLOW ING :
(A) 0 .0 0 7 M2
(B ) 2.6 4 X 1 0 24 K G
(C) 0 .23 7 0 G CM-3
(D) 6 .3 20 J
(E) 0 .0 0 0 6 0 3 2M2
(F) 6 .0 3 2 NM-2
▣ Ans- (a) – 0 .0 0 7 has one significant figure.
▣ Ans- (b) – 2.6 4 x 10 24 has three significant
figure.
▣ Ans–(c) – 0 .237 0 has four significant figure.
▣ Ans- (d) – 6 .320 has four significant figure.
▣ Ans –(e)- 0 .0 0 0 6 0 32 has four significant
figure.
▣ Ans –(f) 6 .0 32 has four significant figure.
▣ Problem 1.7 The length , breath and thickness of a metal sheet are
4.234m , 1.0 0 5 m and 2.0 1cm respectively give the area and volume of
the sheet to correct significant figure
▣ Ans – L = 4.234m
▣ B = 1.0 0 5 m
▣ Thickness = 2.0 1cm = 2.0 1 x 10 -2
▣ Area of metal sheet = 4.234 x 1.0 0 5
▣ = 4.25 5 17 m2
▣ Since both length and breath have four significant figure , the area of
the metal sheet after rounding off to four significant figure given by –
▣ Area =4.25 5 m2
▣ Volume of metal sheet = 4.234 x 1.0 0 5 x 2.0 1 x 10 -2
▣ = 8 .5 5 28 9 x 10 -2m-3
▣ After rounding off volume it gives three significant figure
▣ Volume = 8 .5 5 x 10 -2
▣ Q.1.29 A physical quantity P is related to four
observable a , b , c , d as follows
▣ P = a3 b2/cd1/2
▣ The percentage error of measurements in a, b,
c and d are 1% ,3% ,4% and 2% respectively .what
is the percentage error . percentage error in
quantity p? if the value of p calculate using the
above relation turns out to be 3.7 6 3,to what
value should
▣ You round off the result