1.

2 Physical Quantities and

Their Units

A. Measurement of Physical Quantities.

1. A physical quantity is a quantity that can

be measured.

2. Physical quantities are measured in S.I.

units.

a. S.I. units means International System of

Units.

Base quantities.

Prefixes used in measurement

1. Prefixes =expressing physical quantities that are

either too big or too small.

2. For example, the thickness of a book is

measured in centimetres where centi- is the prefix
added to metre to express a smaller value.

3. A prefix is added to change the value of the unit.

4. Hence, the value of any physical quantity can be

changed to prefix form.

Symbol and prefixes

Work examples
a. Example 1
Write 45 000 g with the kilo prefix.
45000= 45 X 1000(kilo)

45 kg

Measuring tools
1.

length-straight line- metre rule (mm/cm)

- measuring tape
curve line-

opisometer and metre rule

thread and metre rule

2. temperature- thermometer

3. Measure diameter
a) External diameter-external caliper
b) Internal diameter-internal calipers

External diameter=cm
Internal diamerter=.cm
Thickness of beaker 1oocm3=

INTER CALIPERS

External Diameter

4. measuring area
a) regular object=use mathematical formulae

5cm
2cm
Area = 5cm X 2cm
=..cm2

b) irregular object

Estimate area use graph paper

Method:
Count the number of complete squares.
2) An incomplete square is counted if half
or
more of the square is covered.
3) Do not count an incomplete square if less
than half of the square is covered.
1)

b) irregular object= estimate area use

graph
paper
1cm

1cm

Area= 27 cm2

Measuring Volume
We often need to measure the volume of
liquids.
We use a measuring cylinder, burette or
pipette to measure the volume of a
liquid.
We usually measure the volume of a liquid
in mililitres (ml) and the volume of a solid in
cubic centimetres (cm3).

Burette

Pipette

Measuring cylinder

Correct eye position is very important when

taking readings from the scale of a
measuring tool.

How to read the volume of

liquid

Water Displacement
Method
To find the volume of a regular object
and irregular object.
In this method, the object is dropped into
a measuring cylinder. This will cause the
water level in the measuring cylinder to
rise. The water level rises because the
water in the measuring cylinder has been
displaced by the object.

y mL

x mL

The volume of water displaced = y-x

=50-30
= 20 ml

The volume of the stone = The volume of

water displaced.
= (y-x) ml = (y-x) cm3

20 ml

= 20 cm3

Measuring Volume of the object

= Water displacement method
Suitable for volume of uneven object

45 ml
stone

30 ml

What is the volume of the stone?

Volume of the stone = (45 - 30)
= 15 cm3

Measuring Volume object less dance than water

55.5 cm3
45 cm
30 cm

Object x
3

load

What is the volume of x?

Volume of object x = (55.5 -45)

= 10.5cm3

Volume of
stone

WHAT IS WEIGHT?
The weight of an object is the pull of the
Earth (force of gravity) on the object.
The S.I unit of weight is Newton (N).
The weight of any object depends on the
gravitational force.
The weight of an object is obtained using a
spring balance or compression spring
balance.

spring balance

compression balance

WHAT IS MASS?
The mass of an object is the quantity of
matter in the object.
The S.I. unit of mass is kilogram (kg).
The mass of an object can be obtained
using a triple beam balance or lever
balance.

Lever balance

Triple beam balance

Electronic balance

EXERCISE 5: CAN U DIFFERENTIATE

BETWEEN MASS AND WEIGHT?
MASS

WEIGHT

CAN U DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN MASS AND WEIGHT?

MASS
It is the amount of
matter in an object.
Its value is fixed.

WEIGHT
It is the
gravitational pull
on an object.
Its value varies
from place to
place.

Unit: kilogram (kg)

Unit: Newton (N)

Measured using
beam balance or
lever balance.

Measured using
spring balance or
weighing balance.

Importance of
standard units in
everyday life

The use of standard units make it easier for

people from different countries to
communicate with each other.
The use of a standard unit means a
measurement in that unit has the same
value anywhere in the world.

1. Other systems of standard units can be

converted to S.I. units and vice versa:
a. 1 inch = 2.54 cm
b. 1 foot (12 inches) = 30.48 cm
c. 1 yard (3 feet) = 0.91 m
d. 1 mile = 1.609 km d. 1 mile = 1.609 km
e. 1 pound = 0.45 kg
f. 1 gallon = 4.5 l