Units of Measurement

By
P. P. Gangal
A.E., MSPGCL, Khaperkheda TPS.

Measurement is used to measure quantities.

Quantity is something that has magnitude,
size, or amount (volume).
In the late 18th century, scientists used the
metric system. The metric system is a
precursor to the SI System.
Scientists all over the world use a single
measurement system called Le Systeme
International dUnits, abbreviated SI.

This system was presented in 1960 by a

General Conference of Weights and Measures
and has both base units and derived units.
It is based on the metre-kilogram-second
system and replaces both the foot-poundsecond system and the centimetre-gramsecond system.
The International System of units has been
developed and agreed internationally in the
interests of world health.

It overcomes languages barriers, enabling an exchange

of health information within a country and between
nations to be made without the misunderstandings which
arise when each country, or even a separate hospital
within a country, uses its own units of measurements for
reporting tests. It is therefore important for health
authorities and laboratories to adopt the new system of
units. They are not difficult and are already being used in
most medical publications and journals, by the
manufacturers of chemicals and reagents, and by most
scientific and medical organizations.
There are seven SI base units, i.e. metre, kilogram,
second, mole, ampere, Kelvin and candela.

The most common base units that we

will study include:
Unit
Unit name abbreviati
on

Quantity

Quantity
Symbol

Length

meter

Mass

kilogram

kg

Time

second

Temperatur
e

Kelvin

To enable the measurement of

quantities larger or smaller than the
base units or derived units, the SI Units
system also includes a set of prefixes.
The use of a prefix makes a unit larger
or smaller. The ranges of SI unit
prefixes are listed in the tables 1 and 2

Prefix

Symbol

Function

Divided by

deci

10-1

10

centi

10-2

100

milli

10-3

1000

micro

10-6

1000000

nano

10-9

1000000000

pico

10-12

1000000000000

femto

10-15

1000000000000000

Prefix

Symbol

Function

Multiply by

deca

da

101

10

hector

102

100

kilo

103

1000

mega

106

1000000

Giga

109

1000000000

tera

1012

1000000000000

peta

1015

1000000000000000

The SI standard unit for length is the meter.

A distance of 1m is about the width of an
average doorway.
To express longer distances, the kilometer
(km) is used. One kilometer is equal to
1000 m.
To express shorter distances, the
centimeter (cm) is used. One centimeter is
equal to 1/100 of a meter.
Length can be measured using a meter
stick or rulers.

Mass is a measure of the quantity of matter.

The standard unit for mass is the kilogram
(kg).
The gram (g), which is 1/1000 of a kg is
used for measuring masses of small objects.
Mass is typically measured using a balance.
Mass is different from weight. Weight is a
measure of the gravitational pull on matter
(Newton). The weight of an object increases
as gravity acts on it.

The standard unit of measurement for time is

the second (s).
Time can be measured using stop watches,
clocks, count down timers, and other time
pieces.
Larger amounts of time are measured in
minutes and hours.
There are 60 seconds in one minute. There
are 60 minutes in one hour. Given that there
are 24 hours in one day, how many seconds
are there in one day?

The standard unit of measurement for

temperature is degrees Kelvin (K).
Temperature can also be measured in degrees
Celsius (C) and degrees Fahrenheit (F).
To convert degrees Celsius (C) to degrees
Fahrenheit (F) multiply by 1.8 and then add
32. To convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees
Celsius, subtract 32 and then divide by 1.8
K= C + 273
Temperature is measured using a
thermometer. (measures the degree of heat
or coolness)

Derived units are combinations of base

units. They are produced by multiplying
or dividing standard units. The derived
units we will study include:
Quantity

Quantity
symbol

Unit

Unit
abbreviati
on

Area

square
meter

m2

Volume

cubic
meter

m3

kilograms
per cubic
meter

kg/m3

Density

Volume is the amount of space occupied by

an object. The derived SI unit for volume is
cubic meters. The cubic meter is rather large,
so a more common unit of cubic centimeters
is more commonly used.
Non-SI units are also used to measure volume
such as the milliliter (mL) and the liter (L),
which is 1000 cm3. There are 1000 mL in 1 L.
Beakers, flasks, and graduated cylinders are
often used to determine the volume of liquids.

Density is the ratio of mass to volume,

or mass divided by volume. It can be
written:
density=mass/volume or
D=m/V
Density is a characteristic physical
property of a substance that does not
depend on the size of the sample. As
the mass of an object increases, its
volume increases.