Physical quantities, measurements

&
Units
1. Use of rulers and measuring cylinders to find a length or a volume.
2. Measuring time intervals using clocks and digital timers.
1. Use of rulers and measuring cylinders to find a length or a volume.
2. Measuring time intervals using clocks and digital timers.
3. Determine an average value for a small distance and for a short interval of time
by measuring multiples.
1. Use of rulers and measuring cylinders to find a length or a volume.
2. Measuring time intervals using clocks and digital timers.
3. Determine an average value for a small distance and for a short interval of time
by measuring multiples.
4. Period of oscillation of a pendulum.
1. Use of rulers and measuring cylinders to find a length or a volume.
2. Measuring time intervals using clocks and digital timers.
3. Determine an average value for a small distance and for a short interval of time
by measuring multiples.
4. Period of oscillation of a pendulum.
5. Use of screw gauge to measure very small length.
What is science? Why measurement is important in science?
Science is not only a body of knowledge, but also a way of knowing.
Science begin by observing, measuring and collecting data. These data are
analysed to develop theory. The process is known as scientific method.
What is science? Why measurement is important in science?
Curiosity to know and understand this nature and natural phenomena is the
beginning of discoveries and inventions in humankind
What is science? Why measurement is important in science?
Everything starts with some questions in mind. Why or how it happened? How
to make use of it? How to improve it?
What is science? Why measurement is important in science?
We arrive at an unconfirmed hypothesis on the basis of limited evidence as a
starting point for further investigation. We collect more evidences, conduct
experiments and analyse data to arrive at a conclusion.
What is science? Why measurement is important in science?
A pseudo-science or speculation is set up to look for evidence that supports its
claims. A science is set up to challenge its claims and look for evidence that
might prove it false.
What is science? Why measurement is important in science?
Pseudo-science seeks confirmations and science seeks falsifications. A scientist
is open for discussion and ready to accept new ideas based on evidences.
 A measuring instrument is used to measure a physical quantity.
Measured physical quantities have a numerical magnitude and a unit.

Measuring instruments Physical quantities

Volume Time
Length Mass
Just like the way languages have developed in various parts of the world, many different systems of
measurement have evolved. It is difficult to convert thousands of units in to another. For this reason, scientists
around the world use the “ Systeme International” or SI system of units. There are 7 fundamental units.
Seven fundamental physical quantities
and fundamental units.( SI base units )
Derived physical quantities and derived units
Derived quantities are quantities that are calculated from two or more
measurements. 
Writing very large and very small numbers as
powers of 10. ( Standard notation )
Prefixes used in measurement of length.
 Measuring Length using a meter ruler

What is Parallax Error?
The error/displacement caused in the apparent position
of the object due to the viewing angle that is other than
the angle that is perpendicular to the object.

Repeat measurement several times and

take average to get more accurate result.

The correct way to measure with a ruler

Least count & zero error
• The least count of an instrument is the smallest measurement that
can be taken accurately with it. The least count of the instrument
shown here is 1mm.

• A zero error arises when the measuring instrument does not start

from exactly zero.
Area of regular shapes
The SI unit of area is the square metre (m2)
 Volume of regular
The unit of volume is the cubic metre (m )
3
shapes
Volume of liquids a. Measuring cylinder
Measuring cylinder is used for measuring
volume of liquids.

.
b Burette
A burette is a graduated glass tube with a
tap at one end, for delivering known
volumes of a liquid, especially in titrations.
Volume of irregular shaped dense objects
(Displacement method)
This method involves submerging the object in the water. Sink the
object you want to measure completely in the water.  The water
rose from one level to a higher level when the object was
submerged, the difference in reading is the volume of the object. 

If the object floats, attach a dense, heavy item to it and continue on to

measure the volume of both combined. After you write down that
result, repeat this method with the heavy item alone to find its
volume. Take the combined volume of both items (your first result),
then subtract the heavy item's volume.
Mass of Object
The mass of an object is the measure of the amount of matter in it. The unit of mass is the kilogram (kg).

In the beam balance, the unknown mass on one side is balanced against known masses on the other side.
In the lever balance a system of levers acts against the mass when it is placed in the pan.
A direct reading is obtained from a digital top-pan balance.
Measurement of time
A stopwatch is adequate for finding the period in seconds of a pendulum. Accuracy can
be improved by measuring longer time intervals. Several oscillations (rather than just
one) are timed to find the period of a pendulum.
If a pendulum take 50 seconds
to complete 30 oscillations, then
period T is given by,
T = time for 30 oscillations/ 30
T = 50 S /30 = 1.67 S
Take each measurement multiple
times and find the average to
get more accurate result.
Vernier caliper and screw gauge
A vernier caliper is used to measure:
Thickness of materials, inner and outer diameter of pipes, depth of
pipes etc.
A Screw gauge is used to measure the diameter of thin wires, thickness
of thin metal sheets etc.
Significant figures
Every measurement of a quantity is an attempt to find its true value and is
subject to errors arising from limitations of the apparatus and the experimenter.
The number of figures, called significant figures, given for a measurement
indicates how accurate we think it is and more figures should not be given than
is justified.
For example, if a length measurement gives 114.8 mm while the least count of
instrument is 1 mm, then the first three digits are only reliable so can be
significant figures. Among these digits, there is uncertainty in the last digit but it
is also considered as a significant figure. So the number of significant figures is 4.
Number of significant figures = Number of digits which are certain + one last
digit which is uncertain.
Number of significant figures = Number of digits which are certain + 1
Measurement using two different rulers.
Rules to find significant figures
1. All non-zero numbers are significant. 
The number 24.4 has three significant figures.
2. Zeros between two non-zero digits are significant. 
3075 has four significant figures.
3. Leading zeros are not significant. 
The number 0.54 has only two significant figures. 0.0032 also has two significant figures.
4. Trailing zeros to the right of the decimal are significant.
 There are four significant figures in 92.00
5.Trailing zeros in a whole number with no decimal shown are not significant. 
Writing just "540" indicates that the zero is not significant, and there are only two significant figures in this
value.
6. For a number in scientific notation: N x 10x, all digits comprising N are significant by the above rules;
"10" and "x" are not significant. 
5.02 x 104 has three significant figures for 5.02. Here "10 and "4" are not significant.
Question:
Find the number of significant figures.
Give the number of significant figures in each.
a. 5.87
b. 0.031
c. 52.90
d. 00.2001
e. 500
Answers:
a All three numbers are significant . 5.87, three significant figures
b The leading zeros are not significant .The 3 and the 1 are significant 0.031, two significant figures

c The 5, the 2 and the 9 are significant. The trailing zero is also significant. 52.90, four significant figures

d The leading zeros are not significant . The 2 and the 1 are significant and the 00.2001, four significant figures
middle zeros are also significant.
e The number is ambiguous. It could have one, two or three significant figures. 500, ambiguous
Questions
Give the following numbers to three significant figures:
      654.389
      65.4389
      654,389
      56.7688
      0.03542210
      0.0041032
      45.989
Answers
• 654.389 becomes 654 because the first non-significant digit is 3.
• 65.4389 becomes 65.4.
• 654,389 becomes 654,000 because we need to put the zeros in to hold the place
values.
• 56.7688 becomes 56.8 because the first non-significant digit is 6.
• 0.03542210 becomes 0.0354. Note that three significant figures is not the same as
three decimal places, which would give us 0.035.
• 0.0041032 becomes 0.00410 because the final zero is a significant figure, being the
third in the sequence 4, 1, 0, 3, 2.
• 45.989 becomes 46.0 because we round the third significant digit up from 9 to 10.
This increases the digit, 5, preceding it to 6 and makes the third digit zero.