Chapter 01 Physical Quantities and Units PDF

CAMBRIDGE A LEVEL
PHYSICS
PHYSICAL
QUANTITIES AND
UNITS
L E A R N I N G O U TC O M E S
No.
i
ii
iii
iv
v
LEARNING OUTCOME
Concept of measurement
What qualifies a measurement?
What are the base quantities?
What are derived quantities?
Prefixes and multiples
L E A R N I N G O U TC O M E S
No.
vi
vii
viii
ix
x
LEARNING OUTCOME
The concept of homogeneity
Estimation of physical quantities
Scalar and vector quantities
Adding/subtracting vectors
Resolving vectors
CONCEPT OF
MEASUREMENT
A measurement is the best estimate
of a physical dimension.
Examples:
The height of a person is a measurement.
The time lapse between the beginning and
end of a 100 m race is also a
measurement.
W H AT Q U A L I F I E S A
MEASUREMENT?
To qualify as a measurement, a physical
parameter must have a value
(magnitude) and a unit.
For example, when measuring, these
have a meaning:
32.1 s, 126 kg, 1.25 10-6 m;
but these do not:

32,1, 126, 1.25 10-6
W H AT A R E T H E B A S E
QUANTITIES?
Scientists, to standardise the results of all
scientific work, have agreed on six base
quantities.
These 6 base quantities each have a:
base standard, (to qualify a measurement)
standard unit, and
symbol.
The standard we follow are in accordance with

the Systme International d'Units (SI) standard.
QUANTITIES?
The six base quantities, units and symbols are
listed below.
BASE QUANTITY
STANDARD (SI) UNIT
SYMBOL
Length
meter
Time
second
Mass
kilogram
kg
Electric current
Ampere
Temperature
Kelvin
Amount of substance
mol
mol
QUANTITIES?
We will look at one of the base
quantities, length to further
emphasise the concept of base
quantity, base standard and base
unit:
QUANTITIES?
Base quantity length
Base standard - The metre is the
length of the path travelled by light
in vacuum during a time interval
of 1/299 792 458 of a second.
Base unit metre.
QUANTITIES?
The other base standards are
available at this web - link:
http://www.bipm.org/en/si/base
_units/)
W H AT A R E T H E D E R I V E D
QUANTITIES?
The derived quantities are

physical quantities that
can be expressed as either
products or quotients of
one or more of the 6 base
quantities.
QUANTITIES?
Examples: velocity, potential difference,
density, weight, electrical conductivity
are derived quantities.
Hence, the units for the derived
quantities, therefore, can be written in
terms of products or quotients of any
one or more of the base quantities.
QUANTITIES?
Derivation of the units of

the derived quantities can
be done by using a
definition of the quantity.
QUANTITIES?
Example:

.

Density =
Hence, the unit for
density is the quotient of the unit for
mass to the unit for volume, or unit
for density = kg m-3
P R E F I X E S A N D M U LT I P L E S
Prefixes are used to simplify
presentation of numbers.
For example, it is easier to write 1
MW instead of 1,000,000 W or 1 m
instead of 0.000001 m.
Prefixes are useful to represent physical
quantities that are often too large (like
power, number of atoms) or too small
(like the size of an atom, wavelengths of
visible light.)
Link
to
prefixes:
http://www.bipm.org/en/measurement
-units/prefixes.html
PREFIX
SYMBOL
MULTIPLE
Peta
1015
Tera
1012
Giga
109
Mega
106
kilo
103
hekto
102
deka
da
101
deci
10-1
centi
10-2
mili
10-3
micro
10-6
nano
10-9
pico
10-12
femto
10-15
THE CONCEPT OF
HOMOGENEITY
An equation is homogeneous if the units (SI)
on the left and right hand sides are the same.
Each term on the left hand or right hand side must
have the same units.
Check the homogeneity of the following equations:
a. p mv mu
b. P gh

c.
THE CONCEPT OF
HOMOGENEITY
We can also use our
understanding of homogeneity
to find:
I. units of constants.
II. units of other derived quantities.
THE CONCEPT OF
HOMOGENEITY
It is important to note that an

equation
that
is
homogeneous may not be
physically correct.
THE CONCEPT OF
HOMOGENEITY
This is due to the presence of unit less coefficients.

and
,
Example:
both equations are homogeneous
but only the first equation is
physically correct.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2011, Paper 12, question 2.
EXAMPLES
May/June 2008, Paper 1, question 2.
Recall !
EXAMPLES
Hint: E #$ where:

%&'()* '+'(,-, /
)00 12 134'#%, 5,
$ %'6'()%7(' #&)+,', 8
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2010, Paper 21, question 1
(contd).
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2010, Paper 21, question 1 (contd).
HOMEWORK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Question 1, Paper 2, Oct/Nov 2008.

Question 1, Paper 22, May/June 2009.
HOMEWORK
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

HOMEWORK
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Question 2, Paper 11, May/Jun 2013.

HOMEWORK
25. Question 2, Paper 13, Oct/Nov 2013.
E S T I M AT I O N O F P H Y S I C A L
QUANTITIES
In Physics, it is often required to make
estimates of quantities without making
measurements.
It is a good practice for Physics students
to have good estimates of certain
quantities as will be discussed in the
next slide.
QUANTITIES
Exercise:
Work within your group and without making
any measurements, estimate the following
physical quantities:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
the height of the classroom bench,

the height of person
the length of the classroom
the length of a pencil
QUANTITIES
v. the diameters of a pencil and its lead,
vi. the volume of a brick,
vii. the volume of a drink in a drinking cup,
viii.the masses of a brick, person, and nail,
ix. the time between heartbeats,
x. the period of a pendulum
QUANTITIES
v. the diameters of a pencil and its lead,
vi. the volume of a brick,
vii. the volume of a drink in a drinking cup,
viii.the masses of a brick, person, and nail,
ix. the time between heartbeats,
x. the period of a pendulum
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
HOMEWORK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Oct/Now 2011, Paper 11, question 1.
Oct/Now 2011, Paper 11, question 2.
Oct/Nov 2012, Paper 11m question 3.
HOMEWORK
9. Oct/Nov 2012, Paper 13, question 3.
10.May/Jun 2013, Paper 13, question 3.
11.Oct/Nov 2013, Paper 13, question 1.
SCALAR AND VECTOR

QUANTITIES
SCALAR
Only requires value to

qualify
Can use arithmetic
operations to add or
subtract values
Examples: Temperature,
speed, distance, potential
difference, electric current.
VECTOR
Needs both value

(magnitude) and direction
to qualify
Must use vector addition or
subtraction to add or
subtract
Examples: Velocity,
acceleration, displacement,
electric field, momentum.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2011 Paper 12, Question 3
A DDING V EC TORS
Lets add two coplanar vectors, and 9 (
+
9
9)
:9
A DDING V EC TORS
Note that the head of the first vector ()

must coincide with the tail of the second
vector (9).
The resultant vector is drawn from the tail
of the first vector () to the head of the
second vector (9).
Vector addition is associative, i.e + 9= 9 +

A DDING V EC TORS
Link to applet: Vector Addition
Please use the applet to improve
on your understanding of vector
addition.
S U B T R A C T I N G V E C TO R S
Now lets subtract two coplanar vectors,
and 9 (
- 9)
9

9
9
We can convert subtraction into addition
9 +(
9).
9
9=
The resultant vector is drawn from the tail
of the first vector () to the head of the
second vector (9).
Vector addition is NOT associative, i.e
9 ; 9 .
Well try 9 .

Link to applet: Vector Subtraction
subtraction.
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2011 Paper 12, Question 12
R ESOLV ING V EC TORS

We are often required to resolve a vector
into two components that are mutually
perpendicular to each other.
Resolving vectors depends on the plane of
resolution.
We will look at two types of planes;
horizontal/vertical planes and inclined
planes.

Link to applet: Resolving Vectors
resolving.

F
Fsin
Plane of reference
Fcos
The diagram above shows how a vector can

be resolved into its two components that are
mutually perpendicular to each other.

Note that
<= sin $A :<= cos $A =
since the components are mutually
perpendicular with each other.
Also note that the horizontal and vertical
components are projections(shadows) of
the resultant vector onto the horizontal and
vertical planes respectively.

Plane of reference
v cos
v sin
Another example of vector resolution. Look

carefully at the differences between the two
examples.

An example of resolving vectors for an
inclined plane
plane of reference
W sin
W cos
EXAMPLES
Oct/Nov 2008, Paper 1, Question 3.
EXAMPLES
May/June 2010, Paper 11, Question 5.
HOMEWORK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Oct/Nov 2011 Paper 11, Question 3.

HOMEWORK
9. Oct/Nov 2012, Paper 12, Question 4.
10.Oct/Nov 2012, Paper 12, Question 2.
12.May/Jun 2013, Paper 11, Question 1.

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CAMBRIDGE A LEVEL

but these do not:

The standard we follow are in accordance with

STANDARD (SI) UNIT

The derived quantities are

Derivation of the units of

It is important to note that an

Hint: E #$ where:

Question 1, Paper 2, Oct/Nov 2008.

Question 1, Paper 11, Oct/Nov 2011.

Question 2, Paper 11, May/Jun 2013.

the height of the classroom bench,

May/June 2008, Paper 1, question 1.

SCALAR AND VECTOR

Only requires value to

Needs both value

R ESOLV ING V EC TORS

R ESOLV ING V EC TORS

R ESOLV ING V EC TORS

The diagram above shows how a vector can

R ESOLV ING V EC TORS

R ESOLV ING V EC TORS

Another example of vector resolution. Look

R ESOLV ING V EC TORS

Oct/Nov 2011 Paper 11, Question 3.

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Hint: E #$ where: