PHY145

FUNDAMENTAL OF
PHYSICS
CHAPTER 1
Units and
Measurements
Prepared by:
Asmawati @ Fatin Najihah Binti Alias
UiTM Caw. Johor Kampus Pasir Gudang
LESSON CONTENT

1.1 Units
1.2 Physical Quantities
1.2.1 Basic Quantities
1.2.1 Derived Quantity
1.3 Unit Prefixes
1.4 Conversion of Units
LESSON OUTCOMES

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

• describe physical quantities.

• differentiate base and derived quantities with their
respective SI units.
• State dimensional and homogeneity of dimensions.
• understand unit prefixes in measurements.
• perform conversion in metric units into SI units.
 Measurements

Used to describe natural phenomena

Needs defined standards
Characteristics of standards for measurements

• Readily accessible
• Possess some property that can be measured
reliably
• Must yield the same results when used by anyone
anywhere
▪ Cannot change with time
What can you say about this
picture?
4
Physical Quantities…..
 1.2 PHYSICAL
QUANTITIES
• Anything that can be measured is called physical quantity.
• Physical quantity is a quantity that consists of numerical value and unit.
• Without anyone of them, the physical quantity is not completely
written.
• Physical quantity can be grouped into two types:
Base quantity
Derived quantity

Physical quantity

Base Derived
quantity quantity
 1.2.1 BASE
QUANTITIES
Base quantity is a fundamental of all physical quantities.

• It cannot be derived from any physical quantities.

Quantity SI Unit Symbol
Length meter m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
Current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Amount of substance mole mol
Intensity candela cd
 1.2.2 DERIVED
QUANTITIES
Quantity is a quantity constructed from the combination
of several base quantities.

• It can be obtained and expressed in terms of base quantities.

Derived quantity Combination SI Unit

Velocity Length and Time ms-1
Acceleration Length and Time ms-2
Force Mass, Length and Time kgms-2, N
Pressure Mass, Length and Time kgm-1s-2,
Pa, Nm-2
Frequency Time s-1, Hz
 BASIC COMBINATION DERIVED
QUANTITIES OF QUANTITI
QUANTITIES ES
Length (Length)2 Area(m2)

Length (Length)3 Volume(m3)

Length, time Length/time Speed(ms-1)

Length, time Length/(time)2 Acceleration(ms-2)

Length, mass Mass/(length)3 Density(kgm-3)

Mass, time (Mass x Force(kgms-2)

length)/(time)2
 SEVERAL APPARATUS TO MEASURE
PHYSICAL QUANTITIES

Thermometer Voltmeter/Ammeter

Stop watch
Ruler tape

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 Example 1:
Derive the SI unit for the force quantity in terms of the units for basic
quantities.

Solution: Force=massacceleration
=mass velocity
time
length
=mass time
time
= masslength
time2
= kg2m
s
=kgms −2

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 Exercises 1.1:

Derived the unit for the following physical quantities:

i. Velocity
ii. Acceleration
iii. Momentum
iv. Tension
v. Frequency

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 1.3 UNIT PREFIX
• Prefix is a method to shorten the large value in SI unit.
• It is written in the following form (so-called standard
scientific notation):

a × 10b
• For example:
• An electron’s mass is about 0.000 000 000 000 000 000
000 000 000 000 910 938 22 kg.
• In scientific notation, this is written 9.1093822×10−31 kg.
• This also can be determine by using
calculator.
-If want find 1 Tera? T
-Enter 1 shift 9 =
REMEMBER: WE USE POWER
OF TEN TO REPRESENT
PREFIX
EXAMPLE 1.2
1. Convert,
(a) 20.5 kJ to J (b) 0.65 nm to m

Solution:
(a) 20.5 kJ to J
1k =1000or103
=20.51000J
=20500or2.05104 J
(b) 0.65 nm to m
1n = 0.000000001
or10−9
= 0.6510−9 m
= 6.510−10 m
2. Convert,
(a) 3560 J to kJ (b) 35.60 J to kJ
(c) 0.000006 m to μm (d) 0.0000006 m to μm
(e) 6 m to μm

Solution:

(a) 3560 J to kJ
=3560J
=3560J 103
=3.560k J
(b) 35.60 J to kJ
=35.60J
=35.60103
= 0.0356k J
 EXERCISE 1.2:

1. Convert
(a) 350 MHz to Hz (b) 25 nm to m
(c) 6 μA to A (d) 30 kJ to J
(e) 0.255 s to ms (f) 265,500,000 W to GW
(g) 2000 J to kJ

2. The thickness of a film is 30 nm. What is the thickness in

unit meter.
 1.4 UNIT CONVERSION
• A physical quantity can be measured using
standard size of measurement called unit.
• For example: meter (m), kilogram (kg), etc.
• This unit is called SI unit.

• Examples :
▪ 1 second is defined as the time required for 9,192,631,770
vibrations of radiation emitted by a caesium-133 atom
▪ 1 kilogram is defined as the mass of a platinum-iridium
cylinder kept at International Bureau of Weights and
Measures Paris.
 1.4 UNIT CONVERSION

• System of units can be classified based on:

mks (metric system) – meter, kilogram, second

1 m = 100 cm 1 kg = 1000 g

cgs (derived from metric system) – centimeter, gram, second

1 ft = 12 in 1 in = 2.54 cm
• The other standard size of unit is called fps (British Engineering
System) – foot, pound, second

1 kg = 2.2 Ib
 List of Conversion Factors
Quantity Conversion Factor
Length 1 km = 1000 m = 103m
1 m = 100 cm
1 ft = 0.3048 m = 30.48 cm
1 in = 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm
1 m = 39.37 in = 3.281 ft
Mass 1 kg = 1000 g
1 metric ton = 103 kg
1 slug = 14.59 kg
Time 1 h = 60 min
1 min = 60 s
1 h = 3600 s
Force 1 N = 105 dyne
1.4 Conversion of Unit
 The conversion factors between SI and British units for length,
mass and force.

LENGTH MASS FORCE

1 m = 39.37 in = 1 kg = 103 g 1 N = 0.2248 lb =

3.281 ft 105 dyne
1 in = 2.54 cm 1 slug = 14.59
kg
1 ft = 0.3048 m = 1 lb =
12 in 0.453592 kg
1 mi = 1609 m 1 metric ton =
103 kg
O

1 angstrom ( A) =
10-10 m
Convert the following unit, 45 cm = ? km

Solution:
• Step 1: Identify how many physical quantities involved.
In this example, it involves only one physical unit; i.e cm into km.
• Step 2: Determine what unit is going to be converted.
cm into km.
• Step 3: List all equivalent units to be used in conversion.
1 m = 100 cm
1 km = 1000 m
• Step 4: Perform your conversion by cancelling upper and lower unit accordingly.
• STEP 4: PERFORM YOUR CONVERSION BY CANCELLING
UPPER AND LOWER UNIT ACCORDINGLY.

45 cm = ? km
 1 m  1 km 
45 cm = 45 cm  
 100 cm  1000 m 
 45 cm = 4.510−4 km
4. Convert the following quantity:
3 km = ? m – Identify how many physical quantities
involved.
– Determine what unit is going to be
converted.
Solution – List all equivalent units to be used in
conversion.
– Perform your conversion by cancelling
upper and lower unit accordingly.

 1000 m 
3 km = 3 km  
 1 km 
 3 km = 3000 m
 • If your conversion involving more than one physical
quantity and power.
• Example:

20 kg.m-3 = ? g.cm-3
• Step 1: Identify how many physical quantities involved.
In this example, it involves only two physical units; (i.e kg
into g and m3 in cm3).
• Step 2: Determine what unit is going to be converted.
kg into g and m3 into cm3.

• Step 3: List all equivalent units to be used in conversion.

1 kg = 1000 g
1 m = 100 cm
• Step 4: Perform your conversion by cancelling upper and lower unit accordingly.
• Step 4: Perform your conversion by cancelling upper and lower unit accordingly.

kg g
20 3 = ?
m cm3
kg 
kg 1000 g   (1) 3 m3 
20 3 = 20 3   
m m  1 kg  (100)3 cm3 
kg
 20 3 = 0.02 g.cm−3
m
 Unit Conversion -Method

Solve the following problems of unit conversion.

a. 30 mm2 = ? m2 b. 865 km h-1 = ? m s-1
c. 300 g cm-3 = ? kg m-3 d. 17 cm = ? in
e. 24 mi h-1 = ? km s-1
Solution :

(1mm) =(10 m)
a. 30 mm2 = ? m2
2 −3 2

1mm2 =10−6 m2
30 mm 2 = 30  10 −6 m 2 or 3.0 10 −5 m 2
b. 865 km h-1 = ? m s-1 865103m
1st method :
865kmh =−1

 1h 
−1 
3 
865kmh = 
865 10 m
 3600 s 
865 km h −1 = 240 m s −1
2nd method :
865kmh−1 = 865km1000
m 1h 
 
 1h  1km  3600
s 

865kmh−1 = 865km1000

m 1h 
 
 1h  1km  3600 s
865 km h −1 = 240 m s −1

c. 300 g cm-3 = ? kg m-3

 EXERCISE 1.3:
3. Convert,
(a) 365 mm to km (b) 44 kg to g
(c) 45 cm to km (d) 20 kg to g
(e) 0.02 mm to m (f) 0.44 s to hr
(g) 500 mm to km

4. Convert,
(a) 205 cm3 to m3 (b) 0.40 mm2 to m2
(c) 200 cm2 to m2 (d) 0.25 cm3 to m3
(e) 20 cm3 to m3 (f) 0.01 cm2 to m2

5. Convert,
(a) 33 kmh-1 to ms-1
(c) 25 m/s to km/h
(e) 0.15 ms-1 to kmh-1
(g) 59 gm-3 to kgm-3
(b) 0.40 g/m-3 to kg/m-3
(d) 25 kmh-1 to ms-1
(f) 35 km/s to m/s
(h) 20 kgm-3 to gcm-3