MODULE OF INSTRUCTION___________________NSCI-6100 PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS 1

SI UNITS

Course Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the module, the students will be able to:

1. Identify the SI Units.

2. Know the four basic physical quantities of SI units.
3. Understand the use of the four basic physical quantities of SI units.

SI

The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French language

name Systéme International d’Unités) is the modern, revised form of the metric system.
It is the world’s most widely used system of units, both in everyday commerce and in
science. The SI was developed in 1960 from the metre-kilogram-second (CGS)system,
which, in turn, had many variants. At its development the SI also introduced several
newly named units that were previously not a part of the metric system.

The SI units for the four basic physical quantities: length, time, mass, and
temperature are:

1. Metre (m) :SI unit of length

2. second (s) :SI unit of time

3. kilogram (kg) :SI unit of mass

4. kelvin (K) :SI unit of temperature

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There are two types of SI units, based and derived units. Base units are the simple
measurements for time, length, mass, temperature, amount of substance, electricity
current and light intensity. Derived units are made up of base units, for example, density
is kg/m3.

LENGTH

The standard unit of length is the metric system is the meter. Other units of
length and their equivalents in meter are as follows:

1 millimeter= 0.001 meter

1 centimeter=0.01 meter

1 decimeter=0.1 meter

1 kilometer=1000 meter

We symbolize the length as follows:

1 millimeter= 1 mm

1 centimeter=1 cm

1 meter=1 m

1 decimeter=1 dm

1 kilometer=1 km

For reference, 1 meter is a little longer than 1 yard or 3 feet. It is about half the
weight of a very tall adult. A centimeter is nearly the diameter of a dime, a little less
than half an inch. A millimeters is about the thickness of a dime.

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VOLUME

The standard unit of volume in the metric system is the liter. One litter is equal
to 1000 cubic centimeters in volume. Other units of volume and their equivalents in
liters are as follows:

1 milliliter= 0.001 liter

1 centiliter=0.01 liter

1 deciliter=0.1 liter

1 kiloliter=1000 liter

From these units, we see that 1000 milliliters equal 1 liter; so 1 milliliter equals 1
cubic centimeter in volume. We symbolize these volumes as follows:

1 milliliter= 1 ml

1 centiliter=1 cl

1 deciliter=1 dl

1 liter= 1 l

1 kiloliter=1 kl

For reference, 1 liter is a little more than 1 quart. One teaspoon equals about 5
milliliters.

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MASS

The standard unit of mass in the metric system is the gram. Other units of mass
and their equivalents in grams are as follows:

1 milligram= 0.001 gram 1 milligram= 1 mg

1 centigram=0.01 gram 1 centigram=1 cg
1 decigram=0.1 gram 1 decigram=1 dg
1 kilogram=1000 gram 1 kilogram=1 kg
1 liter= 1 g

For reference, 1 gram is about the mass of a paper clip. One kilogram is about
the mass of a liter of water.

TIME

The following conversions are useful when working with time:

1 minute = 60 seconds

1 hour =60 minutes = 3600 seconds

1 day = 24 hours

1 week = 7 days

1 year = 365 ¼ days (for the Earth to travel around the sun)

In practice, every three calendar years will have 365 days, and every fourth year
is a “leap year”, which has 366 days, to make up for the extra quarter day over four
years. The years 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 are all leap years. This gives us a total of 52
complete 7 day weeks in each calendar year, with 1 day left over (or 2 in a leap year).

The year is divided into 12 months, each of which has 30 or 31 days, except for
February, which has 28 days (or 29 days in a leap year).

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TEMPERATURE

Temperature is expressed in degrees Celsius in the metric system. The boiling

point of water (at sea level) is 100°Celsius or 100°C. The freezing point of water is 0°
Celsius. A hot day is about 30° Celsius.

LENGTH CONVERSION

Metric length units include the meter, the kilometer (1000 meters), the
decimeter (0.1 meters), the centimeters (0.01 meters), the millimeter (0.001 meters),
the micron (0.000001 meters), the nanometer (0.000000001 or le-9 meters), and the
angstrom (0.0000000001 or le-10 meters).

British and American length units include the foot, the yard (3 feet), the furlong
(660 feet), the mile (5,280 feet), the league (15,840 feet), and the inch (1/12th foot).

Length Conversion Table

Metric Units English Units

Kilometers Meters Millimeters Inches Feet Yards Miles
1 1,000 1,000,000 39,370 3,281 1,094 0.6214
0.001 1 1,000 39.37 3.281 1.094 0.0006214
0.000001 0.001 1 0.03937 0.003281 0.001094 6.214e-7

0.0000254 0.0254 25.4 1 0.08333 0.02778 0.00001578

0.0003048 0.3048 304.8 12 1 0.3333 0.0001894
0.0009144 0.9144 914.4 36 3 1 0.0005682
1.609 1,609 1,609,000 63,360 5280 1,760 1

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VOLUME CONVERSION

Metric volume units include the liter, the dekaliter (10 liters), the hectoliter (100
liters), the deciliter (0.1 liters), the centiliter (0.01 liters), the milliliter (0.001 liter), and
the microliter (0.000001 liters. A liter is equivalent to 1 cubic deciliter).

Liquid measure units commonly used in the USA include the fluid ounce, the pint
(16 fluid ounces), the quart (32 fluid ounces), the gallon (128 fluid ounces), and the
petroleum barrel (5,376 fluid ounces). A gallon is equivalent to 231 cubic inches.

Volume Conversion Table (Liquid Measure)

Metric Units U.S. Liquid Measure Units

Liters Milliliters Fluid Ounces Quarts Gallons

1 1,000 33.81 1.057 0.2642
0.001 1 0.03381 0.001057 0.0002642

0.02957 29.57 1 0.03125 0.007813

0.9464 946.4 32 1 0.25
3.785 3785 128 4 1

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Dry measure units commonly used in the USA include the bushel, the peck (0.25
bushels), the gallon (0.125 bushels), the quart (0.03125 bushels), the pint (0.01562
bushels), and the gill (0.003906 bushels). A bushel is equivalent to 2150 cubic inches.

Volume Conversion Table (Dry Measure)

Metric Units U.S. Dry Measure Units

Liters Milliliters Quarts Pecks Bushels
1 1,000 0.9081 0.1135 0.02838
0.001 1 0.0009081 0.0001135 0.00002838

1.101 1101 1 0.125 0.03125

8.81 8810 8 1 0.25
35.24 35,240 32 4 1

WEIGHT CONVERSION

Metric weight units include the gram, the kilogram (1000 grams), the tonne
(1,000,000 grams), the carat (0.2 grams), the centigram (0.01 grams), the milligram
(0.001 grams), and the microgram (0.000001 grams).

Avoirdupois weight units commonly used in the USA include the pound, the
stone (14 pounds), the short hundredweight (100 pounds), the short ton (2000 pounds),
the ounce (1 1/16th pound), the dram (1/256th pound), and the grain (1/7000th pound).

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Weight Conversion Table

Metric Units Avoirdupois Units

Tonnes Kilograms Grams Ounces Pounds Short Tons
1 1,000 1,000,000 35,270 2,205 1.102
0.001 1 1,000 35.27 2.205 0.001102
0.000001 0.001 1 0.03527 0.002205 1.102e-6

0.00002835 0.02835 28.35 1 0.0625 0.00003125

0.0004536 0.4536 453.6 16 1 0.0005
0.0004536 907.2 907,200 32,000 2,000 1

Reference:

COMMITTEE ON PYHSICS (1962). College Pyhsics. Quezon City Philippines, :Royal

Publishing house, INC.
Robert L. W., Kenneth V. M., Marsh W. W., George A. W. College Physics(5th ed.).
McGraw-Hill Book Company.
Jeffrey W. S.( 2009). Calculus-Based Physics I. Orange Grove Texts Plus

Raymond A. S., John W. J., Physics for Scientist and Engineers(6th ed.). Brooks/Cole Pub.
Co.

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