Units & Dimensions

LECTURE 1
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Units & Dimensions
LECTURE 1
Types of Quantities?
Types of Quantities?
Physical Quantity
A Quantity that can be measured is called as Physical
Quantity. Length, Mass, Velocity, Temperature, Area,
Volume, Density Etc… Measurable Quantities

Non - Physical Quantity

A Quantity that cannot be measured is called as
Non- Physical Quantity. Building, Bus, Room, Road,
Mumbai Etc… Non-Measurable Quantities
 How are physical quantities classified?

Fundamental Quantity Derived Quantity

How are physical quantities classified?
Fundamental Quantity
A physical quantity which does not depend on any
other physical quantity for its measurement.

Derived Quantity

The physical quantities which are expressed in terms

of more than one fundamental quantities.
What are Fundamental Quantities?
What are Fundamental Quantities?
There are 7 fundamental quantities
Fundamental Quantity S.I Unit Symbol
Length Meter m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second s
Temperature Kelvin K
Electric current Ampere A
Luminous intensity Candela Cd
Amount of substance Mole mol

*** Candela is Measure of intensity or brightness of Light.

 What are Fundamental Quantities ?

There are 2 supplementary quantities

Supplementary Quantity S.I unit Symbol
Plane angle Radian rad
Solid angle Steradian sr
Solid Angle Angle inscribed by surface at point is called solid angle.
The Derived Quantities
The Physical quantities that depend upon other physical
quantity for its measurement are known as derived quantities.
The measurement of derived quantities directly depends upon
other quantities. So in order to measure the derived quantity,
one must measure the quantities that it depends upon.
*** Except 7 fundamental quantities, all other quantities are
derived quantities.
The Derived Quantities

Velocity (m/s) ⇒ displacement

Velocity =
time

Acceleration (m/s2) Velocity

⇒ Acceleration =
time

Work (kg-m2/s2) or Joule ⇒ Work = Force x displacement

Pressure ( kg m–1 s–2) or Pascal ⇒ Force

Pressure =
Area
What are units and system of units?

System Length Mass Time

F.P.S. Foot Pound Second

C.G.S. Centimetre Gram Second

M.K.S. Metre Kilogram Second

What are units and system of units?
Unit & the characteristics of a Unit
Unit of a physical quantity is a standard used for
the measurement of that physical quantity.

System of units
A set or collection of Fundamental & Derived Unit
is called as system of unit.
System of Units
CGS Unit
Length Mass Time
Centimeter Gram Second
cm g s
System of Units
MKS Unit
Length Mass Time
Meter Kilogram Second
m kg s
System of Units
FPS Unit
Length Mass Time
Foot Pound Second
ft p s
SI Units: International System of Units

Luminous
intensity
Candela (Cd)
Amount of
Current
substance
Ampere (A)
Mole (mol)

SI units
Temperature Length
Kelvin (K) Meter (m)

Mass Time
Kilogram (kg) Second(s)
 What are dimensions and their symbol ?

Length - m Area - m2 Volume - m3

What are dimensions and their symbol ?
Dimension
Power to which fundamental quantity must be raised in order to obtain
the unit of the given quantity.
Symbol for Dimensions General Form

[LMT] or [MLT ]
[LMTKA] or [MLTKA]
What are dimensions and their symbol ?
Symbol for Dimensions
Fundamental Quantity Dimension Representation

Length [M0L1T0] L
Mass [M1L0T0] M
Time [M0L0T1] T
Temperature [M0L0T0K1A0] K
Electric current [M0L0T0K0A1] A/I

*** Luminous Intensity - C

*** Amount of Substance - mol
How to find dimensions of derived quantities ?
How to find dimensions of derived quantities ?
Dimension of Speed

Step 1 Speed = Distance

Time

[M0L1T0]
Step 2 Speed =
[M0L0T1]

Step 3 Speed = [M0L1T–1]

How to find dimensions of derived quantities?
Dimension of Temperature Gradient

Temp
Step 1 Temp Gradient =
Distance
[M0L0T0K1]
Step 2 Temp Gradient = 0 1 0 0
[M L T K ]

Temp Gradient = [M0 L–

Step 3 1T0K1]
Question Find the dimensions of Area.
A. [M0 L2 T0]
B. [MLT2]
B
C. [M0L0T1]
D. None of these

L
Question Find the dimensions of Area.

Step 1 Area = Length x Breadth

B
Step 2 SI Unit = m x m = m2

Step 3 Dimension = [M0 L2 T0]

L
Question Find the dimensions of Volume

A. [M0 L3 T2]
B. [M2 L2 T0]
C. [M0 L3 T0]
D. [M0 L3 T-1]
h

l
Question Find the dimensions of Volume.

Step 1 Volume = Length x Breadth x Height

Step 2 SI Unit = m x m x m = m3 h
Step 3 Dimension = [M0 L3 T0] l
Question Find the dimension of Density

A. [M1 L–3 T0]

B. [M0 L–1 T1]

C. [M-1 L–3 T0]

D. [M1 L3 T0]
Question Find the dimension of Density.

Mass
Step 1 Density (ρ) =
Volume

[M1 L0 T0]
Step 2 Density (ρ) =
[M0 L3 T0]

Step 3 Density (ρ) = [M1 L–3 T0]

Question Find the dimension of Momentum
A. [M-1 L0 T0]
B. [M0 L–1 T2]
C. [M-2 L–3 T0]
D. [M1 L1 T-1]
How to find dimensions of derived quantities ?
Find the dimension of Momentum.

Step 1 Momentum (p) = Mass x Velocity Distance

Velocity =
Time
Momentum (p) = [M1L0T0] [M0L1T–
Step 2 1] [M0 L1 T0]
Velocity =[M0 L0 T1]

Step 3 Momentum (p) = [M1 L1 T–1]

Question Find the dimensions of Force.

A. [M-1 L0 T0]

B. [M0 L–1 T2]

C. [M-2 L–3 T0]

D. [M1 L1 T-2]
Find the dimensions of Force

Force = Mass × acceleration v2 – v1

= m × a a =
t

Dimensions of Mass = [M1 L0 T0] [M0 L1 T –

= 1]

[M0 L0 T1]
Dimensions of Acceleration = [M0 L1 T–2]

∴ Dimensions of Force = [M1 L0 T0] [M0 L1 T–

2]

Dimensions of Force = [M1 L1 T–2]

Question Find the dimensions of Gravitational Constant.
A. [M1 L–3 T0]
B. [M-1 L3 T-2]
C. [M1 L1 T-2]
D. [M1 L3 T0]
Question Find the dimensions of Gravitational Constant

Formula of gravitational force,

Gm1m2
F =
r2

∴ G = Fr2
m1m2

Where G Universal constant of gravitation

m1,m Masses
2
r Distance between the two masses
Dimensions of Force = [M1 L1 T–2]

Dimensions of Length = [M0 L1 T0]

Dimensions of r2 = [M0 L2 T0]

Dimensions of Mass = [M1 L0 T0]

[M1 L1 T–2] [M0 L2 T0]

∴ Dimensions of G =
[M2 L0 T0]

[M1 L3 T–2]
=
[M2 L0 T0]

Dimensions of G = [M–1 L3 T–2]

Question Find the dimensions of CHARGE.
A. [M0 L0 T1 A1]
B. [M0 L0 T1 A-1]
C. [M-1 L1 T2 A1]
D. None of these
Solution:

Q = Current × time

Q = I × t

Dimensions of Current (I) = [M0 L0 T0 A1]

Dimensions of Time (t) = [M0 L0 T1]

∴ Dimensions of Q = [M0 L0 T0 A1] [M0 L0 T1]

Dimensions of Q = [M0 L0 T1 A1]

Question Find the dimensions of Potential

[M0 L0 T1 A1]
A.
[M1 L2 T-3 A-1]
[M-1 L1 T-1 A1]
None of these

E= q × V
Solution:
Energy (U) = charge (Q) × potential (V)

∴ V = U
Q

Dimensions of U = [M1 L2 T–2]

Dimensions of Q = [M0 L0 T1 A1]

[M1 L2 T–2]
∴ Dimensions of V =
[M0 L0 T1
A1 ]

Dimensions of V = [M1 L2 T–3 A–

1]
Question Find the dimensions of Resistance

A. [M L T A ]
1 0 1 1

[M1 L2 T-3 A-1]

[M1 L2 T-3 A-2]
None of these

V= I × R
Solution: By Ohm’s Law,

Potential
Resistance =
Current
V
R =
I

Dimensions of V = [M1 L2 T–3 A–1]

Dimensions of I = A1

[M1 L2 T–3 A–1]

∴ Dimensions of R =
[M0 L0 T0 A1]

Dimensions of R = [M1 L2 T–3 A–2]

Question Of the following quantities, which one has dimension different
from the remaining two?

A. Energy per unit volume

B. Force per unit area

C. Angular momentum per unit mass

D. All A,B,C are same

Question Of the following quantities, which one has dimension different
from the remaining two?

A. Energy per unit volume

B. Force per unit area

C. Angular momentum per unit mass

D. All A,B,C are same

[energy per unit volume] M1L2T–

= 2 = M1L–1T–2
L3
[force per unit area] M1L1T–2
= = M1L–1T–2
L2
[angular momentum per unit mass] = ML2T–1/ = L2T–1
M1
How are Dimensions useful in Physics?
How are dimensions useful in Physics?
Principle of homogeneity:

⇒ Two quantities in addition or subtraction should have same dimension.

⇒ Quantities on either side of an expression (equation) should have the same
dimension
⇒ Using this principle we can check the correctness of the physical equation
How is Dimensional Analysis used?
How is dimensional analysis used?

Let us perform dimensional analysis on equation

v = u + at
 How is dimensional analysis used?
Equation : v = u + at

L.H.S. R.H.S.

Step-1 Dimension of ‘v’ Dimension of ‘u +at’

Step-2 [M0L1T–1] [M0L1T–1] + [M0L1T–2] [M0L0T1]

Step-3 [M0L1T–1] [M0L1T–1] + [M0L1T–1]

∴ The given physical equation is dimensionally correct

 How is dimensional analysis used?
Let us perform dimensional analysis on equation
v2 = u2 + 2as
 How is dimensional analysis used?
Equation : v2 = u2 + 2as

L.H.S.

Dimensions of Velocity (v) = [M0 L1 T–1]

∴ Dimensions of v2 = [M0 L1 T–1] [M0 L1 T–1]

= [M0 L2 T–2]
How is dimensional analysis used?
Equation : v2 = u2 + 2as

R.H.S.

Dimensions of u2 = [M0 L2 T–2]

Dimensions of a × s = [M0 L1 T–2] [M0 L1 T0]

= [M0 L2 T–2]

∴ The given physical equation is dimensionally correct

Question The relation between velocity and time of a particle is given

B
v =A + + Ct2
t

The units of A, B and C will be

A B C
A m m/s m/s2

B m/s m m/s3

C m/s2 m/s3 m/s4

D m/s m/s2 m/s3

 The relation between velocity and time of a particle is given

B
v =A+ + Ct
t 2

The units of A, B and C will be

Solution:

b) By the principle of homogeneity unit of A,

B and ct2 must be of v.
t
v = A i.e A = m/s
B
v = t ⇒ B = m

v = Ct2 ⇒ C = m/s3
How is dimensional analysis used?
 How is dimensional analysis used?

Uses of dimensional analysis

To find conversion factor between the units of the same

physical quantity in two different systems of units
Question Find conversion factor between SI unit of Force & CGS unit of Force.

Force
SI unit : Newton
CGS unit : Dyne
Q. Find conversion factor between SI unit of Force and CGS unit of
Force
Let 1 Newton = X Dyne Force
SI unit : Newton
CGS unit : Dyne
The dimensions of force = [M1 L1 T–2]

∴ Equation in dimensional form

1 M11 L11 T–2

1
= x M21 L21 T–2
2

– –
M11 L11 T1 M1
1
L1
1
T1
2 2
∴ x = =
– M2 L T
M12 L2 1T2
2 2 2
Q. Find conversion factor between SI unit of Force and CGS unit of
Force
In SI system, In CGS system,
1 1 –2
m kg s
∴ x = cm g s
L m L cm
1 1
M kg M g cm g
= 102 103 (1)–2
T s T s cm g
∴ x = 105

∴ 1 Newton = 105 dyne

Find conversion factor between SI unit of Energy and CGS unit of Energy

Force
SI unit : Joule
CGS unit : Erg
Q. Find conversion factor between SI unit of Energy and CGS unit of
Energy
Let 1 = X erg
Joule Force
The dimensions of energy = [M1 L2 T–2] SI unit : Joule
CGS unit : Erg
∴ Equation in dimensional form

M1 L12T1 –2 = x M2 L22T2 –2

M1 1L1 T2 1 –2

∴ x =
M21 L2 2T2 –2

1 2 –2
M1 L1 T1
=
M2 L2 T2
Q. Find conversion factor between SI unit of Energy and CGS unit of Energy

In SI system, In CGS system,

L m L cm m
2
kg
1
s
–2

M kg M g ∴ x =
cm g s
T s T s
2 1
cm g
= 102 cm 103 g (1)–2

∴ x = 107

∴ 1 Joule = 107erg
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