Chapter 1.

Physical Quantities and

Measurements
 Subtopic 1.1
Dimension of Physical Quantities
 Learning outcomes.
a) Define Dimension.
b) Determine the dimension of the derived
quantities.
c) Verify the homogeneity of equation using
dimensional analysis.
• Physical quantity is defined as a quantity which can
be measured.

• It can be categorised into 2 types

– Basic (base) quantity
– Derived quantity

• Basic quantity is defined as a quantity which

cannot be derived from any physical quantities.

• Derived quantity is defined as a quantity which can

be expressed in term of base quantity.
Table 1.1 shows all the basic (base)
quantities

Quantity Symbol SI Unit Symbol

Length l metre m

Mass m kilogram kg

Time t second s

Temperature T/ kelvin K

Electric current I ampere A

Amount of substance N mole mol

Luminous Intensity candela cd

Table 1.2 shows some examples of
derived quantity.
Derived quantity Symbol Formulae Unit
Velocity v s/t m s-1

Volume V lwt m3

Acceleration a v/t m s-2

Density  m/V kg m-3

Momentum p mv kg m s-1

Force F ma kg m s-2 @ N

Work W Fs kg m2 s-2 @ J

Unit Prefixes
 It is used for presenting larger and smaller values.

 Table 1.3 shows all the unit prefixes.

Prefix Value Symbol

tera  1012 T
giga  109 G
mega  106 M
kilo  103 k
deci  10-1 d
centi  10-2 c
milli  10-3 m
micro  10-6 
nano  10-9 n
pico  10-12 p
 Dimension
– Definition: technique or method which the physical
quantities can be expressed in terms of a combination of
basic quantities.
– written as [physical quantity]
– Dimension for basic quantities

Basic Quantity Symbol

[mass]@[m] M
[length]@[l] L
[time]@[t] T
[electric current]@[I] I
[temperature]@[T] 
[amount of substance] N
@[N]
SF017
8
 Dimensional Analysis
– Can be used :
• To determine the units  Example 1
• To determine whether an equation is correct or not
dimensionally using the principle of homogeneity

Dimension on the L.H.S. = Dimension on the R.H.S

 Example 2
• To derive a physical equation

– Examples & solutions Example 3

Example 4

SF017 9
 Example 1
• Area  Area = length x width
[Area] = [length] x [width]
= [l] x [l]
=LxL
[Area] = L2
The S.I.unit for Area  m2
• Force  force = mass x acceleration
[force] = [mass] x [acceleration]
= (M) x (L T-2)
[force] = M L T-2
The S.I.unit for force  kg m s-2 @ Newton(N)
• Linear momentum  P = mv
[P] = [m] [v]
= M L T-1
The S.I.unit for linear momentum  kg m s-1

SF017 10
 Example 2
a. v2 = vo2 + 2as
Dimension on the left  [v2] = (L T-1)2 = L2 T-2
Dimension on the right [vo2] = (L T-1)2 = L2 T-2
&
[2as] = [2] x [a] x [s]
= 1 x L T-2 x L
[2as] = L2 T-2
• Dimension for dimensionless constant is 1,
• e.g [2] = 1, [refractive index] = 1
• Dimensions cannot be added or subtracted.
– Dimension on the L.H.S. = Dimension on the R.H.S.
and therefore is homogeneous
• The above equation is correct dimensionally.

SF017 11
 Example 2
b. v = vo + 2as
[v] = L T-1
[vo] = L T-1 & [2as] = L2 T-2
[2as] ≠ [vo] = [v] therefore is not homogeneous and hence
equation (b) is dimensionally incorrect.
• The validity of an equation cannot determined by dimensional analysis.
• The validity an equation can only be determined by experiment

SF017 12
 Example 3
• Derive the unit of (eta) in term of basic unit for the equation below:
dv
F  A
dx
where F is the force, A is the area, v is the velocity and x is the distance.

Solution
Fdx

Adv
   F dx
Adv
( MLT  2 )( L)
 2
( L )( LT 1 )
   ML1T 1
the unit for  is kg m-1 s-1

SF017
13
 Example 4
• A sphere of radius r and density  falls in a liquid of density d. It achieved
a terminal velocity v given by the following expression:
v  kr 2 d   
where k is a constant. What is the dimension of k?
Solution
v
k=
r 2 (d ρ)
[v]
[k ] = 2
[r ] [(d ρ)]

[k ] = 2
(LT 1 )
3 where [d] = [ρ]
(L) (ML )
[k ] = L2 M 1T 1
SF017
14
1.2 Scalar and Vector
 Learning outcomes
a) Define scalar and vector
b) Resolve vector into two perpendicular component
(x and y axis)
c) Illustrate unit vector (𝑖, 𝑗, 𝑘) in Cartesian
coordinate
d) State the physical meaning of dot(scalar) product
e) State the physical meaning of cross(vector)
product

Note : Direction of vector is determine by the

corkscrew method of right hand rules
• Scalar quantity is defined as a quantity with
magnitude only.
– e.g. mass, time, temperature, pressure, electric
current, work, energy and etc.
– Mathematics operational : ordinary algebra

• Vector quantity is defined as a quantity with both

magnitude & direction.
– e.g. displacement, velocity, acceleration, force,
momentum, electric field, magnetic field and etc.
– Mathematics operational : vector algebra
 Vectors

Vector A Length of an arrow– magnitude of vector A

Direction of arrow – direction of vector A

• Table 1.6 shows written form (notation) of vectors.

displacement velocity acceleration

  
s v a
s v a
s (bold) v (bold) a (bold)
Table 1.6
• Notation of magnitude of vectors. 
v v

18
a a
 • Two vectors equal if both magnitude and direction
are the same.

Q
  
P PQ

• If vector A is multiplied
 by a scalar quantity k
– Then, vector A is kA 
kA

A

A
• if k = +ve, the vector is in the same direction as vector A.
• if k = - ve, the vector is in the opposite direction of vector A.
19
 Resolving a Vector

• 1st method :  2nd method :

y y

 
 D   D 
Dy Dy

0
 x
0  x
Dx Dx
Dx Dx
 cos θ  Dx  D cos θ  sin   Dx  D sin 
D D
Dy Dy
 sin θ  D y  D sin θ  cos   D y  D cos 
D D
20
 • The magnitude of vector D :

D or D  Dx 2
 
 Dy
2

• Direction of vector D :
Dy 1 Dx
tan   or   tan
Dx Dy

• Vector D in terms of unit vectors written as


D  Dx iˆ  D y ˆj
21
Example 1 : y

F2 (30 N )

F1 (10 N )
45o 20
x
30o O


F3 (40 N )

The figure above shows three forces F1, F2 and F3 acted on a particle
O. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the resultant force on
particle O.

22
 y
Solution :

 
 F1 y F1
F3 x
 
20
x
30o O 45o F1 x F2 x

 F
F3  3y

F2 y F2
    
Fr

 F  F1  F2  F3
 
Fr


Fx 
 
Fy

 Fx

 F1 x  F2 x  F3 x
  
 Fy  F1 y  F2 y  F3 y 23
 Solution :

Vector x-component y-component

 F1 x  F1 cos 20 
F1 y  F1 sin 20 

F1 F1 x  10 cos 20  F1 y  10 sin 20
F1 x  9.40 N F1 y  3.42 N
 F2 x  30 cos 45  F2 y  30 sin 45 
F2  21.2 N
F2 x  21.2 N F2 y
 F3 x  40 cos 30  F3 y  40 sin 30 
F3
F3 x  34.6 N F3 y  20.0 N

F x  9.40  21.2   34.6  Fy  3.42   21.2   20.0

Vector
sum
F x  4.00 N F y  37.8 N

24
Solution :
Resultant force in unit vector form:


Fr  4.00 iˆ  37.8 ˆj N 
The magnitude of the resultant force is

Fr   F    F 
x
2
y
2

Fr   4.00   37.8
2 2
y
Fr  38.0 N  264
and its direction is
 Fx
x
O

  tan 1 F y 84.0

F x  Fy
37.8 
  tan 1
Fr
4.00
  84 below negative x-axis @ 264 25
Introduction to three perpendicular components (3-D)
 ˆ)  (4, 3, 2) m
s  ( x, y, z )  (iˆ, ˆ
j, k
 
s  4iˆ  3 ˆj  2kˆ m y/m


s
x/m
0 4

z/m
26
 Multiplication of Vectors
Scalar (dot) product
• The physical meaning of the scalar
 product can be explained by
considering two vectors A and B as shown in figure 1.3a.

A
Figure 1.3a 

B 
 shows
– Figure 1.3b the projection of vector B onto the direction of
vector A.
 

 
A  B  A component of B parallel to A



A A
Figure 1.3b B cos θ


Figure 1.3c

B 
 Acos θ B
–  shows
Figure 1.3c the projection of vector A onto the direction of

27
vector B.
 
 
A  B  B component of A parallel to B


 • From the figure 1.3b, the scalar product can be defined as
 
A  B  AB cos θ 
meanwhile from the figure 1.3c,
 
B  A  B A cos θ 
where θ : angle between tw o vectors
• The scalar product is a scalar quantity.
• The angle  ranges from 0 to 180 .
– When 
0  θ  90 scalar product is positive
90   θ  180 scalar product is negative
θ  90  scalar product is zero
• The scalar product obeys the commutative law of multiplication i.e.
   
A B  B  A

28
 • Example of scalar product is work done by a constant force where the
expression is givenby

W  F  s  F s cosθ   sF cosθ 
• The scalar product of the unit vectors are shown below :
y
iˆ  iˆ  i 2 cos 0 o  1 1  1
2

ˆj  ˆj  j 2 cos 0 o  12 1  1

kˆ  kˆ  k 2 cos 0 o  1 1  1
2
ĵ
x
k̂
iˆ iˆ  iˆ  ˆj  ˆj  kˆ  kˆ  1
z
iˆ  ˆj  11cos 90 o  0
ˆj  kˆ  11cos 90 o  0 iˆ  ˆj  ˆj  kˆ  iˆ  kˆ  0
29
iˆ  kˆ  11cos 90 o  0
Example 1 :
 
Calculate A  B

a) A  iˆ  2 ˆj  3kˆ
B  2iˆ  ˆj  5kˆ

30
Solution :
 
A  B  1 2iˆ  iˆ  2 1 ˆj  ˆj   35kˆ  kˆ
a)

 
A  B  2  2  15
 
A  B  19

31
 Vector (cross) product 
• Consider two vectors : A  xiˆ  yˆj  zkˆ

B  piˆ  qˆj  rkˆ
• In general, the vector product is defined as
and its magnitude is given by   
A B  C
    
A  B  C  A B sin θ  AB sin θ

where θ : angle between tw o vectors

• The angle  ranges from 0 to 180  so the vector product always
positive value.
•  quantity.
Vector product is a vector
• The direction of vector C is determined by

RIGHT-HAND RULE
32
 • For example:
– How to use right hand rule :
• Point the 4 fingers to the direction of the 1 st vector.
• Swept the 4 fingers from the 1st vector towards the 2nd vector.
• The thumb shows the direction of the vector product.
   
C A B  C 
B

 A 
B C   
 B A  C
     

 

A
A B  B  A but A  B   B  A

– Direction of the vector product (C ) always
 perpendicular to the
plane containing the vectors A and B.
33
 • The vector product of the unit vectors are shown below :
y
iˆ  ˆj   ˆj  iˆ  kˆ
ˆj  kˆ  kˆ  ˆj  iˆ
ĵ
k̂
x kˆ  iˆ  iˆ  kˆ  ˆj
iˆ
iˆ  iˆ  i 2 sin 0 o  0
z
ˆj  ˆj  j 2 sin 0 o  0 iˆ  iˆ  ˆj  ˆj  kˆ  kˆ  0
kˆ  kˆ  k 2 sin 0 o  0
• Example of vector product is a magnetic force on the straight
conductor carrying current places in magnetic field where the
 
 
expression is given by 
F  I l B
34 F  IlB sin θ
1.3 Significant figures and
uncertainties analysis
 Learning outcomes
a) State the significant figures of a given number
b) Use the rules for stating the significant figures at the
end of a calculation (addition, subtraction, multiplication
and division)
c) Determine the uncertainty of the average value and
derived quantities
d) Calculate basic combination (propagation) of
uncertainties
e) State the sources of the uncertainty in the result of
experiment (will be covered during experimental
session)
f) Draw a linear graph and determine its y-intercept and
respective uncertainties
For further understanding or reading
please refer to Lab Manual.