WMSU-ISMP-GU-003.

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GENERAL PHYSICS 1
Module in Grade 12 STEM

Instructor
Glory Mae A. Varona

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MEASUREMENT
Module 1

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MEASUREMENT

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Introduction

Physics deals with the interaction of matter, force and energy. It is

traditionally divided into classical and modern physics. The main branches
of classical physics are mechanics, heat, thermodynamics, optics,
electricity and magnetism, and wave motion and sound. Nuclear physics,
general and special relativity, particle physics and quantum mechanics are
some of the major areas in
modern physics.

Physics usually involves experiments to support, refute, or validate a hypothesis or a theory.

These experiments require measurement.

Objectives

At the end of this activity, you should be able to:

1. Convert units from one system to another.

2. Differentiate fundamental quantities from derived quantities.
3. Define measurement and identify the two systems of units.
4. Express small and large numbers in scientific notation.

Concepts

1. Measurement is the process of comparing something with a standard.

To carry out measurements, a system of standards and a system of
units should be defined. We have two systems of units: the metric
system and the English system.

2. Physics is an experimental science. Physicists perform experiments to test hypotheses.

Conclusions in experiment are derived from measurements. Physicists use numbers to
describe measurements. Such a number is called a physical quantity.

3. However, a physical quantity would make sense to everyone when compared to a

reference standard. For example, when one says, that his or her height is 1.5 m, this
means that one’s height is 1.5 times a meter stick (or a tape measure that is 1-m long).
The meter stick is here considered to be the reference standard. Thus, stating that one’s
height is 1.5 is not as informative.

4. Since 1960 the system of units used by scientists and engineers is the “metric system”,
which is officially known as the “International System” or SI units (abbreviation for its
French term, Système International).

5. To make sure that scientists from different parts of the world understand the same thing
when referring to a measurement, standards have been defined for measurements of
length, time, and mass.

6. Length – 1 meter is defined as the distance travelled by light in a vacuum in

1/299,792,458 second. Based on the definition that the speed of light is exactly
299,792,458 m/s.
7. Time – 1 second is defined as 9,192,631,770 cycles of the microwave radiation due to
the transition between the two lowest energy states of the Cesium atom. This is
measured from an atomic clock using this transition.

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8. Mass – 1 kg is defined to be the mass of a cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy at the

International Bureau of Weights and Measures.

9. The International System of Units, abbreviated SI, is the modern form of the metric
system.

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10. A few countries continue to use the British or English system of units. However, the
conversion between the English system of units and SI units is possible.

Using prefixes, conversions between units can be devised. For example:

1kg = 1000g

On the left hand side the prefix is used. On the right hand side the prefix is replaced with the
multiplication factor.

1mg = 0.001g
On the left hand side the prefix is used. On the right hand side the prefix is replaced with the
multiplication factor.

To make the conversion friendlier to use, multiply both sides by 1000 (Why 1000? Because
milli means one thousandth and one thousand thousandths make one whole), so 1000mg =
1g.

11. Physical quantities may either be fundamental or derived. Fundamental units of

measurements are kilograms, meters, and seconds—in regards to mass length, and time.
Derived units can be expressed in terms of fundamental units, such as acceleration,
area, energy, force, power, velocity and volume. 

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12. Scientific notation is a convenient way of expressing large and small numbers. For
example, 650,000,000 can be written in scientific notation as 6.5 ✕ 10^8. Instead of
writing 0.0000000056, we write 5.6 x 10-9 . We can think of 5.6 x 10-9 as the product of two
numbers: 5.6 (the digit term) and 10-9 (the exponential term).

10000 = 1 x 104 24327 = 2.4327 x 104

1000 = 1 x 103 7354 = 7.354 x 103
100 = 1 x 102 482 = 4.82 x 102
10 = 1 x 101 89 = 8.9 x 101 (not usually done)
1 = 100
1/10 = 0.1 = 1 x 10-1 0.32 = 3.2 x 10-1 (not usually done)
1/100 = 0.01 = 1 x 10-2 0.053 = 5.3 x 10-2
1/1000 = 0.001 = 1 x 10-3 0.0078 = 7.8 x 10-3
1/10000 = 0.0001 = 1 x 10-4 0.00044 = 4.4 x 10-4

As you can see, the exponent of 10 is the number of places the decimal point must
be shifted to give the number in long form. A positive exponent shows that the decimal point
is shifted that number of places to the right. A negative exponent shows that the decimal
point is shifted that number of places to the left.

Practice Exercise

1. Express the following in scientific notation.

a. The speed of light is approximately 300 000 000 m/s.

Solution: 300 000 000 m/s = 3 x 108 m/s

b. The mass of a strand of hair is approximately 0.000 000 62 kg.

Solution: 0.000 000 62 kg = 6.2 x 10-7 kg

2. Conversion of units

a. Let's start with a simple example: convert 3 km to m (3 kilometers to meters). There are
1000 m in 1 km, so the conversion is easy, but let's follow a system.

1000 m = 1 km 

3 km x 1000 m / 1 km

Cancel the unit km then multiply 3 by 1000

So, 3 km equals 3000 m.

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b. What is 60 mph (miles per hour) in m/s (meters per second) ?

60 mile / h × 1609 m / mile × 1 h / 3600 s

= 60 × 1609 mile · m · h3600 h · mile · s

= 26.82 m/s

Here are two other examples:

Source: ELTS General Physics 1, p. 9 by Angelina Silverio

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WORKSHEET #1

A. Fundamental and Derived Units

Quantity Fundamental or Symbol of SI Unit Symbol of SI

Derived? Quantity unit
Length
Mass
Time
Temperature
Electric Current
Luminous Intensity
Amount of Substance
Speed
Acceleration
Force
Weight

B. Express the following in scientific notation.

a) 0.000 646

b) 5 430 000

c) The diameter of the Sun is 1 391 400 km

d) Speed of Light is 299 792 458 m/s

e) Distance of Earth from the Sun is 149 597 870 700 m

f) Size of bacteria is 0.0005 m

g) Diameter of Proton is 0.000 000 000 001mm

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C. Convert a density of 2.79 g/cm3 to kg/m3

D. Convert 80 km/hr to m/s.

E. Convert 60 km/hr2 to m/s2.

F. One light-year (ly) is the distance traveled by light in a year. Convert one light-year to meters using
3 x 108 m/s for the speed of light. (Hint: d = vt)

G. What is your height in feet and inches? Convert your height (in feet and inches) to centimeters.

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REFERENCES

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffolderview%3Fid
%3D11E5jP19QZ9pVpp_NvH1d1ea_3cN_km5r%26fbclid%3DIwAR0KBcZvgUYvF4wCAR-
3q969A_FNaTLQv3sBXFuwdvGZnuhZ4WeAzucgEdk&h=AT2d6msdfsfiMFMtfMc0DTG8tEIAoNHsXoGLlR9VAKcRLsCnSKOz
YPUbiLh6BP11nEOJdn377YcB5kDvzgSC88LFYAsN27sPrX15U_WqPEq05xDf7P5U2aS6xp9_r6kv8dt-tgwoDA&__tn__=-UK-
R&c[0]=AT3zG2u_XtDHMjS26VNGxu_U8_tFa5_4zhpS-f5WHF1d8OTvU3EzBooBDNkpIYySmYmOvCsq8sBE0-
WiqKOO8gERfBohYv7AhrcxwLXNr9tXQ48P1ddtomiKzSWhOD_CChMeZeKg_koW69ttzAzyktS6lWw

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjru--
qhtPrAhVSBKYKHdN1AZsQFjABegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scu.edu.au%2Fmedia%2Fscueduau%2Fcurrent-
students%2Fstudy-resources%2Fnumeracy%2FUnits-and-Conversions.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1mzZbOhm3nn5f-e4_OodA5

https://www.chem.tamu.edu/class/fyp/mathrev/mr-scnot.html

https://www.mathsisfun.com/measure/unit-conversion-method.html

Silverio, Angelina A. Exploring Life Through Science Series (General Physics 1). 2017. Phoenix Publishing House, Quezon
City.

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