1.

02 SI Units and basic quantities

Classify physical quantities into: fundamental and derived
quantities and determine their meaning
Determine how to convert different units using prefixes
Figure out the three basic quantities in physics and determine
their definition in SI units
Physical quantity
We will study in
this section

10th grade
9th grade
2nd semester

Chemistry
Prefixes Value Standard Form Symbol Examples

Tera 1,000,000,000,000 1012 T 1 Terasecond (Ts) = 1012 Ts

Giga 1,000,000,000 109 G 1 Gigametre (Gm) = 109 m

Mega 1000000 106 M 1 Megametre (Mm) = 106 m

Kilo 1000 103 k 1 kilogram (kg) = 103 g

Hecto 100 102 h 1 hectogram (hg) = 102 g

Deka 10 101 da 1 dekagram (dag) = 101 g

None 1 100 None 1 s, 1 m, 1 g (no prefix)

Deci 0.1 10-1 d 1 decimetre (1 dm) = 10-1 m

Centi 0.01 10-2 c 1 centimetre (1 cm) = 10-2 m

Milli 0.001 10-3 m 1 milligram (1 mg) = 10-3 g

Micro 0.000001 10-6 µ 1 Micrometre (1 µm) = 10-6 m

Nano 0.000000001 10-9 n 1 Nanosecond (1 ns) = 10-9 s

Pico 0.000000000001 10-12 p 1 Picoseconds (1 ps) = 10-12 s

 Many different units are used all over the
world, however, life become much easier if
everyone uses a common system of units.
 Most scientists nowadays use the SI unit (Le
Système International d'Unités) to unify their
work.

SI units
 Mathematically, length is the most extended
dimension of an object.
 In the International System of Quantities,
length is any quantity with dimension distance
or the measured dimension of an object.
The SI base unit of length is the Metre (m)
https://www.factmonster.com/math-science/weights-
measures/origins-of-measurements

Historically Nowadays
The distance between two marks The distance travelled by light in
on a metal bar kept at the office of a vacuum during a specific time
Weights and Measurements in Paris interval (1/299792458 s)

Length definition
 Other units based on the m are shown below:
◦ 1 kilometre (km) = 1000 m = 103 m
◦ 1 centimetre (cm) = 1/100 m = 10-2 m
◦ 1 millimetre (mm) = 1/1000 m = 10-3 m
◦ 1 micrometre (µm) = 1/1000000 m = 10-6 m
◦ 1 nanometre (nm) = 1/1000000000 m = 10-9 m

Different units of length

 Mass is the amount of substance in an object. It
has two characteristics:
1. All objects are attracted to the earth. The
greater the mass of an object, the stronger is the
earth's gravitational pull on it (weight).

Mass
characteristics
2. All objects resist attempts to make them go
faster, slower or in a different direction and the
greater the mass, the greater is the resistance
to change in motion. This is called inertia.

Mass characteristics
 The SI base unit of mass is the kilogram (kg)

Historically Nowadays
A block of platinum alloy kept at
Mass of 1000 cm3 of water
the office of Weights and Measures
(pure at 4º C)
in Paris

 Other units based on the kg are shown below:

◦ 1 tonne (t) = 1000 kg = 103 kg
◦ 1 gram (g) = 1/1000 kg = 10-3 kg
◦ 1 milligram (mg) = 1/1000 g = 1/1000000 kg = 10-6 kg

Mass definition
 Time is the indefinite continued progress of
existence and events that occur in apparently
irreversible succession from the past through
the present to the future.
◦ The SI base unit of time is the second (s)
Historically Nowadays
The length of a day or the time The time interval for a certain
for the earth to revolve once on number of energy changes to
its axis occur in cesium atom

Time definition
 Other units based on the s are shown below:
◦ 1 millisecond (ms) = 1/1000 s = 10-3 s
◦ 1 microsecond (µs) = 1/1000000 s = 10-6 s
◦ 1 nanosecond (ns) = 1/1000000000 s = 10-9 s

Different units of time

Ex 1. Convert these values and write them in standard
form:
a. 1564 mm in m d. 1750 g in kg
b. 26t in kg e. 2 cm2 to dm2
c. 3.65 x 104 mg in kg f. 1.3 m/s to km/h
a. 1564 mm = 1564 x 10-3 m = 1.564 m
b. 26 t = 26 x 103 kg = 2.6 x 104 kg
c. 3.65 x 104 mg = 3.65 x 104 x 10-3 x 10-3 kg =
3.65 x 10-2 kg
d. 1750 g = 1750 x 10-3 kg = 1.750 kg
e. 2 cm2 = 2 x 10-1 x 10-1 dm2 = 0.02 dm2
f. 1.3 m/s = 1.3 x 10-3 km/(1/(60 x 60)) h = 4.68
km/h

Example 1
Q1. Convert these values and write them in standard
form:
a. 62 µs in s
b. 6.16 x 10-7 µm in m
c. 2.4 hrs. in s
d. 0.03 dm in km
e. 3 g/cm3 to mg/mm3
f. 33 mm3to cm3

Homework
Q2. The pages of a book are numbered 1 to 200 and
each leaf is 0.10 mm thick. If each cover is 0.20 mm
thick, what is the thickness of the book?

Homework