Online Notes Ch1.1 - Filled

Official
(Closed) ‐ Non Sensitive
School of Engineering
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1, Part 1:
Physical Quantities & Measurement
Official (Closed) ‐ Non Sensitive
Contents
a) S.I. units
b) Scientific form
c) Significant figures
d) Prefixes and their magnitudes
e) Conversion of values within metric systems
What you can do by this lesson.
a) Recall S.I. units for different measurements.
b) Recall magnitudes of prefixes.
c) Convert values within metric systems.
d) Use significant figures in calculations.
Know your S.I. units of measurement
Measurement S.I. Unit Abbrev.
Length Meter [m]
Mass Kilogram [kg]
Time Second [s]
Speed Meter per second [m/s]
Current Ampere [A]
Temperature Kelvin [K]
Force Newton [N]
Energy Joules [J]
Power Watts [W]
Velocity Meter per second [m/s]
Displacement Meter [m]
Acceleration Meter per squared second [m/s2]
Weight Newton [N]
Powers of Ten
• Values more than 1: 4 d.p.
Eg. 50 000 = 5 x 10 000
4 d.p. = 5 x 104
• Values less than 1: 6 d.p.
Eg. 0.000046 = 46 x 0.000001
6 d.p. = 46 x 10‐6
Scientific Form
• This is in scientific form:
51 000 m = 5.1 x 104 m
Greater or equal to 1 and less than 10.
• This is not in scientific form:
51 000 m = 51 x 103 m
Writing in Scientific Form
• (a) 75 000 = 7.50 x 10
.
4
1234
• (b) 0.00047 = 4.70 x 10
.
‐4
4321
Significant Figures (s.f.)
• All non‐zero digits are significant: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
• Zeros between non‐zero digits are significant: 102, 2005, 50009.
• Leading zeros are never significant: 0.02, 001.887, 0.000515.
• Trailing zeros (those to the right of the last non‐zero digit).
• Trailing zeros are significant if they are a result of rounding off.
– The exact value of 39000 has 2 s.f.
– But, 38995 rounded off to 3 s.f. = 39000
– Similarly, 38995 rounded off to 4 s.f. = 39000
Significant Figures (s.f.)
• Trailing zeros (those to the right of the last non‐zero digit): they
are significant if they are used to represent a level of precision.
– The scientific form expressed as 3.9 × 104 has 2 s.f.
– The same value expressed as 3.90 × 104 is used to show 3 s.f.
– Similarly, 3.900 × 104 is used to show 4 s.f.
• Combining the conditions of rounding off and level of precision
in scientific form:
– Rounding off 3.8995 × 104 to 4 s.f. = 3.900 × 104
Significant or not?
• Write down how many significant figures there are in the
following exact values:
– 0.065 [2]
– 3020.40 [5], 6 s.f. if it is a rounded off value
– 8002 [4]
– 3200 [2]
– 3.2 × 103 [2]
– 3200. [4]
– 1.200 × 10‐3 [4]
Calculating with Scientific Form and s.f.
• You are encouraged to use 4 s.f. in presenting your working and
intermediate answers
• Before presenting your final answer in 3 s.f., write it as an
intermediate answer in 4 s.f.
– Calculate the value of 38995 + 7210.
38995 + 7210 = 3.900 × 104 + 7.210 × 103
= 4.621 × 104
= 4.62 × 104 (3 s.f.)
Example (a) : Calculate and present in scientific form
6313 + 75 021
= 6.313 x 103 + 7.502 x 104 4 s.f. in working
= 8.133 x 104
= 8.13 x 104 3 s.f. in final answer
Example (b) : Calculate and present in scientific form
(0.00021) (0.0000075)
= (2.100 x 10‐4) (7.500 x 10‐6)
4 s.f. in working
= 1.58 x 10‐9 3 s.f. in final answer
Example (c) : Calculate and present in scientific form
4 s.f. in working
3 s.f. in final answer
Example (d) : Calculate and present in scientific form
(0.00003)3
= (3.000 x 10‐5)3 4 s.f. in working
= 2.70 x 10‐14 3 s.f. in final answer
Example (e) : Calculate and present in scientific form
(0.01)‐3
= (1.000 x 10‐2)‐3 4 s.f. in working
= 1.00 x 106 3 s.f. in final answer
Prefixes
• Earlier, we learnt that measurements have specific sets of units
(units is the short form for units of measurement)
– Units of time: second, minute, hour
– Units of mass: tonne, gram, kilogram
– Units of distance: meter, centimeter, kilometer
• Units from a set can be equated to each other
– 1 minute = 60 seconds
– 1 tonne = 1000 kilograms
– 1 meter = 100 centimeters
Prefixes
• Prefixes are used to indicate the amount of a unit compared to
the base unit, e.g. kilogram (kg).
• The base unit does not have a prefix in front of it, e.g. gram (g)
– In kilogram (kg), kilo (k) is the prefix and gram (g) is the base unit
– It tells us that the unit kg has 1000 grams
– Thus, 1 unit of kg = 1000 g
• Another example for distance
– In centimeter (cm), centi (c) is the prefix and meter (m) is the base unit
– It tells us that the unit of cm has 0.01 meter
– Thus, 1 unit of cm = 0.01 m
Know your prefixes
• Each prefix has a unique numerical value in powers of ten.
• kg = 1000 g = 103 g
• cm = 0.01 m = 10‐2 m
• km = 1000 m = 103 m
• Do you know the prefix names (such as kilo and centi) and prefix
symbols (such as k and c) for other powers of ten values?
Know your prefixes
Powers of ten S.I. Prefix S.I. Symbol
1012 tera T
109 giga G
106 mega M
103 kilo k
10‐1 deci d
10‐2 centi c
10‐3 milli m
10‐6 micro 
10‐9 nano n
10‐12 pico p
Converting within the Metric System
• This is the process of finding what a quantity, measured using
one unit of measurement, is equal to when this same quantity is
measured using another unit of measurement within the same
set of units or same metric system
• The metric system for measuring mass includes units of
measurement, such as, kilogram (kg), gram (g), milligram (mg)
• 1 kg = 1000 g = 1000000 mg
Bigger Bigger Smaller
prefix quantity prefix
value value value
quantity
How to change from 52 kg to g?
value of prefix
Compare prefixes: 103 g 100 g
Value is SMALLER by 103
Quantity for g is BIGGER by 103
52 × 103
52 kg = 52000 g
quantity
How to change from 52 kg to Mg? value of prefix
value of prefix
Value is BIGGER by 103
Quantity for Mg is SMALLER by 103
52 ÷ 103
52 kg = 0.052 Mg
How to change from 52 Mg to kg?

Quantity for kg is BIGGER by 103
52 × 103
52 Mg = 52000 kg
• You have been converting units of measure that have an
exponent of 1
– Exponent of 1 means power of 1
– kilogram: kg = kg1
– millimeter: mm = mm1
– meter: m = m1
• Some units of measure that have exponents of 2 and 3
– squared‐meter (for area): m2
– cubed‐meter (for volume): m3
• The unit squared‐meter (m2) does not have a prefix as it is the
base unit for area.
• The powers of ten value for m2 is 100 or 1.
• For units with prefixes, such as squared‐millimeter (mm2), the
prefix value is also squared
– Prefix value of milli is 10‐3
– Prefix value of squared‐milli is (10‐3)2 = 10‐6
quantity
How to change from 52 mm2 to m2?
Compare prefixes: (10‐3 m)2 (100 m)2

value of prefix
10‐6 m2 100 m2
Quantity for m2 is SMALLER by 106
52 ÷ 106
52 mm2 = 0.000052 m2
quantity
How to change from 52 mm2 to cm2?
Compare prefixes: (10‐3 m)2 (10‐2 m)2

value of prefix value of prefix
10‐6 m2 10‐4 m2
Quantity for cm2 is SMALLER by 102
52 ÷ 102
52 mm2 = 0.52 cm2
How to change from 52 cm2 to mm2?
Compare prefixes: (10‐2 m)2 (10‐3 m)2

10‐4 m2 10‐6 m2
Quantity for mm2 is BIGGER by 102
52 × 102
52 cm2 = 5200 mm2
Challenge Yourself
Convert 3.4 hrs to mins.
Challenge Yourself
Convert 3.4 hrs to seconds.
Challenge Yourself
Convert 3.4 hrs to ms.
Example (Advanced)
0 .4 m 2
 ? mm
80 cm
Write in SI units:
Convert 0.5m to mm:
Express in scientific form:
What you can do by this lesson.
a) Recall S.I. units for different measurements.
b) Recall magnitudes of prefixes.
c) Convert values within metric systems.
d) Use significant figures in calculations.

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MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS

Compare prefixes: 106 g 103 g

Compare prefixes: (10‐3 m)2 (100 m)2

Compare prefixes: (10‐3 m)2 (10‐2 m)2

Compare prefixes: (10‐2 m)2 (10‐3 m)2

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