PHYSICS FORM 4 | CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1: Measurement

Figure 1.1 shows examples of measurements involving physical quantities

1. Measurement is _____A method to determine the value of a physical quantity._____

Can you identify the base quantities in

Figure 1.2?
Time,Length,Mass,Luminous
intensity,Amount of substance,Electric
current,Temperature

Figure 1.2 Physical quantities

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2. A physical quantity must be stated in magnitude with its unit.

3. Identify Physical quantities, Magnitude, Units and Measuring instrument from the
statements below. Write them into the table below

A Ismail weigh a wooden block that has mass of 500 gram using a lever beam balance.
B Ong Beng Hock measures the length of a building which is 100 meter long using a
measuring tape.
C Siew Mei measures her body’s temperature using a digital thermometer and obtains
38°C.
D Bathumalai determines the volume of water using a measuring cylinder and obtains
150 milliliter.
E Hanisah measures the diameter of a wire which is 1.26 millimeter using a
micrometer screw gauge.
F Vinisha takes the time of 20 oscillations of a pendulum using a stopwatch and
obtains 24.6 seconds.

Statement Physical quantity Magnitude Unit Measuring instrument

A Mass 500 g Lever beam balance
B Length 100 m Measuring tape
C Temperature 38 ℃ Digital thermometer
D Volume 150 mm³ Measuring cylinder
Micrometer screw
E Diameter 1.26 mm
gauge
F Time 24.6 s Stopwatch

Metric Unit While and Imperial Unit

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Metric unit Imperial unit

Metre, kilometre, gram, kilogram, seconds. Yard, inch, foot, mile, gallon

Metric system that represents one single unit Imperial unit is known as a
for any physical quantity that is used by all measurement that has been used in
countries. Britain and United States.

Base Quantities and Derived Quantities

Identify base quantities and derived quantity from the equation below.
(a) Volume = length x length x length
Base quantity = ___Length_________
Derived quantity = _____Volume_______

(b) Area = length x length

Base quantity = __Length__________
Derived quantity = ____Area__________

(c)
Density =

Base quantity = (i) __Mass__________ (ii) ___Length__________

Derived quantity = ____Density______

4. What is a base quantity?

_A physical quantity that cannot be derived from another physical quantity.___
5. What is derived quantity?

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____Derived quantity is a physical quantity that is derived form base quantities.____

Complete the table below;

Length l metre m

Mass m kilogram kg

Time t second s
Thermodynamic Temperature T kelvin K

Electric current I ampere A

Luminous intensity iv candela cd

Amount of substance n mole mol

Describing Derived Quantities in Terms of Base Quantities and S.I. Base Units
A derived quantity is related to the base quantities through a formula.

To discuss derived quantities in terms of base quantities and S.I. base units.

l×l m²

l×l×l m3

kg m-3

l/t

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m×(l/t×t)=ml/t2

kg m s-1

ml/t2/l×l=m/t2l

kg m2 s-2

I×t=It

Scalar Quantities and Vector Quantities

Read the statements below to make a generalisation on scalar quantity and vector quantity.
Then classify the physical quantities into scalar quantity and vector quantity in the table
below.

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A Hasan walks with a velocity of 2 m s-1 due West.

B Husna runs with a speed of 5 m s-1.
C Sangeetha walks along a displacement of 40 m due North.
D Jason runs along a distance of 30 m.
E Chin Wen push the table downwards with a force of 30 N.
F Wen Dee has a mass of 40 kg.

Scalar Quantity Vector Quantity

B A

D C
F E

1. Define scalar quantity

_____Physical quantities that have magnitude only_____________________________

2. Define vector quantity

_____Physical quantities that have both magnitude and direction_____________

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