SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

General Physics1
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Title: Units of Measurements
 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master
the Units and Measurements. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary
level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the
course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with
the textbook you are now using.

The module has one lesson with subtopics, namely:

 Lesson 1 – Units of Measurements
 Physical Quantities
 Conversion of Units
 Scientific Notation

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. define physical quantity;
2. differentiate fundamental and derive quantity;
3. differentiate metric and British system of measurement;
4. convert units of measurement;
5. express number in scientific notation; and
6. solve measurement problems involving conversion of units and expression in
scientific notation

What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. Covert 6 721 millimeters to meters.

a. 6.721 c. 672 100
b. 67.21 d. 6 721 000

2. If 2 mL of liquid weighs 4 g, its density is

a. 0.5 g/mL c. 2 g/mL
b. 1 g/mL d. 4 g/mL
3. If the density of a substance is 8 g/mL, what volume would 40 g of the
substance occupy?
a. 0.2 mL c. 32 mL
b. 5 mL d. 320 mL

4. Covert 300C to 0F
a. -1.11 c. 271.89
b. 86 d. 359

5. How many cubic centimeters are there in a cubic meter?

a. 0.1 c. 102
b. 1 d. 106

6. What is the perimeter of a rectangular room that has a length of 5.1 m

and a width that is 2 m less than the length?
a. 14.2 m c. 20.4 m
b. 16.4 m d. 24.4 m

7. How much wood do you need to a form a triangular garden frame if one
side of the frame has a length of 11 ft, and the other two sides are 2 feet
longer than the first side?
a. 33 ft c. 36 ft
b. 35 ft d. 37 ft

8. How many inches is 9’10”?

a. 116” c. 129”
b. 118” d. 228”

9. How many yards is 9 mi?

a. 12 672 yards c. 15 840 yards
b. 14 500 yards d. 16 040 yards
10. Tessie measures her bathroom tiles to be 10 in by 8 in. What are the
length and width in cm?
a. 20.32 cm by 19.6 cm c. 25.4 cm to 24.5 cm
b. 25.4 cm by 20.32 cm d. 35.4 cm by 12.32 cm

11. 1.5 x 105

a. 0.000015 c. 1 500 000
b. 150 000 d. 11 500 000

12. 27 000 written in scientific notation is

a. 27 x 10-4 c. 2.7 x 103
b. 2.7 x 10-4 d. 2.7 x 104

13. 0.000 345 written in scientific notation

a. 3.45 x 10-4 c. 3.45 x 104
b. 3.45 d. 3.45 x 105

14. Which of these values is greatest?

a. 0.0056 c. 5.6 x 10-2
b. 0.56 d. 56 x 10-2

15. 10-4
10-2
a. 10-6 c. 102
b. 10-2 d. 106
 Lesson

1 Units of Measurement
Physicists, like other scientists, make observations and ask basic questions.
For example, how big is an object? How much mass does it have? How far did it
travel? To answer these questions, they make measurements with various
instruments (e.g., meter stick, balance, stopwatch, etc.).

The measurements of physical quantities are expressed in terms of units,

which are standardized values. For example, the length of a race, which is a physical
quantity, can be expressed in meters (for sprinters) or kilometers (for long distance
runners). Without standardized units, it would be extremely difficult for scientists to
express and compare measured values in a meaningful way.

What’s In

How many units do we have for 1 foot or 12 inches ruler?

How many millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), inches (in), foot (ft)?

Classify the given quantities as Metric System or British System of

measurement: 5 yards of cloth, 10 kg of banana, 8 hours watching TV, 8 inches
shoes, 30 miles walking and 70 km/h speed of Typhoon Hanna.

Notes to the Teacher

It is significant that learners had background on the use of
mathematical operations, in particular to multiplication and
division. They should familiarize conversion factor of Metric and
British system of measurement as well as prefix of power of ten
notation.
 What’s New

Physical Quantities
All physical quantities in the International System of Units (SI) are expressed
in terms of combinations of seven fundamental physical units, which are units for:
length, mass, time, electric current, temperature, amount of a substance, and
luminous intensity.

SI Units: Fundamental and Derived Units

There are two major systems of units used in the world: SI units (acronym for
the French Le Système International d’Unités, also known as the metric system),
and English units (also known as the imperial system). English units were
historically used in nations once ruled by the British Empire. Today, the United
States is the only country that still uses English units extensively. Virtually every
other country in the world now uses the metric system, which is the standard system
agreed upon by scientists and mathematicians.

Some physical quantities are more fundamental than others. In physics, there
are seven fundamental physical quantities that are measured in base or physical
fundamental units: length, mass, time, electric current temperature, amount of
substance, and luminous intensity. Units for other physical quantities (such as force,
speed, and electric charge) described by mathematically combining these seven base
units. In this course, we will mainly use five of these: length, mass, time, electric
current and temperature. The units in which they are measured are the meter,
kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela. All other units are made by
mathematically combining the fundamental units. These are called derived units.

Table 1. SI Base Units

Quantity Name Symbol

Length Meter M
Mass Kilogram Kg
Time Second S
Electric current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Amount of substance Mole Mol
Luminous intensity Candela Cd
Metric Prefixes
Physical objects or phenomena may vary widely. For example, the size of objects
varies from something very small (like an atom) to something very large (like a star).
Yet the standard metric unit of length is the meter. So, the metric system includes
many prefixes that can be attached to a unit. Each prefix is based on factors of 10
(10, 100, 1,000, etc., as well as 0.1, 0.01, 0.001, etc.).

Table 2 Metric Prefixes and symbols used to denote the different various factors of 10 in the
metric system
Example Example Example Example
Prefix Symbol Value
Name Symbol Value Description

Distance
Exa E 1018 Exameter Em 1018 m light travels
in a century

30 million
Peta P 1015 Petasecond Ps 1015 s
years

Powerful
Tera T 1012 Terawatt TW 1012 W
laser output

A
Giga G 109 Gigahertz GHz 109 Hz microwave
frequency

High
Mega M 106 Megacurie MCi 106 Ci
radioactivity

About 6/10
Kilo K 103 Kilometer Km 103 m
mile

hector H 102 Hectoliter hL 102 L 26 gallons

Teaspoon of
Deka Da 101 Dekagram Dag 101 g
butter

100 (=1)

Less than
Deci D 10–1 Deciliter dL 10–1 L
half a soda

Fingertip
Centi C 10–2 Centimeter Cm 10–2 m
thickness
 Example Example Example Example
Prefix Symbol Value
Name Symbol Value Description

Flea at its
Mili M 10–3 Millimeter Mm 10–3 m
shoulder

Detail in
Micro µ 10–6 Micrometer µm 10–6 m
microscope

Small speck
Nano N 10–9 Nanogram Ng 10–9 g
of dust

Small
Pico P 10–12 Picofarad pF 10–12 F capacitor in
radio

Size of a
Femto F 10–15 Femtometer Fm 10–15 m
proton

Time light
takes to
Atto A 10–18 Attosecond As 10–18 s
cross an
atom

The metric system is convenient because conversions between metric units can be
done simply by moving the decimal place of a number. This is because the metric
prefixes are sequential powers of 10. There are 100 centimeters in a meter, 1000
meters in a kilometer, and so on. In nonmetric systems, such as U.S. customary
units, the relationships are less simple—there are 12 inches in a foot, 5,280 feet in
a mile, 4 quarts in a gallon, and so on. Another advantage of the metric system is
that the same unit can be used over extremely large ranges of values simply by
switching to the most-appropriate metric prefix. For example, distances in meters
are suitable for building construction, but kilometers are used to describe road
construction. Therefore, with the metric system, there is no need to invent new units
when measuring very small or very large objects—you just have to move the decimal
point (and use the appropriate prefix).
 What is It

Unit Conversion and Dimensional Analysis

A conversion factor relating meters to kilometers. A conversion factor is a ratio
expressing how many of one unit are equal to another unit. A conversion factor is
simply a fraction which equals 1. You can multiply any number by 1 and get the
same value. When you multiply a number by a conversion factor, you are simply
multiplying it by one. For example, the following are conversion factors:

1 foot/12 inches = 1 to convert inches to feet, 1 meter/100 centimeters

= 1 to convert centimeters to meters,

1 minute/60 seconds = 1 to convert seconds to minutes

In this case, we know that there are 1,000 meters in 1 kilometer.

Now we can set up our unit conversion. We will write the units that we have and
then multiply them by the conversion factor (1 km/1,000m) = 1, so we are simply
multiplying 80m by 1:

Using Scientific Notation with Physical Measurements

Scientific notation is a way of writing numbers that are too large or small to be
conveniently written as a decimal. For example, consider the number
840,000,000,000,000. It’s a rather large number to write out. The scientific notation
for this number is 8.40 × 1014. Scientific notation follows this general format

x × 10y

In this format x is the value of the measurement with all placeholder zeros removed.
In the example above, x is 8.4. The x is multiplied by a factor, 10 y, which indicates
the number of placeholder zeros in the measurement. Placeholder zeros are those at
the end of a number that is 10 or greater, and at the beginning of a decimal number
that is less than 1. In the example above, the factor is 10 14. This tells you that you
should move the decimal point 14 positions to the right, filling in placeholder zeros
as you go. In this case, moving the decimal point 14 places creates only 13
placeholder zeros, indicating that the actual measurement value is
840,000,000,000,000.
Numbers that are fractions can be indicated by scientific notation as well. Consider
the number 0.0000045. Its scientific notation is 4.5 × 10–6. Its scientific notation has
the same format

x × 10y
 What’s More

Activity 1.1 Conversion of Units

Convert the given quantities:

1. 150 cm to m
2. 360 mm to m
3. 2100 cm3 to l
4. 1.2 GV to V
5. 4.6 ms to s
6. 450 K to 0F

Activity 1.2 Scientific Notation

 Express the following numbers in scientific notation.
1. 98
2. 0.0026
3. 0.0000401
4. 643.9
5. 816
6. 45800
7. 0.0068
8. 5600
9. 902
10.0.0045

 Transform the following scientific notation to standard notation

1. 6.455 x 104
2. 3.1 x 10-6
3. 5.00 x 10-2
4. 7.2 x 103
5. 9 x 105
6. 7.4 x 10-3
7. 9.3 x 102
8. 2.5 x 10-4
9. 4.01 x 101
10.2.4 x 100
Activity 1.3 Problem Solving
Problem Solving: Solve the given problem. Identify the given quantities solve for the
unknown quantities. BOX the final answer.

1. The temperature of a windshield on a winter morning is 10 0F. If the melting

point is 00C, how many degrees must the temperature of the windshield be
raised before the ice can melt?
2. Farmers must monitor their cattle for signs of infection or disease. A cow’s
healthy body temperature is 102.5 0F. What is its body temperature in degrees
Celsius?
3. Conrad is making veggie burgers for 18 children with special dietary needs at
summer camp. The burgers should be 50 g each. How many pounds of
veggies burger mix should he defrost?
4. A train on a roller coaster ride can safely carry up to 10 000 lb. If the average
adult weighs 72 kg, how many passengers can ride the roller coaster at once?
5. A diving platform at a public swimming fool has a maximum load of 300 lb.
How many 40 kg children can stand on the platform?

What I Have Learned

1. Physical quantities are unit that describes the size of the quantity.
There are number that gives us the count of times the unit is contained
in the quantity being measured.
2. Physical Quantities are classified as fundamental and derived quantities.
Fundamental Quantities are the simplest form. Derived Quantities are
combination of fundamental Quantities.
3. Systems of measurement are Metric System of System International (SI) and
English System or British System of measurement.
4. Conversion of unit common method used is the factor-label method.
5. Scientific Notation is a convenient way of writing very small or very large
numbers. To write in scientific notation, follow the form N x 10 a, where N is
a number between 1 and 10, but not 10 itself, a is an integer (positive or
negative number)
6.

What I Can Do

Calculate your mass in gram, kilogram and lb.

Calculate the length of your notebook in mm, cm, inches, foot and km.
Calculate your temperature in 0C, 0F and K.
Show the conversion of units and express your answer in scientific notation.
 Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. Covert 6 721 millimeters to meters.

a. 6.721 c. 672 100
b. 67.21 d. 6 721 000

2. If 2 mL of liquid weighs 4 g, its density is

a. 0.5 g/mL c. 2 g/mL
b. 1 g/mL d. 4 g/mL

3. If the density of a substance is 8 g/mL, what volume would 40 g of the

substance occupy?
a. 0.2 mL c. 32 mL
b. 5 mL d. 320 mL

4. Covert 300C to 0F
a. -1.11 c. 271.89
b. 86 d. 359

5. How many cubic centimeters are there in a cubic meter?

a. 0.1 c. 102
b. 1 d. 106
6. What is the perimeter of a rectangular room that has a length of 5.1 m
and a width that is 2 m less than the length?
a. 14.2 m c. 20.4 m
b. 16.4 m d. 24.4 m

7. How much wood do you need to a form a triangular garden frame if one
side of the frame has a length of 11 ft, and the other two sides are 2 feet
longer than the first side?
a. 33 ft c. 36 ft
b. 35 ft d. 37 ft

8. How many inches is 9’10”?

a. 116” c. 129”
b. 118” d. 228”

9. How many yards is 9 mi?

a. 12 672 yards c. 15 840 yards
b. 14 500 yards d. 16 040 yards
10. Tessie measures her bathroom tiles to be 10 in by 8 in. What are the
length and width in cm?
a. 20.32 cm by 19.6 cm c. 25.4 cm to 24.5 cm
b. 25.4 cm by 20.32 cm d. 35.4 cm by 12.32 cm

11. 1.5 x 105

a. 0.000015 c. 1 500 000
b. 150 000 d. 11 500 000

12. 27 000 written in scientific notation is

a. 27 x 10-4 c. 2.7 x 103
b. 2.7 x 10-4 d. 2.7 x 104

13. 0.000 345 written in scientific notation

a. 3.45 x 10-4 c. 3.45 x 104
b. 3.45 d. 3.45 x 105

14. Which of these values is greatest?

a. 0.0056 c. 5.6 x 10-2
b. 0.56 d. 56 x 10-2

15. 10-4
10-2
a. 10-6 c. 102
b. 10-2 d. 106
What I Know What's More Assessment
1. A Activity 1.1 1. A
2. C 1. 1.5 m 2. C
3. B 3. B
4. B 2. 0.36 m 4. B
5. D 3. 2.1 l 5. D
6. B 4. 1.2 x 109 V 6. B
7. D 5. 4.6 x 10-3 s 7. D
6. 350.6 0F 8. B
8. B
Activity 1.2
9. C 9. C
A.
10. B 1. 9.8 x 101 10. B
11. A 2. 2.6 x 10-3 11. A
12. D 3. 4.01 x 10 -5 12. D
4. 6.439 x 102
13. A 13. A
5. 8.16 x 102
14. D 14. D
6. 4.58 x 104
15. B 7. 6.8 x 10-3 15. B
8. 5.6 x 103
9. 9.02 x 102
10.4.5 x 10-4
B.
1. .0006455
2. 0.0000031
3. 500
4. .0072
5. 0.00009
6. 7400
7. .093
8. 25000
9. 401
10.2.4
 PHYSICS 1 ACTIVITY QUIZ #1
Choose the letter of the correct answer then shade the circle that corresponds to your answer in
the ANSWER SHEET. DO NOT SHADE LETTER D. (for Printed Modular Students only.)
1. Covert 67 210 millimeters to meters.
a. 6.721 c. 672 100
b. 67.21 d. 6 721 000
2. If 2 mL of liquid weighs 8 g, its density is
a. 0.5 g/mL c. 2 g/mL
b. 1 g/mL d. 4 g/mL
3. If the density of a substance is 8 g/mL, what volume would 16 g of the
substance occupy?
a. 2 mL c. 32 mL
b. 5 mL d. 320 mL
4. Covert 50C to 0F
a. 41 c. 271.89
b. 86 d. 359
5. How many cubic centimeters are there in a cubic meter?
a. 0.1 c. 106
b. 1 d. 102
6. What is the perimeter of a rectangular room that has a length of 5.1 m
and a width that is 2 m less than the length?
a. 14.2 m c. 16.4 m
b. 14.6 m d. 24.4 m
7. How much wood do you need to a form a triangular garden frame if one
side of the frame has a length of 11 ft, and the other two sides are 2 feet
longer than the first side?
a. 37 ft c. 36 ft
b. 35 ft d. 33 ft
8. How many inches is 9’10”?
a. 116” c. 118”
b. 129” d. 228”
9. How many yards is 9 mi?
a. 12 672 yards c. 16 040 yards
b. 14 500 yards d. 15 840 yards
 10. Tessie measures her bathroom tiles to be 10 in by 8 in. What are the
length and width in cm?
a. 20.32 cm by 19.6 cm c. 25.4 cm to 24.5 cm
b. 25.4 cm by 20.32 cm d. 35.4 cm by 12.32 cm
11. 1.5 x 105
a. 0.000015 c. 1 500 000
b. 150 000 d. 11 500 000

12. 27 000 written in scientific notation is

a. 27 x 10-4 c. 2.7 x 103
b. 2.7 x 10-4 d. 2.7 x 104

13. 0.000 345 written in scientific notation

a. 3.45 x 104 c. 3.45 x 10-4
b. 3.45 d. 3.45 x 105

14. Which of these values is greatest?

a. 0.0056 c. 5.6 x 10-2
b. 0.56 d. 56 x 10-3
15. 10-4
10-2
a. 10-6 c. 10-2
b. 102 d. 106
16.How many yards is 12 mi?
a. 21 120 yards c. 16 040 yards
b. 24 520 yards d. 23 840 yards

17. The angel of elevation of the top of the building at a distance of 50m from its foot on a
horizontal plane is found to be 60 degrees. Find the height of the building in ft.

a. 284 ft b. 368 ft c. 400 ft d. 300 ft.

18. A string kite is 100 meters long and the inclination of the string with the ground is 60degrees.
Find the height of the kite in ft, assuming that there is no slack in the string.

a. 284 ft b. 368 ft c. 400 ft d. 300 ft.

19. A ladder is leaning against a vertical wall makes an angle of 20 degrees with the ground. The
foot of the ladder is 3m from the wall. Find the length of the ladder in ft.

a. 10 ft b. 10.47 ft c. 12 ft d. 12.47 ft

20. It is a convenient way of writing very small or very large numbers.

a. Physical quantities b. Metric System

c. Scientific Notation d. English System
 PHYSICS 1 ACTIVITY QUIZ #1 ANSWER SHHET

PREPARED BY: ENGR. LOVERSON M. SANTIAGO, T-II

STEM 12-TESLA Adviser