Dimensional Analysis

General Physics 1

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What to expect in this chapter?
The following questions are expected to be answered in this chapter:
• Three fundamental quantities of physics (Time, Length, Mass) and the
units physicists use to measure them.

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What is Physics?

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Physics is a natural science; it deals with natural
phenomena.

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Physics is also called Physical Science – it may
seem redundant, but it is to emphasize that the
goal is to discover the laws governing the physical
universe.

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Physics is the fundamental natural science because it
examines the principles that applies to all parts
(astronomy, biology, chemistry, and geology et. Al ) of
the physical world

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Units and Measurements
• The unit is a unique name we assign to measure the amount of a
physical quantity.
for example, meter (m) for the quantity of length.

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Units and Measurements
• Prefixes and symbols used to
denote multiples of powers of 10.

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Units and Measurements

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Units and Measurements

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Units and Measurements
• The Bus #0076 of the Bus Rapid System travelled 10,000 m in the
morning, then another 40 km in the afternoon. Calculate the total
distance travelled by Bus #0076.
• REMEMBER! that only quantities with the same units can be added or
subtracted.

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Units and Measurements
EXAMPLE
Express the speed limit of 65 miles/hour in terms of meters/second (1
mi = 1609.344 m).

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Units and Measurements
EXAMPLE
The world’s largest cut diamond is the First Star of Africa. Its volume is 1.84
cubic inches. What is its volume in cubic centimeters (1 in = 2.54 cm)?

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More Examples. Set 1.
1. The world land speed record is 763.0 mi/h, set on October 15, 1997, by Andy
Green in the jet-engine car Thrust SSC. Express this speed in meters per
second.
2. The world’s largest cut diamond is the First Star of Africa. Its volume is 1.84
cubic inches. What is its volume in cubic meters (1 in = 2.54 cm)?
3. Starting with the definition 1 𝑖𝑛 = 2.54 𝑐𝑚, find the number of
A. Inches in 1 km
B. Feet in 1 km
4. You are planning a road trip and want to estimate how long it will take to
travel a distance of 300 miles. If your car's average speed is 60 miles per hour,
how many hours will the trip take?
5. You're traveling in a foreign country and the speed limit is posted in kilometers
per hour (km/h). If the speed limit is 80 km/h, what is the equivalent speed in
miles per hour (mph)? shs.mapua.edu.ph
More Examples. Set 2.
1. A car is traveling at a speed of 60 miles per hour. Convert this speed to
meters per second.
2. A doctor prescribes a medication dosage of 250 mg every 6 hours. The
medication is available in 125 mg tablets. How many tablets should the
patient take for each dose?
3. A recipe calls for 350°F oven temperature for baking. Convert this
5
temperature to Celsius. 𝐶 = 𝐹 − 32 ×
9
4. A diver reaches a depth of 40 meters in a lake. Convert this depth to feet
using dimensional analysis. Given that 1 meter is approximately 3.28 feet.
5. You have a flight that takes 2.5 hours. Convert this time to minutes using
dimensional analysis.
6. You're jogging at a pace of 10 kilometers per hour. Convert this speed to
meters per second using dimensional analysis. Given that 1 kilometer is equal
to 1000 meters and 1 hour is equal to 3600 seconds.
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