LEARNING MODULE (8 T’s)

GENERAL PHYSICS 1
(Physics 1- Grade 12)

QUARTER 1- WEEK 1
LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS

YOUR TOPIC
Topic: Physical Quantities, SI Units, Unit Prefixes and Conversion of Units.
Materials: General Physics1 Book, paper, pen and calculator.

YOUR TARGET COMPETENCIES

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

 describe physical quantities;

 enumerate the different units of measurements; and
 solve measurement problems involving conversion of units.

YOUR INITIAL TASK

Determine the physical quantities of the following units. (3 pts. each)
Choices: (Length, Time, Temperature, Mass, Force)

1. Kilogram (kg) -
2. Meters (m) -
3. Degree Celsius (°C) -
4. Newton (N) -
5. Second (s) -

SCORE LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY

14-15 Advanced
13 Proficient
12 Approaching Proficiency
11 Developing Proficiency
10 below Beginning Proficiency

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 YOUR TEXT
Physics is one of the most fundamental of the sciences. Scientists of all disciplines
use the ideas of physics, including chemists who study the structure of molecules,
paleontologists who try to reconstruct how dinosaurs walked, and climatologists who
study how human activities affect the atmosphere and oceans. Physics is also the
foundation of all engineering and technology. No engineer could design a flat-screen TV,
an interplanetary spacecraft, or even a better mousetrap without first understanding the
basic laws of physics.

The study of physics is also an adventure. You will find it challenging, sometimes
frustrating, occasionally painful, and often richly rewarding. If you’ve ever wondered why
the sky is blue, how radio waves can travel through empty space, or how a satellite stays
in orbit, you can find the answers by using fundamental physics. You will come to see
physics as a towering achievement of the human intellect in its quest to understand our
world and ourselves. (Young, H., & Freedman, R., 2014)

This introduction module introduce the systems of units used to describe physical
quantities and the standards of measurement or the fundamental reference for a system
of measurement.

1 PHYSICS
The branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and
energy. The subject matter of physics includes mechanics, heat, light and other radiation,
sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms. (Oxford English Dictionary)

MATTER ENERGY

Matter is anything that occupies Energy is the capacity to do work or

space and has mass. the work done on an object.

From: https://www.evolvingsciences.com/page193.html From: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/753578950129471889/

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2 Physical Quantities and SI units
Since physics is an experimental science. Experiments require measurements,
and we generally use numbers to describe the results of measurements. (Young, H., &
Freedman, R., 2014, Santos, GN., 2017).

PHYSICAL QUANTITY
o is any number that is used to describe a physical phenomenon
quantitatively.
o Physical quantities have a numerical value and a unit of measurement.

Example: Two physical quantities that describe you are your mass and your height.

MASS: 44 kilograms (kg) HEIGHT: 1.6 meters (m)

Where: Where:

44 kilograms (kg) 1.6 meters (m)

Numerical value Unit of measurement Numerical value Unit of measurement

When we measure a quantity, we always compare it with some reference standard.

When we say that a Ferrari car is 4.53 meters long, we mean that it is 4.53 times as long
as a meter stick, which we define to be 1-meter long.

Such a standard defines a unit of the quantity. For

GOOD TO KNOW!
Standard or standardized – A
standard is agreed upon by
some authorities such as
scientist and engineers all over
the world. It is used as a
reference.
instance, the meter is a unit of distance, and the second is a unit
of time. When we use a number to describe a physical quantity,
we must always specify the unit that we are using; to describe a
distance as simply “4.53” wouldn’t mean anything
. Physical Quantities and
SI Units (page 1 to 3)

THE METRIC SYSTEM (International System, or SI)

To make accurate, reliable measurements, we need units of measurement that do
not change and that can be duplicated by observers in various locations. The system of
units used by scientists and engineers around the world is commonly called “the metric
system,” but since 1960 it has been known officially as the International System, or SI
(the abbreviation for its French name, Système International). (Young, H., & Freedman,
R., 2014)

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  It is also called mks unit, which stands for meter, kilogram, seconds.

Table 1.1 The seven base units of SI

Source: Santos, N. (2017), General Physics 1, 1st Edition, p. 2, Rex Book Store

THE BRITISH SYSTEM

These units are used only in the United States and a few other countries, and in
most of these they are being replaced by SI units. British units are now officially defined
in terms of SI units. (Young, H., & Freedman, R., 2014)

 Also known as the English unit.

Table 1.2 Common English Unit to SI Unit Conversion.

From: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/378068/how-do-americans-refer-to-their-
non-metric-system-in-everyday-circumstances/378090

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 OTHER CONVERSIONS:
1 foot (ft) = 12 inches (in)
1 Calorie (Cal) = 4.186 Joules (J)
1 Newton (N) = 0.2248 Pounds (lb)
1 mile (mi) = 5 280 feet (ft)
1 hour (h) = 60 minutes (min)
1 minute (min) = 60 seconds (s)

3 DERIVED UNIT

A derived unit is a combination of two or more base units. It could be a product or

a ratio of base units. A common derived is volume which is the product of solid’s length,
width and height. Other example is speed which is derived from the unit of distance
divided by the unit of time (m/s). (Arevalo, R., 2017)

Volume = L x W x H

4 UNIT PREFIXES
GOOD TO KNOW!
Unit prefixes are symbols placed before the symbol of a unit to
specify the magnitude of a quantity. It can be used to make the Magnitude – refers to
quantity of a unit larger or smaller. (Young, H., & Freedman, R., 2014, the size (large or small)
Santos, GN., 2017). of a quantity.
 A unit prefix stands for a specific positive or negative power of
number such as 10.

Table 1.3 Prefixes for powers of 10

From: https://sagarvisma.wordpress.com/2015/06/04/si-prefixes/

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 Table 1.4 Sample units of length, mass and time.

Source: Young, H., & Freedman, R. (2014). Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with Modern Physics (13th
edition, Volume 1, p. 6). Pearson

Table 1.5 Some typical lengths in the universe. (f) is a scanning tunneling microscope
image of atoms on a crystal surface; (g) is an artist’s impression.

Source: Young, H., & Freedman, R. (2014). Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics with Modern Physics, 13th
edition, Volume 1, p. 7. Pearson

Unit Prefixes (page 3)

5 UNIT CONSISTENCY AND CONVERSION

GOOD TO KNOW!
We use equations to express relationships among physical
quantities, represented by algebraic symbols. For example, d might Algebraic symbol always
represent a distance of 10 m, t a time of 5 s, and a speed of 2 m/s. denotes both a number
and a unit.
An equation must always be dimensionally consistent. You can’t
add apples and automobiles; two terms may be added or equated only if
they have the same units. (Young, H., & Freedman, R., 2014)

For example, if a body moving with constant speed travels a distance d in a time t, these
quantities are related by the equation,

Where: d = distance, v = speed, t = time

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If d is measured in meters, then the product vt must also be expressed in meters. Using
the above numbers as an example, we may write

1
The unit on the other side of the equation cancels the unit s, the product has units of meters, as
𝑠
it must.

10 m = (2 m) (5)
Equation proven.
10 m = 10 m

REMINDER: Always use units in calculations. When a problem requires

calculations using numbers with units, always write the numbers with the
correct units and carry the units through the calculation as in the example
above. This provides a very useful check. If at some stage in a calculation
you find that an equation or an expression has inconsistent units, you know
you have made an error somewhere. (Young, H., & Freedman, R., 2014)

CONVERSION OF UNIT EXAMPLES

How many inches are there in 12 m?

SOLUTION: 12 m in Method no. 2: (for using unit prefixes)

10−2 = 0.10
Step 1: RECALL: Common conversion of units How?
on page 4 and unit prefixes on page 5 of this  Whole numbers can be thought to have an
module. invisible decimal point in the right side.
Example: 10 = 10.00
 Since the exponent is negative, move the
Step 2: Write the given equalities.
decimal point 2 times from right to left.
1 in = 2.54 cm
100 cm = 1 m
From: 10.00 to
According to table 1.3, centimeters(cm) = 10−2 m
Therefore, substitute 10−2 to the prefix centi.  If the exponent is positive, move from left to
right.

100 (10−2) m = 1 m

STEP 3: Ratio/Factor. Present these equalities as ratios/factors.

1 𝑖𝑛 2.54 𝑐𝑚 100 𝑐𝑚 1𝑚
𝑜𝑟 and 𝑜𝑟
2.54 𝑐𝑚 1 𝑖𝑛 1𝑚 100 𝑐𝑚

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STEP 4: Solve. Use the ratios and multiply it by 12 m. Remember, same units must be
placed in opposite directions to achieve cancellation of units and obtain the desired unit.
(Convert from meters to centimeters, then centimeters to inches.)

100 𝑐𝑚 Method no. 2: Solution

1 12 𝑚 𝑥
1𝑚
= 1200 𝑐𝑚
100 𝑐𝑚 1 𝑖𝑛
12 𝑚 𝑥 𝑥 = 472.44 𝑖𝑛
1𝑚 2.54 𝑐𝑚

1 𝑖𝑛
2 1200 𝑐𝑚 𝑥
2.54 𝑐𝑚
= 472.441 𝑖𝑛
Method no. 3: (for using unit prefixes)

10−2 = 0.10
STEP 5: Conclusion. How?
1
Therefore, there are 472.441 inches or  10−2 is equivalent to
102
1 1 1
approximately equal to 472 inches for every 12  So , 10−2 = = = = 0.10
102 10 𝑥10 100
meters.
1
Therefore you can use either 10−2 , , 𝑜𝑟 0.10
100
(You can also use this conversion: m > ft > in ) as substitute to the prefix centi.

TAKE NOTE: Always use 3 decimal places.  These methods can also be used to other unit
prefixes. Just take note of the value and the
sign of the exponent.

Convert 10 km/h to m/s.

SOLUTION,

RECALL:

1 km = 1000 m
1 h = 60 min
1 min = 60 s

SOLVE:

𝑘𝑚 1000 𝑚 1ℎ 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑚
10 𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 = 2.778
ℎ 1 𝑘𝑚 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛 60 𝑠 𝑠

CONCLUSION: There are 2.778 m/s for every 10 km/h.

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 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.

SOLUTION,

CONVERT:
 763.0 mile/hour to meter/second.

RECALL:
1 mi = 1.609 km You can use:
1 km = 1000 m
1 h = 60 min 1 hour (h) = 3600 seconds (s)
1 min = 60 s

SOLVE:

𝑚𝑖 1.609 𝑘𝑚 1000 𝑚 1ℎ 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑚

763 𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 60 𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑥 = 341.019
ℎ 1 𝑚𝑖 1 𝑘𝑚 60 𝑠 𝑠

𝑚𝑖 𝑚
CONCLUSION: 763 is approximately equal to 341.0 .
ℎ 𝑠

YOUR TECHNO-TIME

 For additional information, please watch the following videos.

o VIDEO 1 - What is Physics ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-
NQOJ3Uz4w&feature=share
o VIDEO 2 - Why the metric system matters? -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bUVjJWA6Vw&feature=sh
are

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 YOUR PRACTICE TEST
CONVERSION OF UNITS

Practice Test 1 Convert the following to the given desired measurements:

1. 14 km = _____ m
2. 1L = _____ mL
3. 2500 ft = _____ m
4. 35 ˚C = _____ ˚K
5. 70 oz = _____ lb

Practice Test 2 Problem Solving. (Conversion of units). Show your solutions.

1. Suppose an object is moving at 66 ft/s. What is the value of its speed in mi/h?

2. Student A rode 2 kilometers on his bike. His classmate, student B rode 3000 m on her
bike. Who rode the farthest and how much farther?

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 COR JESU COLLEGE
Basic Education Department

WORKSHEET IN GENERAL PHYSICS 1

NAME: _______________________________ SECTION: _________

TEACHER: _______________________________ DATE SUBMITTED: _________

YOUR FINAL TASK

PART 1. For each of the following commonly used measurements, indicate its symbol.
(make sure to use the correct symbol for the prefixes)

_____1. milliliter _____6. kilogram

_____2. meter _____7. milligram
_____3. millimeter _____8. liter
_____4. kilometer _____9. second
_____5. centimeter _____10. Gram

PART 2. Perform the following conversion of units.

1. Find the number of

(a) kilometers in 1.00 mile and
(b) feet in 1.00 km.

2. Cyrill Jay goes to a pumpkin patch and picks out a pumpkin that has a mass of 6000
grams. How many kilograms is the pumpkin?

3. Rymark rode his motorbike at a speed of 56 mi/h. The moment he stopped at a

convenience store, he suddenly wondered how much ft/s does his speed of 90 km/h
has. Express Rymark’s speed in ft/s.

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 Recommended Reading List:
1. General Physics1 by Gil Nonato Santos, Ph.D
2.University Physics by Young and Freedman, 6th
edition
3.

YOUR Thoughts

In this lesson, I learned/realized that ________________________________

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

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