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https://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si-brochure/SI-Brochure-9-EN.pdf
System Unit of Length (L) Unit of Mass (M) Unit of Time (T)
FPS foot (ft) slug (sl) second (s)
CGS centimetre (cm) gram (g) second (s)
MKS metre (m) kilogram (kg) second (s)
SI metre (m) kilogram (kg) second (s)
The candela is equal to the luminous intensity in a given direction of a source that emits
monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 × 1012 hertz and has a radiant intensity in that
direction of 1/683 watt per unit solid angle.
6 Grade 10 Physics Detailed Notes APEX
4 has no unit.
The unit of length is m.
The unit of acceleration due to gravity g is m s-2.
m
The unit of RHS = -2
= s2
ms
the unit of LHS = the unit of RHS
The given equation is correct (from the point of view of dimensions).
TE02: A student uses the equation v2 = v02 + 2at, to find the final velocity. Check whether
this equation is right, or wrong.
Ans: Given equation: v2 = v02 + 2at
LHS of equation = v2
The unit of final velocity v is m s-1.
The unit of LHS = m2 s-2
RHS of equation = v02 + 2at
2 has no unit.
The unit of initial velocity v0 is m s-1.
The unit of acceleration a is m s-2.
The unit of time t is s.
The unit of RHS = (m s-1)2 + (m s-2)(s) = m2 s-2 + m s-1
the unit of LHS the unit of RHS
The given equation is not correct.
T03: (1) What is the unit of length in SI unit?
Ans: metre
T03: (2) What is the unit of mass in SI unit?
Ans: kilogram
T04: (3) What do the following symbols stand for?
g, kg, lb, m, cm, ft.
Ans: g = gram, kg = kilogram, lb = pound, m = metre, cm = centimetre, ft = foot.
8 Grade 10 Physics Detailed Notes APEX
1.3 PREFIXES
1. Sometimes a physical quantity is too big, or too small to be conveniently expressed in basic SI
units. Prefixes are needed to be used. Prefixes are multiples or sub-multiples of 10.
Symbol Prefix 10x Symbol Prefix 10x
d deci 10-1 da deca 10
c centi 10-2 h hecto 102
m milli 10-3 k kilo 103
micro 10-6 M mega 106
n nano 10-9 G giga 109
p pico 10-12 T tera 1012
f femto 10-15 P peta 1015
a atto 10-18 E exa 1018
z zepto 10-21 Z zetta 1021
y yocto 10-24 Y yotta 1024
r ronto 10-27 R ronna 1027
q quecto 10-30 Q quetta 1030
2. Scientific notation, or standard form may be written as follows;
Place the decimal point after the first nonzero digit.
Count the number of places the original decimal point is moved to the new decimal point.
If we (have) moved the point to the left, then the power is positive.
[1 234.5 = 1.234 5 103]
If we (have) moved the point to the right, then the power is negative.
[0.000 123 45 = 1.234 5 10-4]
Decimal form Standard Form Decimal form Standard Form
12.345 = 1.234 5 101 0.123 45 = 1.234 5 10-1
123.45 = 1.234 5 102 0.012 345 = 1.234 5 10-2
1 234.5 = 1.234 5 103 0.001 234 5 = 1.234 5 10-3
12 345 = 1.234 5 104 0.000 123 45 = 1.234 5 10-4
Dr Vince Grade 10 Physics Detailed Notes 9
3. From 1960 to 1983, the standard of length used was based on the wavelength of orange-
red light emitted by a krypton 86 isotope.
4. A metre was defined as the length equivalent to l 650 763.73 times the wavelength of
this orange-red light.
1 metre
interval of second.
[In vacuum, light travels 299 792 458 m in 1 s, so light travels 1 m in s.]
6. In the CGS system the unit of length is the centimetre (cm), and 1 cm = 10-2 m.
Dr Vince Grade 10 Physics Detailed Notes 9
7. In the FPS system the unit of length is the foot (ft), and 1 ft = 0.3048 m.
8. The unit of length used by particle physicists is the ‘fermi’ or ‘femtometre’ (fm) given
by 1 fm = 10-15 m.
9. In the field of optics, physicists use the unit angstrom (Å), where 1 Å = 10-10 m.
10. In astronomy, the most suitable units are the astronomical unit (au) and the light year unit (ly).
[According to Resolution B1 of IAU (2012) and the 9th edition of the SI Brochure (2019), the
recommended symbol for the astronomical unit is au.]
11. The light year is the distance which light travels in one year in vacuum.
12. [1 au = 1.496 × 1011 m, 1 ly = 9.461 × 1015 m]
13. The largest unit of length is the 'parsec' (pc). [1 pc = 3.084 × 1016 m]
[The “parsec” is a portmanteau-name (PARallax of one SECond of arc) proposed
by Herbert Hall Turner in 1913 to characterize one unit of stellar distances.]
[The unit, Å = angstrom is used in honour of Swedish Physicist Anders Jonas Ångström.]
[fm = femtometre is taken from the Dutch and Norwegian word "fifteen" (15). Fermi
is used in honour of Nuclear Physicist Enrico Fermi. It is used as length unit in Nuclear
Physics.]
[1 au is the average distance between the sun and the earth.]
[If the angle subtended by a side of 1 au length of a right triangle is 1 sec (1/3600 degree),
the other side is 1 pc.]
10 Grade 10 Physics Detailed Notes APEX
20. One day is the time it takes the Earth to rotate once.
21. The Earth's rotation is not quite constant.
22. For accuracy, the second is now defined in terms of something that never changes: the
frequency of oscillation which can occur from a cesium atom.
23. A particular frequency 9 192 631 770 s-1 emitted or absorbed by a cesium atom is used
to define l s.
Symbols for Physical Quantities
24. Mathematics is the language of physics.
25. Physical laws and principles can be fully and effectively represented in mathematical
forms.
26. The symbols for the physical quantities must be short and precise.
T07: Group the following units into length unit, mass unit, and time unit.
km, μg, μm, nm, kg, m, ms, mg, ns, μs, mm
Ans: Length units are km, μm, nm, m, and mm.
Mass units are μg, kg, and mg.
Time units are ms, ns, and μs.
T07: (1) Find the value of
5 μs 2 ps
(i) 12 mm + 256 mm (ii)
10 ns
Ans: (i) 12 m + 256 mm = 1.2 10 10 m + 2.56 102 10-3 m
1 -6
5 μs 2 ps 5 106 s 2 1012 s
(ii) 9
109 s
10 ns 10 10 s
12 Grade 10 Physics Detailed Notes APEX
T07: (2) The masses of a proton and an electron are 1.67 l0-21 mg and 9.1 l0-28 g
respectively. Find the ratio of the two.
Q04: Find the area of one page of a book whose dimensions are 20 cm × 25 cm in cm2 and
then convert this value to m2.
Ans: area = length width = 20 cm × 25 cm = 500 cm2 = 5 102 10-4 m2 = 5 10-2 m2
Q05: Write down in powers of ten of the values of the following:
(a) 60 nF (b) 500 MW (c) 20 000 mm (d) 400 C.
Ans: (a) 60 nF = 6 101 10-9 F = 6 10-8 F
(b) 500 MW = 5 102 106 W = 5 108 W
(c) 20 000 mm = 2 104 10-3 m = 2 101 m
(d) 400 C = 4 102 10-6 C = 4 10-4 C
Dr Vince Grade 10 Physics Detailed Notes 17
Q07: The mass of 1 litre of water is 1 kg. Find the mass of 350 mL purified drinking water in
a small sized bottle.
Ans: mass of 1 L water = 1 kg, 350 mL = 350 10-3 L
1 kg
mass of 350 mL water = 350 10-3 L = 350 10-3 kg = 350 g
1L
Q08: The sun is a medium-sized star. In the Milky Way galaxy which includes the sun, there are
one hundred billion stars. Write down this figure in the standard form. (1 billion = 109)
Ans: number of stars = 100 billion = 102 109 = 1011
Q09: The tissue of a cell is 70 Å thick. Find the thickness of the tissue in terms of an inch.
(1 m = 39.4 in, 1 Å = 10-10 m)
10 10 m 39.4 in
Ans: thickness = 70 Å = 70 A 1 m = 2.758 10 10 in = 2.758 10 in
3 -10 -7
1A
Q10: The size of an elementary particle is ~ 10-15 m and the size of the universe is ~ 1026 m.
Determine the ratio of the size of the universe to the size of an elementary particle.
[x ~ 1010 means x is on the order of 1010]
size of the universe ~ 1026 m
Ans: 1041
size of an elementary particle ~ 1015 m
Q12: One litre is 1000 cm3. How many litre are there in 231 in3? [ 1 in = 2.54 cm]
3
2.54 cm 1L
Ans: 231 in = 231 in
3 3
3
= 3.785 L
1in 1000 cm
Q13: The shortest life-time of an elementary particle is ~ 10-23 s and the age of the universe
is ~ 1018 s. Find the ratio of the two time intervals.
the age of the universe ~ 1018 s
Ans: 10 41
the shortest life time of an elementary particle ~ 1023 s
18 Grade 10 Physics Detailed Notes APEX
Q14: If the width of the Milky Way galaxy (which includes our solar system) is 105 ly, how
long will a light signal take to travel that width?
Ans: distance = 105 ly, the speed of light = 1 ly/y
distance 10 5 ly
time 10 5 y
speed 1 ly
y
Q15: According to observations and measurements the farthest galaxies are at a distance of
1026 m from the earth. When space travel becomes highly advanced, do you think that
man will be able to visit those galaxies? (Light travels 3 × 108 m in one second and
there are approximately 108 s in a year.)
Ans: distance 1026 m
time 1
3.333 1017 s ~ 1018 s
speed 3 10 m s
8
1 y ~ 108 s
1y
time required = 1018 s 8
= 1010 y
10 s
age of man = 60 – 100 y = 102 y << 1010 y
So, it is impossible.
Q16: The mass of an electron is me = 9.1 × 10-31 kg. The mass of a muon is about 207 me
and the mass of a proton is about 1836 me. Find the masses of muon and proton.
(Muon is an elementary particle with a mass about 200 times that of an electron)
Ans: mass of muon = 207 me = 207 × 9.1 × 10-31 kg = 1.884 × 10-28 kg
mass of proton = 1836 me = 1836 × 9.1 × 10-31 kg = 1.671 × 10-27 kg