SMK TAT BENG

PHYSICS
FORM 4

1.2 Physical Quantities

 Physical Quantities
 A physical quantity is a quantity that can be measured.
Examples are speed, length, mass: etc.
 A non-physical quantity is something that cannot be measured.
Examples are beauty loyalty, feelings, etc.
 Each physical quantity consists of:
(a) a numerical value (magnitude)
(b) a unit

Example
Room temperature = 27 oC

Physical quantity Magnitude unit

Book price = RM 3000

Physical quantity Unit Magnitude

 Physical Quantities
 Loyalty, beauty and wisdom are not physical quantities
because they cannot be stated in the form of magnitude
and unit.
 Physical quantities are classified into:-
(a) base quantities ( kuantiti asas)
(b) derived quantities (kuantiti terbitan)
 Base Quantities
 A base quantity is a physical quantity which cannot be
defined (tidak boleh diterbitkan) in terms of other physical
quantities.
 The measuring unit of a base quantity is known as a base
unit.
 Table below shows five base quantities and their respective
base units (SI units).
Symbol of Base
Base quantities Base unit (SI) Symbol of Unit
quantities

Length l metre m
Mass m kilogram kg
Time t second s
Temperature T Kelvin K
Electric Current I ampere A
 Prefixs
 Prefixes are used to represent physical quantities which are
very big or very small in SI units.
Prefixes Symbol Multiplication factor
Tera T x 1012
Giga G x 109
Mega M x 106
Kilo K x 103
Deci d x 10-1
Centi c x 10-2
Milli m x 10-3
Micro µ x 10-6
Nano n x 10-9
 Standard Form (Bentuk Piawai)/ Scientific
notation
 Numerical values which are very big or very small can be
written in standard form, i.e.
A x 10 n
where 1 ≤ A < 10 and n is a positive or negative integer.
 For example, the height of Mount Everest = 8 848 m. In
standard form, the height of Mount Everest = 8.848 x 103m.
(A = 8.848, n = 3)
 The use of standard form to represent data is to ensure
that the data is neat, short and can be easily compared.
 The magnitude of a physical quantity is usually rounded up
to 3 or 4 significant figures.
 Standard Form (Bentuk Piawai)/ Scientific
notation
Example
 For each of the following, express the magnitude using
scientific notation.
(1) The length of a virus = 0.00000008 m
(2) The mass of a ship = 75 000000 kg

Solution
1. The length of a virus = 0.00000008 m
= 8.0 x 10-8m

2. The mass of a ship = 75 000000 kg

= 7.5 x 107kg
 Conversion of Units (Pertukaran Unit)
When a prefix is changed to the base unit, the suitable
multiplication factor is used.

Example 1
Write (a) 100 cm in metres (m) and (b) 52 MA in A. Then
write the answer in standard form.

Solution
Multiplication factor
Prefix

(a) 100cm = 100 x 10-2m Unit remains the same

The magnitude remains

The same C is equivalent to 10 -2
 Conversion of Units (Pertukaran Unit)
When converting a base unit to the prefix form, the magnitude
must be divided by the multiplication factor.

Example
(a) 0.03m = _________ cm
(b) 2 x 10-9s = _________ ns

Solution

(a) 0.03m = 3 x 10-2 m (b) 2 x 10-9s = 2 x 10-9 ÷ 10-9 ns

= 3 x 10-2 ÷ 10-2 cm = 2 x 10-9-(-9) ns
= 3 x 10-2-(-2) cm = 2 x 100 ns
= 3 x 100 cm = 2 ns
= 3cm
Conversion of Units (Pertukaran Unit)
Conclusion

x multiplication factor

Prefix Base unit

÷ multiplication
factor
 Derived Quantities
 A derived quantity is a physical quantity produced from the
combination of base quantities through multiplication,
division or both.
Derived Relationship with Relationship with Derived
Symbol
quantity base quantities (formula) base unit unit

Area A Length x length mxm m2

Volume V Length x length x length mxmxm m3

Density P Mass / Volume Kg / m3 Kgm-3

Speed v Length / time m/s ms-1

Change in volocity (speed)

Acceleration a ms-1 / s ms-2
/ time taken
Kgms-2
Force F Mass x acceleration Kg / ms-2
(Newton)
 Derived Quantities
Derived Relationship with Relationship with Derived
Symbol
quantity base quantities (formula) base unit unit

Power P Work / time J/s Js-1 / W

Pressure P Force / Area N / m2 Nm-2 / pa

Work W Force x Distance Nxm Nm / J

momentum p Mass x velocity Kg x ms-1 kgms-1

Impulse Ft Force x Time Nxs Ns

Frequency f 1 / priod 1/s S-1 / Hz

 Further Conversions of Prefixes
 For the conversion of one prefix to another, the base unit is
the intermediary unit.

Example
5.23 mm = __________ km

Solution
5.23mm = 5.23 x 10-3 mm Change to base unit

= 5.23 x 10-3 ÷ 10-3 km Change to the required prefix

= 5.23 x 10-6 km
 Further Conversions of Prefixes
 Conversion of prefixes for derived quantities requires
more complicated step
Example
(a) 7200 kmh-1 = __________ ms-1
(b) 123 m3 = __________ cm3

Magnitude remains the same Write the derived unit in the

Solution form of division or multiplication
(a) 7200 kmh-1 = 7200 km/h
Convert the prefix
= 7200 103m / (60x60)s
= 7200 x 103/ (60x60) m/s Separate the numerical
= 2 x 103 ms-1 value from the derived
unit
Write the required derived unit
 Further Conversions of Prefixes
Solution
(b) 123 m3 = __________ cm3
= 1.23 x 102 m
= 1.23 x 102 ÷ (10-2 x 10-2 x 10-2) cm3
= 1.23 x 102 ÷ 10-6 cm3
= 1.23 x 108 cm3