C H A P T E R  

 1
Introduction and
Mathematical Concepts
• Significant numbers
•Units: Unit conversion, Dimensional
Analysis

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Significant numbers
 Significant figures and
uncertainty
• Significant figures are digits in any
measurement that are known for with
certainty plus one digit that is estimated and
hence is uncertain.
• In a measurement, the right most digit is
always uncertain.
Rules for counting significant numbers

Rule 1:
The number that does not contain zero, all
the digits are significant numbers.
Examples:
34.1 three significant numbers
45.98 ?
1256 ?
Rules for counting significant numbers

Rule 2:
All zeros between digits are significant
Examples:
34.01 four significant numbers
450.98 ?
3002 ?
Rules for counting significant numbers

Rule 3:
Zeroes to the left of the first non-zero
number are NOT significant because these
are used to determine the position of
decimal point.
Examples:
0.01 one significant number
0.21 ?
0.000002 ?
Rules for counting significant numbers

Rule 4:
The zeroes to right of the decimal point and the zeroes
to the right of the last non-zero number are significant.
Examples:
75.0 three significant numbers
75.00 four significant numbers
0.00200 ?
0.40050 ?
1.020 ?
Rules for counting significant numbers

Rule 5:
The right most zeroes in number with no decimal point may
or may not be significant. To determine the significant
numbers, we write the measurement in a scientific notation.
Examples: For example we write 1800 as
18 x 102 two significant numbers
1.8 x 103 two significant numbers
1.80 x 103 ?
2 x 10-5 ?
2.0 x 10-5 ?
Rules for counting significant numbers

Rule 6:
The number of significant figures in a result
should mirror the precision of the input data. That
is to say, when dividing and multiplying, the
number of significant figures must not exceed that
of the least precise value.
Examples: Find the distance travelled by a car
moving with a speed of 11.21 m/s in 1.23 seconds.
Rules for counting significant numbers

Examples: Find the distance travelled by a car moving with a

speed of 11.21 m/s in 1.23 seconds.
Solution:
Distance = speed x time
11.21 x 1.23 = 13.7883
• The answer contains 6 significant figures. However, since the
value for time (1.23 s) is only 3 s.f. we write the answer as 13.8
m s-1. DON’T FORGET TO ROUND OFF YOUR VALUE.
• The number of significant figures in any answer should reflect
the number of significant figures in the given data.
Base (Fundamental) Quantities and units
Quantity Units Symbol
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
Length meter m
Temperature Kelvin K
Electric current Ampere A
Amount of
mole mol
substance
Luminous
candela cd
intensity
 Derived quantities
All other quantities are derived from base
quantities e.g.
Area = length x height x width
Minute = 1 x 60 seconds
Weight = mass x gravity
Force, Energy, Power, Pressure etc.
     
Units
System

System International CGS British Engineering

centimeter
Length meter (m) foot (ft)
kilogram (cm)
Mass gram (g) slug (sl)
(kg)
Time second (s) second (s) second (s)

SI stands for the French phrase "Le Systeme International d'Unitus."

CGS - centimeter (cm), gram (g), and second.
BE - British Engineering.
 Unit consistency is important
• Always use units in your 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. (Use the same system of
units. The recommended is SI units System.)
Prefixes
 Exercises-Conversion of Units
• Volume of a box is 30.2 cm3. Express the units
in m3. An inch is equal to 2.540 cm. Express
your volume in inches. (1 m=100 cm)
• A car is moving with a speed of 36km/h.
Express the speed in m/s. (1 Km=1000 m)
• The density of gold is 19.3 g/cm3.What is this
value in kilograms per cubic meter? (1 Kg=
1000 g)
 Challenge
The people of the city of Sharjah
consume 10 000 000 gallons of water
every day. Our class room is
approximately 198 m3. How many class
rooms could be filled with one day’s
worth of water? (1 G = 3.78541 litres;
1 litre = 0.001 m3)
 More exercises
(1 inch = 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm)
1 mile = 1.60934 Km=1609.34 m
1. A fish tank is 20 inches by 12 inches by 12
inches. What is its volume in mm3?
2. The speed of light is 3 x 108 m/s. What is
the speed of light in cm/s. What is the
speed of light in miles/year?
 Dimensional Analysis
• In physics, the term dimension is used to
refer to the physical nature of a quantity and
the type of unit used to specify it.
Length- L (m), Width – L (m), Depth-L (m)
Mass-M (Kg), (g)
Time-T (s)
Area = L2 (m2 )
Volume = L3 (m3 )
Velocity =
L/T (m/s)
 Example 1
•  

So x has dimensions of length.

 Example 2
•  
Exercise 1
Exercise 1
 Exercise 2
• If y is measured in meters (m), t is the time (s)
and v is the speed (m/s), what are the
dimensions of C, D and E where x= Ct2 –
Dv+E
A. All three are dimensionless
B. L/T2 and T, constant
C. 1/T, T and T2
D. T/M, M/T and M/T2
.
 Exercise 3
In an equation y=mx+c; y and x have dimensions
of length and c is constant. What are the
dimensions of m?
A. Mass
B. Length
C. Time
D. m is Dimensionless
.
 Special Cases
There are two special cases of quantities which are
"dimensionless".
1. First, the argument of a trigonometric function
e.g sin ɵ, cos ɵ. The argument of a
trigonometric function is an angle, of course, so
it's "dimensionless.
2. Second, is the exponent in any exponential
function e.g. ekt, 10-x.An exponent of an
exponential function is the same thing as a
logarithm so it's "dimensionless".
 Special Cases
Determine the dimensions of "k" in each of the following (where
x is a distance, R is a radius.

1. sin (kx) dimensions of k = L-1

2. 10kx dimensions of k = L-1
3. Cos (kx2/R) dimensions of k = L-1
 Special Cases
Determine if the following equations are dimensionally correct.
ln Nd/Na = - [ Vghd(ρ -ρl)] / kT

where Nd and Na are number of particles,

V is volume (m3),
g is gravitational acceleration (m/s2),
hd is distance (m),
ρ and ρ1 are densities (Kg/m3)
k has units of (Kg m2/s2 K)
T is absolute temperature (K)
 Exercise
 
 Exercise
 

F is force (Kg m/s2 )

r is radius (m)
L is length (m)
v is speed (m/s)
R is distance (m)
Exercise: Consider the equation v =(1/3)zxt2. The
dimensions of the variables v, x, and t are [L]/[T], [L], and
[T], respectively. The numerical factor 3 is dimensionless.
What must be the dimension of the variable z, such that
both sides of the equation have the same dimensions?

2
z  3v / xt

L
z    /LT   1 /T 
2 3

T 
Exercises
Exercises