PHY433

CHAPTER 1:
PHYSICAL QUANTITIES AND UNITS
 Learning Content

1.1 Base Physical Quantities and their SI units

1.2 Derived Physical Quantities and their SI units
1.3 Dimensional Analysis
1.4 Unit Conversions
1.5 Significant Figures
 Learning Outcome
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to explain and
analyze:

 State basic quantities and their respective SI units: length (m), time (s),
mass (kg), electrical current (A), temperature (K), amount of substance
(mol) and luminosity (cd).
 State derived quantities and their respective units and symbols:
velocity (m s-1), acceleration (m s-2), work (J), force (N), pressure (Pa),
energy (J), power (W) and frequency (Hz).
 Use dimensional analysis to check homogeneity and construct
equation of physics.
 Perform conversion in metric units into SI units.
 Use the significant figure correctly.
 1.1: BASE PHYSICAL QUANTITIES AND THEIR SI UNITS

1.2: DERIVED PHYSICAL QUANTITIES AND THEIR SI UNITS

 Physical Quantity
 A quantity that can be measured and consists of a
magnitude (number or numerical value) and unit.
magnitude


70 4.5 m
km/h 

unit
 Physical Quantity
 is classified into two types:
 Basic (base) quantity
Derived quantity is like
 Derived quantity the house that was
build up from a collection
Basic quantity
of bricks (basic quantity).
is like the brick – the
- Quantities that are obtained from
basic building block of
the combination of various basic
a house
quantity through multiplication,
- Quantities that are
division or both
not derived from any
other quantity
Basic (base) quantity

Basic Quantity Symbol SI Unit Symbol

Length l metre m
Mass m kilogram kg
Time t second s
Temperature T/ kelvin K
Electric current I ampere A
Amount of substance N mole mol
Luminous Intensity candela cd
Derived quantity
Derived Quantity Symbol Formulae Unit
Velocity v s/t m s-1
Volume V lwt m3
Acceleration a v/t m s-2

Density  m/V kg m-3

Momentum p mv kg m s-1

Force F ma kg m s-2 @ N
Work W Fs kg m2 s-2 @ J
 1.3: DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

 Dimension analysis is defined as a technique or

method which the physical quantity can be expressed
in terms of combination of basic quantities.
 It can be written as [physical quantity or its symbol]
 Table shows the dimension of basic quantities.

Basic Quantity Symbol Unit

Length L m
[mass] or [m] M kg

[time] or [t] T s

[temperature] or [T]  K

[electric current] or [I] A@I A

[amount of substance] or [N] N mol
 Dimension can be treated as algebraic quantities through
the procedure called dimensional analysis.
 The uses of dimensional analysis are
• to determine the unit of the physical quantity.

• to determine whether a physical equation is correct or

not dimensionally by using the principle of homogeneity.

• to derive a physical equation.

 Note:
• Dimension of dimensionless constant is 1,

• Dimensions cannot be added or subtracted.

• The validity of an equation cannot determined by

dimensional analysis.
• The validity of an equation can only be determined by
experiment.
 Example 1.1
Determine a dimension and the S.I. unit for the
following quantities:

a) Velocity
b) Acceleration
c) Linear momentum
d) Density
e) Force
Solution:

a) [ change in displaceme nt]

[ velocity ] 
time interval 
or
[s ]
[v ] 
[ t ]
L
[v]   LT -1
T

The S.I. unit of velocity is m s-1.

[  ]  ML-3 [ F ]  MLT 1 [ p]  MLT -1 [a]  LT -2

 Example 1.2
Determine Whether the following expressions are
dimensionally correct or not.
1 2
a) s  ut  at where s, u, a and t represent the
2
displacement, initial velocity, acceleration and
the time of an object respectively.

b) v  u  2 gs where s, u, v and g represent the

displacement, initial velocity, final velocity and
the gravitational acceleration respectively.
 Solution:
a) Dimension on the LHS: [ s ]  L

Dimension on the RHS:


[ ut ]  u t   LT T   L
-1

1  1
   2  a t   1 LT T   L
2 2 2 2
2 at
   

Dimension on the LHS = dimension on the RHS

Hence the equation above is homogeneous or
dimensionally correct.
 Example 1.3
The period, T of a simple pendulum depends on its
length l, acceleration due to gravity, g and mass, m.
By using dimensional analysis, obtain an equation
for period of the simple pendulum.
T  l xg ym z
T  kl x g y m z       (1 )

T   k l x g y m z
T  (1 ) L x ( LT 2
)yM z

T  Lx y T 2 y M z

L0 T 1 M 0
 Lx y T 2 y M z
x  y  0       (2)
 2y 1
1
y       (3)
2
z  0
Substitute (3) into (2)
 1
x     0
 2
1
x 
2
1 1

T  kl g2 2
m0
l
T  k
g
 Example 1.4
Determine the dimension and SI units for variables
in the equation below:
1 2
  P  hg  v
2
where P is the pressure, h is the height, ρ is the
density, g is the gravitational acceleration, v is the
velocity and γ is a constant
 Solution:

Dimensionally correct: [LHS] = [RHS]

    P 
 F  m a 
     
A A 
γ is basic quantity:
 length 
mass 
    time 2 
 
mass 

length 2
length  time  2

   ML 1
T 2
-1
 SI unit for  is kgm s -2
1.4: UNITS AND ITS CONVERSIONS
 Unit is defined as a standard size of measurement
of physical quantities.
 The unit of basic quantity is called base unit
 The unit of derived quantity – called derived unit
 When units are not consistent, you may need to
convert to appropriate ones
 Able to convert from one unit to another for the
same quantity
 Example of conversion units:
1 m = 100 cm (length)
1 liter = 1000 cm3 (volume)
1 hour = 60 minutes = 3600 s (time)
 Prefix
 Prefixes simplify the writing of very large or very small
quantities
Prefix Value Symbol
tera  1012 T
giga ´109 G
mega  106 M
kilo  103 k
deci  10-1 d
centi  10-2 c The distance between an
milli  10-3 m Oxygen atom and a Hydrogen
micro atom in a water molecule is 95.8
 10-6 
pm, which is 9.58 x 10–11 m
nano  10-9 n
(standard form).
pico  10-12 p

 Alternative writing method

 Using standard form/scientific notation

 N × 10n where 1  N < 10 and n is an integer

 The conversion factors between SI and British units for
length, mass and force.

LENGTH MASS FORCE

1 m = 39.37 in = 1 kg = 103 g 1 N = 0.2248 lb =

3.281 ft 105 dyne
1 in = 2.54 cm 1 slug = 14.59
kg
1 ft = 0.3048 m = 1 lb =
12 in 0.453592 kg
1 mi = 1609 m 1 metric ton =
103 kg
1 angstrom = 10-10
m
 Conversion that involve Prefix and basic units

Example:
Convert
(a) 20.5 kJ to J (b) 3560 J to kJ

Solution:
(a) 20.5 kJ to J (b) 3560 J to kJ
1 Kilo = 103
 10 J 
3
 1 kJ 
 20.5 kJ     3560 J   3 
 1 kJ   10 J 
 20.5 103 J  3560  103 kJ
 2.05 104 J Standard form  3560 103 kJ
 3.56 kJ
 (c) 45 cm to km
Solution:
 102 m   1 km 
 45 cm      3  Centi = 10-2
 1 cm   10 m  Kilo = 103

 45  10 2  103 km
 45  10 2  103 km
 45 105 km
 4.5  10 4 km
 Conversion that involve non-Prefix and basic units

Example:
(a) 833 m to feet (ft) (b) 735 yd to m
Given 1 ft = 0.3048 m Given 1 yd = 36 inches
1 inch = 2.54 cm

Solution:
(a) 833 m to feet (ft) (b) 735 yd to m

  10 m 
-2
 1 ft   36 inches   2.54 cm
 833 m     735 yd         
 0.3048 m   1 yd   1 inch   1 cm 
 2732.9 ft  672.08 m
 Conversion involving more than one power.
Example:
Convert
(a) 20 cm2 to m2 (b) 61 mm3 to cm3

Solution:
(a) 20 cm2 to m2 Centi = 10-2
(b) 61 m3 to mm3
2 3
-2
 10 m  Mili = 10-3  1 mm 
3
2
 20 cm     61 m   3 
 1 cm   10 m 
-4 2 3
10 m 1 mm
 20 cm 2   61 m 3  9 3
1 cm 2 10 m
 20 10 4 m 2  61  109 mm3
 2 103 m 2  61 109 mm3
 6.11010 mm3
 Conversion involving more than one physical
quantity and power
Example: Centi = 10-2
Kilo = 103
Convert
(a) 865 km h-1 to m s-1 (b) 300 g cm-3 to kg m-3
3
3  300 g   1 kg   1 cm 
300 g cm     3    -2 
3  
865 km 10 3
m 1h  1 cm   10 g   10 m 
865 km h 1   
 300 g   1 kg   1 cm 
3
1h 1 km 3600 s
   3  
3  
 1 cm   10 g   10-2  m 3 
3

865 103 m

 300 g   1 kg   1 cm 
3
3600 s    3    -6 3 
3  
 240 ms -1  1 cm   10 g   10 m 
300 kg
 3
10 10 6 m 3
300 kg
 -3 3
10 m
 300 10-3 kgm -3
 3  10-1 kgm -3
1.5: SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Rule Examples

1. All non zero digits in a 1. (i) 3421 : 4 sf

number are sf (ii) 62.5 : 3 sf

2. Zero in between two non 2. (i) 503 : 3 sf

zero digits are sf
3. For any whole number, zero
at the end of a number can
be a sf or not a sf. It depends
on the of precision of the
reading.
4. For a decimal number less
than 1, zero placed before
any non-zero digit is not a sf.
(ii) 1.006 : 4 sf
3. (i) 63 000 : 2 sf if the
precision is to the nearest
thousand
(ii) 63 000 : 3 sf if the
precision is to the nearest
hundred
4. (i) 0.0028 : 2 sf
(ii) 0.0902 : 3 sf

5. For a decimal number, zero 5. (i) 7.40 : 3 sf

placed after a non-zero digit (ii) 0.020 : 2 sf
is a sf.
 How many sig figs?
 7
 40  0.0792
 0.5  7,083,000,000
 0.00003  3401
 7 x 105  2100
 7,000,000  2100.0
 1.2  5.00
 2100  0.00412
 56.76  8,000,050,000
 4.00
 Multiplication & Division (SF)
 The final results of multiplication or division should
have only as many digits as the number with the
least number of significant figures used in the
calculation.

 Eg. 11.3 x 6.8 = 76.84 = 77

(round off to 2 sf)

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Scala r a n d Ve ctors
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