Units, Physical Quantities,

Measurement, Errors and

Uncertainties
General Physics 1 – Lesson 1
Christine Jael C. Quizano, LPT
Subject Teacher
MEASUREMENT

Ancient people used units of

measurement that were based on
parts of the human body.
Role of measurement in vocations and professions
System of Units

There are two systems that carry

different standardized units:
British or English System
Metric System
British or English System

First adopted in England

Widely used in United
States
Known as the FPS
system
Inch, yard, mile, and
horsepower
Metric System

Originated in France in
1791
Has the units meter,
centimeter, kilogram,
gram, and second.
 Modern metric system

 Known worldwide as the

International System of
Units
 Fully adopted in the
Philippines on January 1,
1983
 Batas Pambansa no. 8
 Benefits of Metrication

1. The metric system, or SI, is much easier to

learn, to remember, and to apply.
2. The metric system makes calculations far
simpler than in the English system.
3. There is uniformity in in measurement.
 The SI or Metric Units

 The SI is made up of seven base units plus other units derived from them.
Physical Quantity Unit Symbol Application Examples Conversion Factors

1. Length or distance – millimeter mm For small dimensions like thickness of a 1 km = 1000 m

the standard or base metal sheet, diameter of a test tube, etc. 1 m = 100 cm
unit is meter. 1 cm = 10 mm

centimeter cm For height and dimensions of the body,

laboratory materials or equipment, and for
very short distances.

meter m For measurement of larger objects like

cloth, buildings, and mountains

kilometer km For measuring longer distances

 The SI or Metric Units

Physical Quantity Unit Symbo Application Examples Conversion Factors

l
2. Area – derived square cm2 For measuring very small areas 1 ha = 10 000 m2
from the base unit centimeter 1 km2 = 1 000 000 m2
meter 1 m2 = 10 000 cm2

square m2 For measuring residential lots and floor

meter areas of buildings

square km2 For measuring very large areas like

kilometer those of a city, town, or province

hectare ha For measuring agricultural lands

 The SI or Metric Units
Physical Quantity Unit Symbol
3. Volume – also Liter – a non-SI L For volume or capacity of liquids such as
derived from the unit equivalent to
base unit meter. a cubic decimeter
(dm3), an SI unit
milliliter – non-SI mL
unit derived from
the liter which
represents the
volume of 1 cm3, a
derived SI unit
cubic meter m3
Application Examples Conversion Factors
1 L = 1 000 mL
gasoline, milk, and soft drinks 1 mL = 1 cm3
1 L = 1 dm3
1 m3 = 1 000 L
For volume or capacity of pharmaceuticals
and small volumes of liquids such as canned
juices, beer, soft drinks, and chemical
reagents
For larger volumes of liquids and solids such
as the monthly household consumption of
water
 The SI or Metric Units

Physical Quantity Unit Symbol Application Examples Conversion Factors

4. Mass – the kilogram kg For the mass of a person or other bigger 1 kg = 1 000 g
amount of matter objects. 1 g = 1 000 mg
in an object, 1 t = 1 000 kg
commonly called
weight. In science,
mass is different
from weight. gram g For smaller objects

tonne t For heavy machinery and equipment like

buses, cars, and truckloads of gravel or sand
 The SI or Metric Units

Physical Quantity Unit Symbol Application Examples Conversion Factors

5. Force and newton N For large forces or heavy objects 1 N = 100 000 dynes
weight –
units used to
express force
and weight dyne – a non- dyne For small forces or light objects
are derived SI unit
units. Weight
is the force of
gravitational
attraction on
a body
 The SI or Metric Units

Physical Quantity Unit Symbol Application Examples Conversion Factors

6. kelvin K For scientific measurement of

Temperature temperature
– the SI base
unit is kelvin
but degree Celsius °C For most commercial and
Celsius or everyday applications such as for
centigrade is body temperature and cooking
commonly
used.
 The SI or Metric Units

Physical Quantity Unit Symbol Application Examples Conversion Factors

7. Pressure – the pascal Pa For liquid or gas pressure 1 bar = 1 x 105 Pa
SI unit is newton 1 atm = 1.013 25 bar
per square 1 atm = 760 torr
meter / (N/m2) 1 atm = 101.325 kPa
and officially torr torr For liquid or gas pressure
called pascal.

atmosphere – a atm For liquid or gas pressure

non-SI unit

Bar – a non-SI unit bar For liquid or gas pressure

 The SI or Metric Units

Physical Quantity Unit Symbol Application Examples Conversion Factors

8. Density – kilogram per kg/L For measuring the mass of a

mass per unit liter body per liter of volume
volume

gram per g/mL For measuring the mass of a

milliliter body per milliliter of volume
 The SI or Metric Units

Physical Quantity Unit Symbol Application Examples Conversion Factors

9. Energy – the SI joule J For all forms of work or energy 1 kcal = 1 000 cal
unit is joule or 1 kcal = 4.184 x 103 J
kilogram meter 1 J = 0.238 9 cal
square per second 1 J = 1 x 107 erg
square () calorie cal For energy

kilocalorie kcal For energy

erg erg For energy

Metric Prefixes

The metric system includes many

prefixes that can be attached to a
unit. Each prefix is based on factors
of 10 (10, 100, 1,000, etc., as well as
0.1, 0.01, 0.001, etc.).
 Conversion of Units

1.From large to small unit

To convert from a large
to a small unit, multiply
the given number of
the large unit by the
number of small units
contained in one large
unit.
 Conversion of Units

1.From small to large unit

To convert from a small to a
large unit, divide the given
number of the small unit by
the number of small units
contained in one large unit.
 Using Scientific Notation with Physical Measurements

 Scientific notation is a way of writing numbers that are too large or small
to be conveniently written as a decimal.

 x is the value of the measurement with all placeholder zeros removed

 10y, which indicates the number of placeholder zeros in the measurement

 Placeholder zeros are those at the end of a number that is 10 or greater, and
at the beginning of a decimal number that is less than 1.
THALES. Activity 1.1: Conversion of Units

1. 508 g = ________ kg
2. 1 200 mL = _______ m 3

3. 10 m/s = _________ km/h

4. 0.05 g/mL = __________ kg/L
Activity 1.2: Scientific Notation

1. 98
2. 0.0026
3. 5.00 x 10-2
4. 7.2 x 103
5. 9 x 105
PYTHAGORAS. Activity 1.1: Conversion of
Units

1. 150 cm to m
2. 2100 cm3 to l
3. 4.6 ms to s
Activity 1.2: Scientific Notation

1. 6.455 x 104
2. 3.1 x 10-6
3. 0.0000401
4. 643.9
5. 816
LINNAEUS. Activity 1.1: Conversion of
Units

1. 360 mm to m
2. 1.2 GV to V
3. 6 721 millimeters to meters
Activity 1.2: Scientific Notation

1. 45800
2. 0.0068
3. 5600
4. 7.4 x 10-3
5. 9.3 x 102