Chapter - 1

UNITS AND MEASUREMENTS

PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
All those quantities which can be measured directly or indirectly and in terms of which the laws
of physics can be expressed are called physical quantities.
Examples:-length, mass, temperature, speed, etc.
Physical quantities are of two types
(i) Fundamental quantities –The physical quantities which can be treated as independent of
other physical quantities are called fundamental quantities.

Sl. No. Physical Quantity Symbol SI Unit Dimension

1 Mass m kg M
2 Length l m L
3 Time t s T
4 Temperature T K K
5 Electric current I A A
6 Amount of matter n mol mol
7 Luminous Intensity Iv cd J

(ii) Derived quantities – The physical quantities which are derived from fundamental quantities
are called derived quantities.
Sl. No. Physical Quantity Symbol SI Unit Dimension
1 Velocity v ms-1 [LT-1]
2 Acceleration a ms-2 [LT-2]
3 Force F N (kg ms-2) [MLT-2]
4 Pressure/Stress P Pa (kg m-1s-2) [ML-1T-2]
5 Modulus of elasticity Y Pa (kg m-1s-2) [ML-1T-2]
6 Surface Tension σ kg s-2 [MT-2]
7 Coefficient of Viscosity η Pa-s (N s m-2) [ML-1T-1]
8 Torque τ Nm [ML2T-2]
9 Plank Constant k Js [ML2T-1]
10 Moment of Inertia I Kg m2 [ML2]
11 Angular velocity ω Rad s-1 [T-1]
etc…

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PHYSICAL UNIT
The standard amount of a physical quantity chosen to measure the physical quantity of the same
kind is called a physical unit.
Physical units are of two types
(i) Fundamental units – The physical units which can neither be derived from one another, nor they
can be further resolved into simpler units are called fundamental units.
(ii) Derived units - All the other physical units which can be expressed in terms of the fundamental
units are called derived units.

SYSTEMS OF UNITS
A complete set of units which is used to measure all kinds of fundamental and derived quantities is
called a system of units.
(i) cgs system
(ii) fps system
(iii) mks system
(iv) SI : The international system of units

Some common practical units of Mass;

1 Plank mass (mp) = 2.18 x 10-8 kg 1 amu = 1 u = 1.66 x 10-27 kg
1 µg = 10-9 kg 1 mg = 10-6 kg
1 g = 10-3 kg 1 ounce (oz) = 0.02834 kg
1 slug = 14.57 kg 1 pound = 1 lb = 0.4536 kg
1 quintal (q)= 102 kg
1 tonne or 1 metric ton (t) = 103 kg
1 Chandrashekhar limit = 1 CSL = 1.4 time the mass of the sun

Some common practical units of Length;

1 Plank length (lp)= 1.6 x 10-35 m 1 femtometer (fm) = 1 fermi = 10-15 m
1 picometer (pm) = 10-12 m 1 angstrom (Å) = 10-10 m
1 nm = 10-9 m 1 μm = 10-9 m
1 inches (in) = 0.0254 m 1 foot (ft) = 12 in = 0.3048 m
1 yard (yd)= 3 feet = 0.9144 m
1 mile (mi) = 1.60934 km = 1609.34 m
1 nautical mile (NM) = 1.852 km =1852 m
1 light year (ly) = 9.467 x 1015 m
1 astronomical unit (AU) = 1.496 x 1011 m
1 parallactic second (parsec) = 3.08 x 1016 m = 3.26 ly

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Some common practical units of time;
1 Plank time (tp) = 5.4×10-44 s (The Planck time is the time it takes for a photon to travel a distance
equal to the Planck length)
1 femtosecond (fs) = 10-15 s 1 picosecond (ps) = 10-12 s
1 nanosecond (ns) = 10-12 s 1 shake = 10-8 s
1 microsecond (µs) = 10-6 s 1 millisecond (ms) = 10-12 s
1 decasecond (das) = 10 s 1 minute (min) = 60 s
1 hectosecond (hs) = 102 s 1 kilosecond (ks) = 103 s

Solar day – It is the time taken by the earth to complete one rotation about its own axis w.r.t. the
Sun
Sedrial day – It is the time taken by the earth to complete one rotation about its own axis w.r.t. a
distant star.
1 solar year = 365.25 average solar days = 366.25 sedrial days
Tropical year – The year in which there is total solar eclipse is called tropical year.
Leap year –The year which is divisible by 4 and in which the month of February has 29 days is
called a leap year.
Lunar month – It is the time taken by the moon to complete one revolution around the earth in its
orbit.
1 lunar month = 27.3 days

DIMENSIONS OF A PHYSICAL QUANTITY

The dimensions of a physical quantity are the powers (or exponents) to which the fundamental
quantities must be raised to represent that quantity completely.
Dimensional equation: The equation obtained by equating a physical quantity with its dimensional
formula is called the dimensional equation of the given physical quantity.

Types of variables and constants:

(i) Dimensional variables – The physical quantities which possess dimensions and have variable
values are called dimensional variables. Examples – Area, volume, velocity, force etc.
(ii) Dimensionless variables – The physical quantities which have no dimensions but have variable
values are called dimensionless variables. Examples – Angle, specific gravity, strain, etc.
(iii) Dimensional constants – The physical quantities which possess dimensions and have constant
values are called dimensional constants. Examples – Gravitational constant, Planks’ constant, etc.
(iv) Dimensionless constants – The constant quantities having no dimensions are called
dimensionless constants. Examples – π, e, etc.

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APPLICATIONS OF DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
The method of studying a physical phenomenon on the basis of dimensions is called dimensional
analysis.
(i) To check the correctness of a given physical relation
(ii) To derive a relationship between different physical quantities
(iii) To convert one system of unit to another (Not in the syllabus)

(i) To check the correctness of a given physical relation: (Refer Notebook and worksheet for
examples)
Principle of homogeneity of dimensions – According to this principle, a physical equation will be
dimensionally correct if the dimensions of all the terms occurring on both sides of the equation are the
same.

(ii) To derive a relationship among different physical quantities: (Refer Notebook and worksheet for
examples)
By making use of the homogeneity of dimensions, we can derive an expression for a physical
quantity if we know the various factors on which it depends.

Limitations of the method of dimensions:

(i) The method does not give any information about the dimensionless constant K.
(ii) It fails when a physical quantity depends on more than three physical quantities.
(iii)It fails when a physical quantity is the sum or difference of two or more quantities.
(iv) It fails to derive relationships which involve trigonometric, logarithmic or exponential functions.
(v) The method becomes more complicated when dimensional constants like G, h, etc. are involved.

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
The significant figures are normally those digits in a measured quantity which is known reliably
or about which we have confidence in our measurement plus one additional digit that is uncertain.
Rules for determining the number of significant figures:
1. All non-zero digits are significant
2. All zeros between two non-zero digits are significant
3. All zeros to the right of a non-zero digit but to the left of an understood decimal point are not
significant.
4. All zeros to the right of a non-zero digit but to the left of a decimal point are significant.
5. All zeros to the right of a decimal point are significant.
6. All zeros to the right of a decimal point but to the left of a non-zero digit are not significant.
7. The number of significant figures does not depend on the system of units.

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