My name is Dr. Aku Ibrahim.

A lecturer with the department of

Physics, Federal University of Technology Minna

I am the course lecturer for PHY 113 (Mechanics)

I wish you success in this course

 INTRODUCTION
PHY 113 is a 2 - credit unit course for students studying towards acquiring a
Bachelor of Technology in various disciplines.

Study Units
There are 5 modules and 17 study units in this course.
 Units and Measurements
Module One Unit 1 Units and dimensions
Unit 2 Space and time
Motion and Forces
Unit 1 Scalars and Vectors
Unit 2 Scalars and Vectors
Module Two
Unit 3 Newton’s laws of motion

Unit 4 Collision, momentum and Impulse

Unit 5 Work, Energy and Power

Circular Motion
Module Three Unit 1 Centripetal Force
Unit 2 Newtonian Gravitation
Unit 3 Circular Motion in Space
Rotation of Rigid bodies
Unit 1 Rotational Variables
Module Four Unit 2 Moment of Inertia
Unit 3 Conservation of Angular Momentum
Statics
Unit 1 Composition and resolution of forces
Module Five
Unit 2 Concurrent and parallel forces
Unit 3 Conditions for Equilibrium
Centre of Gravity for Component
Unit 4 Bodies and bodies from which part is
 Module 1
Units and Measurement

Unit 1. Units and Dimensions

Unit 2. Space and Time
 Physical Quantities

Do you know that all quantities in terms of which laws of physics are described, and whose
measurement is necessary are called physical quantities? Some very familiar examples of
physical quantities in Physics are time, length or distance, speed, acceleration, density to
mention just a few.

Units
Unit refers to a definite amount of a physical quantity. A standard unit should be easily
reproducible and internationally accepted. Examples of the units of physical quantities
mentioned above are second, meter, meter per second, meter per second square and kilogram per
meter cube respectively.

Units and Measurements

The comparison of any physical quantity with its standard unit is called measurement. A
measurement is incomplete without a physical quantity and its attached unit. For instance, 10
meters is a measurement for length while 20 seconds is the measurement for time. The unit of a
measurement helps one in identifying the physical quantity in question. Hence the need for
every student of Physics to know the unit of physical quantities.
 Fundamental Quantities & Fundamental Units

Those physical quantities that are independent to each other are called fundamental quantities and
their units are called fundamental units. Other quantities and units depend upon these
fundamental (or base) quantities and units for their respective definition.

Table 1 shows some fundamental quantities in mechanics, their respective SI units and symbols:

QUANTITY UNIT UNIT ABBREVIATION

(SYMBOL)
Length Metre m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second s
Temperature Kelvin K
Electric current Ampere A
Amount of substance Mole Mole
 Derived Quantities & Derived Units

Those physical quantities which are obtained from a combination of two or three
fundamental quantities are called derived quantities and their units are called derived
units.

Table 2 shows some important derived quantities, their derivations and unit abbreviations
QUANTITY DERIVATION UNITS
Area Length X Breath 𝑚2
Density 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 Kg/𝑚3
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
Velocity 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒ൗ m/s
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒
Force 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦ൗ m/𝑠 2
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒
Momentum Mass X Velocity Kgm/s
Energy or Work Force X Distance Nm
 Self-Assessment Exercise(s) 1

1. Which of the following are fundamental units?

a. kg b. kgm-3 c. s d. m3 e. Nm-2

2. Which of the units of the following physical quantities

are derived?
a. Area b. thrust . c. Pressure d. Mass
 Dimensional Analysis of Equation
The word dimension has a special meaning in physics. It usually denotes
the physical nature of a quantity. Whether a distance is measured in the
length unit feet or the length unit meters, it is still a distance. We say the
dimension, that is, the physical nature—of distance is length. The
symbols we use in this note to specify the three fundamental quantities in
mechanics which are length, mass, and time are L, M, and T, respectively.

We shall often use square brackets [ ] to denote the dimensions of a

physical quantity. Thus, the dimension of the three fundamental
quantities are [L], [M], and [T]. So, the dimensions of a physical quantity
means the way the quantity is related to the fundamental quantities.

We shall now use the above information and the knowledge of the
formula and units of quantities to compute the dimensions of such
quantities.
• The Dimension of Area, Volume, Speed
Acceleration and Force are computed as
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
follows: Acceleration = =
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒/𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒
Area = Length x Breath
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒
= [L] x [L] = [L]2 𝐿𝑇 −1
= = 𝐿𝑇 −2
𝑇

Volume = Length x Breath x Height

= [L] x [L] x [L] = [L]3 Force = Mass x Acceleration
= [M] x [𝐿𝑇 −2 ]
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐿 = [M 𝐿𝑇 −2 ]
Speed = = = 𝐿𝑇 −1
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑇
 Usefulness of Dimensional Analysis

1. Dimensional analysis help in determining whether an expression

or physical equation is correct or not. The relationship can be correct
only if the dimensions are the same on both sides of the equation.

2. Dimension can be used to generate equations. That is, to find the

relation between quantities
Dimensional analysis makes use of the fact that dimensions can be
treated as algebraic quantities. That is, quantities can be added or
subtracted only if they have the same dimensions. Furthermore, the
terms on both sides of an equation must have the same dimensions.
These simple rules, can be use to determine whether an expression is
dimensionally correct or not.
• Example
Taking the dimension of the Left Hand
Determine whether or not the equation below is Side, we have;
dimensionally correct.
S = ut ut = 𝐿𝑇 −1 × T
= 𝐿𝑇 −1+1 = L
Solution Both sides have same dimension of L,
As said earlier, the equation can be correct hence the equation is dimensionally
only if the dimensions are the same on correct.
both sides of the equation.
Taking the dimension of the Right Hand
Side

S= 𝐿
• Example Inserting their respective dimensions into
The speed of wave v, on a string depends on (1). We have;
mass m, length l, and tension T. Find the 𝐿𝑇 −1 = 𝑀𝑎 𝑙 𝑏 𝑀𝐶 𝑙 𝑐 𝑇 −2𝑐 (2)
relationship between these quantities To be dimensionally correct, each dimension
Solution in (2) must have same power on each side.
Firstly, we write out the dimension of
each of the physical quantities. For L, 1=b+c (3)
For M, 0 = a + c (4)
v = 𝐿𝑇 −1 , m = [M], For T, -1 = -2c (5)
1 1
l =[L] and T = [M 𝐿𝑇 −1 ] From (5), we obtain c = , 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 (4), a = -
2 2
1
and from (3), we obtain b =
The equation will now take the form 2
Substituting a, b and c into (1) to obtain
1
v 𝞪 𝑚𝑎 𝑙 𝑏 𝑇 𝑐 (1) v=
1 1
𝐾𝑚− Τ2 𝑙 Τ2 𝑇 2 (6)
where the power a, b and c are unknown Where k is an arbitrary constant.
As said earlier, the equation can be correct We can rewrite (6) as;
only if the dimensions are the same on 𝐿𝑇
v=k
𝑀
both sides of the equation.