Units and

Measurements
Learning Outcomes:

• Discuss the different system of measurements

• Solve problems involving units and conversions.
Units and Measurements

• Physics is an experimental science

• Experiments require measurements.
• Numbers are used to describe the results of
measurements
 Physical Quantities
• A physical quantity is any number that is used to
describe a physical phenomenon quantitatively

Length Time

• When we measure a quantity, we always compare it with

some reference standard.
• Such a standard defines a unit of the quantity. E.g., the
meter is a unit of distance and a second is a unit of time.
• When using a number to describe a physical quantity,
the unit must always be specified.
• For accurate, reliable measurements, we need units of
measurement that do not change and can be duplicated
by observers in various locations
 System of Units

The SI or Metric system

• The international system of units established by the
International Committee on Weights and Measures.
Such units are based on strict definitions and are the
only official units for physical quantities
• The system of units used by scientists and engineers
around the world is commonly called the “metric
system”, but since 1960, it is known as International
System, or SI (abbreviation for its French name, Système
International).
 Definition of Time

• The present standard was adopted in 1967.

• It is based on an atomic clock, which uses the energy
difference between the two lowest energy states of the
cesium atom. When bombarded by microwaves of
precisely the proper frequency, cesium atoms undergo a
transition from one of these states to the other.
• One second (abbreviated s) is defined as the time
required for 9,192,631,770 cycles of this microwave
radiation.
 Definition of Length
• In 1960 an atomic standard for the meter was also
established, using the wavelength of the orange-red light
emitted by atoms of krypton (86Xr) in a glow discharge tube.
• Using this length standard, the speed of light in a vacuum
was measured to be 299,792,458 m/s. In November 1983,
the length standard was changed again so that the speed of
light in a vacuum was defined to be precisely 299,792,458
m/s.
• The meter is defined to be consistent with this number and
with the definition of the second. Hence the new definition
of the meter (abbreviated m) is the distance that light travels
in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 second. This provides a much
more precise standard of length than the one based on a
wavelength of light.
 Definition of Mass

• The standard of mass, the kilogram (abbreviated kg), is

defined to be the mass of a particular cylinder of
platinum-iridium alloy kept at the International Bureau
of Weights and Measures at Sѐvres, near Paris.
 System of Units

The British system or US Customary Units

• These units are used only in the US and a few other
countries.
• British units are now officially defined in terms of SI
units:
1 inch = 2.54 cm (exactly)
1 pound = 4.448221615260 newtons (exactly)
• British units are only used in mechanics and
thermodynamics; there is no British system of
electrical units
Seven Fundamental Quantities and Units

Quantity Unit Symbol

Length Meter m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second s
Electric Current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Luminous Intensity Candela cd
Amount of Substance Mole mol
 Units of Prefixes

• In Metric system, units are are related to the fundamental units by

multiples of 10 or 1/10.
• Expressed in exponential form:
1 kilometer is 1000 meters = 103 m
1 centimeter is 1/100 m = 10-2 m
Units of Prefixes
 Units for Mechanics
In mechanics we use only three fundamental quantities: mass,
length, and time. An additional quantity, force, is derived from
these three.

Quantity SI unit USCS unit

Mass kilogram (kg) slug (slug)

Length meter (m) foot (ft)

Time second (s) second (s)

Force newton (N) pound (lb)

 Conversion of Units

Procedure for Converting Units:

1. Write down quantity to be converted.
2. Define each unit in terms of desired unit.
3. For each definition, form two conversion factors, one being the
reciprocal of the other.
4. Multiply the quantity to be converted by those factors that will
cancel all but the desired units
Example: Convert 12 in. to centimeters given that
1 in. = 2.54 cm.

Step 1: Write down quantity to be converted. 12 in.

Step 2. Define each unit in terms of 1 in. = 2.54 cm

desired unit.

Step 3. For each definition, form two

1 in./2.54 cm
conversion factors, one being the
reciprocal of the other. 2.54 cm/1 in
tep 4. Multiply by those factors that will
cancel all but the desired units. Treat unit
12 in. X 2.54 cm/1 in
symbols algebraically.
Sample Problem:

Official world land speed is 1228.0 km/h, set on Oct 15,

1997 by Andy Green in the jet engine car Thrust SSC.
Express this speed in meters per second.
Solution:
• Identify, Set-up
Convert speed from km/h to m/s
• Execute
Prefix k means 103, so the speed 1228.0 km/h = 1228.0  103
m/h. We know that there are 3600 s in
1 h. So we combine the speed of 1228.0  103 m/h and a
factor of 3600.
The correct approach is to carry the units with each factor.
Arrange the factor so that hour unit cancels:

 3 m  1 h 
1228.0 km/h = 1228.0  10   = 341.11 m/s
 h  3600 s 
Solution:

• Evaluate
While you probably have a good intuition for speeds in
kilometers per hour or miles per hour, speeds in meters per
second are likely to be a bit more mysterious. It helps to
remember that a typical walking speed is about I m/s: the
length of an average person's stride is about one meter,
and a good walking pace is about one stride per second. By
comparison, a speed of 341.11 m/s is rapid indeed!
Sample Problem:

The world's largest cut diamond is the First Star of

Africa (mounted in the British Royal Sceptre and kept
in the Tower of London). Its volume is 1.84 cubic
inches. What is its volume in cubic centimeters? In
cubic meters?
Solution:

• Identify,
To convert volume in cubic inches to cubic centimeters and
cubic meters
Solution:
• Execute
To convert cubic inches to cubic centimeters, we multiply by
[(2.54 cm)/(1 in.)]3, not just (2.54 cm)/(1 in.).

3
 2.54 cm 
1.84 in. = (1.84 in. )
3 3

 1 in. 
3 3
in. cm
= (1.84 )(2.54 ) 3
= 30.2 cm3
in.3
Also, 1 cm = 10− 2 m, and

( )
3 3
− 2 3 cm m
30.2 cm 3
= (30.2 ) 10 3
= 30.2  10− 6 m3
cm
Solution:

• Evaluate

Our answer shows that while 1 centimeter is 10-2 of a

meter, a cubic centimeter (1 cm3) is not 10-2 of a cubic
meter. Rather it is the volume of a cube whose sides are
1 cm long. So 1 cm3 = (1 cm)3 = (10-2 m)3 = (10-2)3 m3, or 1
cm3 = 10-6 m3.
 Uncertainty of Measurement
• Measurements always have uncertainties.
• All measurements are assumed to be approximate with
the last digit estimated.

The length in “mm”

0 1 2 here is written as:
1.43 mm

The last digit “3” is estimated as 0.3 of the interval

between 3 and 4
 Estimated Measurements (Cont.)

Length = 1.43 mm 0 1 2

The last digit is estimated, but is significant. It tells us the actual

length is between 1.40 mm and 1.50 mm. It would not be
possible to estimate yet another digit, such as 1.436.

This measurement of length can be given in three significant

digits—the last is estimated.
 Uncertainty of Measurements

• The uncertainty is also called the error because it indicates the

maximum difference there is likely to be between the measured
value and the true value. The uncertainty or error of a measured
value depends on the measurement technique used
• The accuracy of a measured value can be indicated by writing the
number, the symbol , and a number indicating the uncertainty of
the measurement.
• E.g., diameter of a steel rod is 56.470.02 mm, means the true
value will lie between 56.45 to 56.49 mm.
• A common shorthand notation is 56.47(0.02) mm.
 Significant Digits and Numbers
When writing numbers, zeros used ONLY to help in locating
the decimal point are NOT significant—others are. See
examples.

0.0062 cm 2 significant figures

4.0500 cm 5 significant figures

0.1061 cm 4 significant figures

50.0 cm 3 significant figures

50,600 cm 3 significant figures

 Rule 1. When approximate numbers are multiplied or
divided, the number of significant digits in the final answer
is the same as the number of significant digits in the least
accurate of the factors.

Example: 45 N
P= = 6.97015 N/m2
(3.22 m)(2.005 m)

Least significant factor (45) has only two (2) digits so only two
are justified in the answer.

The appropriate way to write P = 7.0 N/m2

the answer is:
Rule 2. When approximate numbers are added or
subtracted, the number of significant digits should
equal the smallest number of decimal places of any
term in the sum or difference.

Ex: 9.65 cm + 8.4 cm – 2.89 cm = 15.16 cm

Note that the least precise measure is 8.4 cm. Thus, answer
must be to nearest tenth of cm even though it requires 3
significant digits.

The appropriate way to write 15.2 cm

the answer is:
Example: Find the area of a metal plate that is
85.35 cm by 22 cm.

Example. Find the perimeter of the plate that is

85.35 cm long and 22.0 cm wide.
 Rounding Numbers
Remember that significant figures apply to your
reported result. Rounding off your numbers in the
process can lead to errors.

Rule: Always retain at least one more

significant figure in your calculations than the
number you are entitled to report in the
result.
 Rules for Rounding Numbers

Rule 1. If the remainder beyond the last digit to be reported is less

than 5, drop the last digit.

Rule 2. If the remainder is greater than 5, increase the final

digit by 1.

Rule 3. To prevent rounding bias, if the remainder is exactly 5,

then round the last digit to the closest even number.
 Scientific Notation
Scientific notation provides a short-hand method for expressing
very small and very large numbers.
−9
0.000000001 = 10 Examples:
−6
=
0.000001 10 93,000,000 mi = 9.30 x 107 mi
−3
0.001 = 10 0.00457 m = 4.57 x 10-3 m
1 = 100
876 m 8.76 x 102 m
=
1000 103
v= =
0.00370 s 3.70 x 10-3s
1,000,000 = 106
v = 3.24 x 105 m/s
1,000,000,000 = 109
Sample Problem:

• The rest energy E of an object with rest mass m is given

by Einstein’s equation E = mc2 where c is the speed
of light in a vacuum. Find E for an object with m =
9.1110-31 kg (to three significant figures, the mass of
an electron). The SI unit for E is the joule (J); 1 J = 1
kgm2/s2
Solution

Identify and Set-up:

Target variable is the energy E. We are given the

equation to use and the value of the mass m; the exact
value of the speed of light is
c = 299,792,458 m/s = 2.99792458108 m/s.
Solution:

• Execute:
Substitute values of m and c into Einstein’s equation,

(
E = 9.11  10 −31
)(
kg 2.99792458  10 m/s 8
)
2

= (9.11)(2.99792458) 10 2
( −31
)( )
10 kg • m /s 8 2 2 2

= (81.87659678) 10 (
−31+ (28 ) 2 2
kg • m /s )
E = 8.187658678  10−14 kg • m2 /s2

E = 8.19  10−14 kg • m2 /s2 = 8.19  10−14 J 3 sig fig

Solution:

• Evaluate

While the rest energy contained in an electron may seem

ridiculously small, on the atomic scale it is tremendous.
Compare our answer to 10-19 J, the energy gained or lost
by a single atom during a typical chemical reaction; the
rest energy of an electron is about 1,000,000 times
larger!
References:

• Physics by Paul E. Tippens

• University Physics by Young and Friedman

• Physics Principles with Applications by Douglas C.

Giancoli
end