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Unit and Dimensions-Dimension Formula
Introduction: Units and Measurement
The process of measurement is required to measure or compare physical quantities in day to
day life. Thus, to measure each of the standard quantities, we choose certain units for them that
are accepted worldwide. Other similar quantities can also be expressed in tems of these units
and can be measured accordingly. The physical quantities are measured in terms of the unit and
are known as a standard of that physical quantity. Thus to express any measurement done, we
need the numerical value (n) and the unit (js) of it
Measured physical quantity = Numerical value x Unit
For example, Length of any given rod = 6m
where 6 is a numerical value and m (meter) is a unit of length,
Fundamental and DerivedPhysical Quantities
Fundamental quantities are those elementary physical quantities that do not require any other
physical quantity to express them. In other words, these cannot be resolved further in terms of
any other physical quantity. Thus fundamental quantities are known as basic physical quantities.
The units used to express these fundamental physical quantities are called fundamental units.
Mass, Length, and Time expressed in kilogram, meter and second respectively ate fundamental
units. All those physical quantities which can be expressed in terms of basic physical quantities
or are derived from the combination of two or more fundamental quantities are termed as the
derived physical quantities. For example, units of velocity, force are m/s and kgm/s2 respectively
and they are examples of derived units.
Definitions of Fundamental Units
There are seven fundamental units of SI. These have been defined as:Vedaniti,
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1.1 meter is defined as the distance that contains 1650763.73 wavelengths of orange-red
light of atom Kr-8.
2.1 kilogram is defined in terms of a cylindrical prototype of mass made of platinum and
iridium alloys of height 39 mm and diameter 39 mm. Also, it can be defined as a mass of
5.0188 x 1025 atoms of carbon-12.
3.1 second is defined as the time in which a cesium atom vibrates 9192631770 times in an
atomic clock.
4.1 kelvin is defined as the temperature at which (1/273.16) part of the thermodynamics
temperature of the triple point of water.
5.1 candela is (1/60) luminous intensity of an ideal source by an area of cm’ when the source
is at the melting point of platinum (1760°C)
6.1 ampere is the current which is maintained in two straight parallel conductors of infinite
length and almost negligible cross-section area placed one meter apart in a vacuum and
producing force of a force 2 x 10°” N per meter length between them.
7.1 mole is defined as the amount of substance of a system which contains as many as
elementary entities ( atoms, molecules, ions, electrons or group of particles, as this and
atoms in 0.012 kg of carbon isotope 6C12.
System of Units
Earlier there were three different systems of units which were used in other countries. These
were CGS, FPS, and MKS systems. But nowadays, the whole world is adopting the intemational
SI system of units. In this system of units, seven quantities are taken as the base quantities.
In CGS System Centimetre, Gram and Second are used for expressing length, mass, and time
respectively. In the FPS System. Foot, pound, and second are used to express the quantities
length, mass, and time respectively. While in MKS System, Length is expressed in meter, mass is
expressed in kilograms, and time in second
In the Standard units system Length, mass, time, electric current, thermodynamic temperature,
Amount of substance, and luminous intensity are expressed in units: metre, kilogram, second,
ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela respectively.
Dimensions and Dimensional FormulaLear NEOnlne
Dimensions of the physical quantity are the power to which the base quantities are raised to
represent that quantity. The dimensional formula of any physical quantity is an expression that
represents how and which of the base quantities are included in that quantity. It is written by
enclosing the symbols for base quantities with appropriate power in square brackets i.e().
Eg: Dimension formula of mass is: (M)
The equation obtained by equating a physical quantity with its dimensional formula is called a
dimensional equation
When a physical quantity X depends on base dimensions M(Mass), L(Length) and T(Time),
Temperature, current electricity, luminous intensity, and amount of substance with respective
powers a, b and c, its dimensional formula is represented as [M°L°T"]
+ Dimensional formula of Velocity is [M°LT"]
* Dimensional formula of Volume is [M°L°T"]
* Dimensional formula of Force is [MLT?]
* Dimensional formula of Area is [M°L?T4]
* Dimensional formula of Density is [ML°T%]Lear NEOnlne
Physical Quantity
Dimensional Equation
Force (F) F=(MiT4
Power (P) P=(MLT
Velocity (v) v =[MLT]
Density (0) D=([MUTY
Energy (E) E=(MUVT]
Pressure (P) P=[MU'Ty
Time Period of wave T = [MT]
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