1.

Physical Quantities & Units

CONTENTS
Physical Quantities & Units
Physical Quantities
SI Units
Homogeneity of Physical Equations & Powers of Ten
Scalars & Vectors
Measurements & Errors
Errors & Uncertainties
Calculating Uncertainties
Measurement Techniques

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1.1 Physical Quantities & Units

1.1.1 Physical Quantities

Speed and velocity are examples of physical quantities; both can be measured
All physical quantities consist of a numerical magnitude and a unit
In physics, every letter of the alphabet (and most of the Greek alphabet) is used to
represent these physical quantities
These letters, without any context, are meaningless
To represent a physical quantity, it must contain both a numerical value and the
unit in which it was measured
The letter v be used to represent the physical quantities of velocity, volume or
voltage
The units provide the context as to what v refers to
If v represents velocity, the unit would be m s–1
If v represents volume, the unit would be m 3
If v represents voltage, the unit would be V

All physical quantities must have a numerical magnitude and a unit

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There are important physical quantities to learn in physics
It is useful to know these physical quantities, they are particularly useful when
making estimates
A few examples of useful quantities to memorise are given in the table below (this
is by no means an exhaustive list)

Estimating Physical Quantities Table

Worked Example
Estimate the energy required for an adult man to walk up a fl ight of stairs.

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Exam Tip
The mark scheme for calculations involving estimates are normally quite
generous and offer a range of values as the fi nal answer. Some common
estimates are:

Mass of an adult = 70 kg
Gravitational fi eld strength, g = 10 m s-2
Mass of a car = 1500 kg
Wavelength of visible light = 400 nm (violet) – 700 nm (red)

Many values are already given in your data booklet that therefore may not be
given in the question, so make sure to check there too!

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1.1.2 SI Units

There is a seemingly endless number of units in Physics

These can all be reduced to six base units from which every other unit can be
derived
These seven units are referred to as the SI Base Units; this is the only system of
measurement that is officially used in almost every country around the world

SI Base Quantities Table

Exam Tip
You will only be required to use the fi rst fi ve SI base units in this course, so
make sure you know them!

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Derived units are derived from the seven SI Base units
The base units of physical quantities such as:
Newtons, N
Joules, J
Pascals, Pa, can be deduced

To deduce the base units, it is necessary to use the definition of the quantity
The Newton (N), the unit of force, is defined by the equation:
Force = mass × acceleration
N = kg × m s–2 = kg m s–2
Therefore, the Newton (N) in SI base units is kg m s–2

The Joule (J), the unit of energy, is defined by the equation:

Energy = ½ × mass × velocity 2
J = kg × (m s–1)2 = kg m2 s–2
Therefore, the Joule (J) in SI base units is kg m2 s–2

The Pascal (Pa), the unit of pressure, is defined by the equation:

Pressure = force ÷ area
Pa = N ÷ m2 = (kg m s–2) ÷ m 2 = kg m–1 s–2
Therefore, the Pascal (Pa) in SI base units is kg m–1 s–2

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1.1.3 Homogeneity of Physical Equations & Powers of Ten

An important skill is to be able to check the homogeneity of physical equations

using the SI base units
The units on either side of the equation should be the same
To check the homogeneity of physical equations:
Check the units on both sides of an equation
Determine if they are equal
If they do not match, the equation will need to be adjusted

How to check the homogeneity of physical equations

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Physical quantities can span a huge range of values
For example, the diameter of an atom is about 10–10 m (0.0000000001 m),
whereas the width of a galaxy may be about 1021 m (1000000000000000000000
m)
This is a diff erence of 31 powers of ten
Powers of ten are numbers that can be achieved by multiplying 10 times itself
It is useful to know the prefi xes for certain powers of ten

Powers of Ten Table

Exam Tip
You will often see very large or very small numbers categorised by powers of
ten, so it is very important you become familiar with these as getting these
prefi xes wrong is a very common exam mistake!

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1.1.4 Scalars & Vectors

A scalar is a quantity which only has a magnitude (size)

A vector is a quantity which has both a magnitude and a direction
For example, if a person goes on a hike in the woods to a location which is a
couple of miles from their starting point
As the crow fl ies, their displacement will only be a few miles but the distance
they walked will be much longer

Displacement is a vector while distance is a scalar quantity

Distance is a scalar quantity because it describes how an object has travelled

overall, but not the direction it has travelled in
Displacement is a vector quantity because it describes how far an object is from
where it started and in what direction
There are a number of common scalar and vector quantities

Scalars and Vectors Table

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Exam Tip
Do you have trouble figuring out if a quantity is a vector or a scalar? Just
think - can this quantity have a minus sign? For example - can you have
negative energy? No. Can you have negative displacement? Yes!

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 Vectors are represented by an arrow
The arrowhead indicates the direction of the vector
The length of the arrow represents the magnitude

Vectors can be combined by adding or subtracting them from each other

There are two methods that can be used to combine vectors: the triangle method
and the parallelogram method
To combine vectors using the triangle method:
Step 1: link the vectors head-to-tail
Step 2: the resultant vector is formed by connecting the tail of the first vector
to the head of the second vector

To combine vectors using the parallelogram method:

Step 1: link the vectors tail-to-tail
Step 2: complete the resulting parallelogram
Step 3: the resultant vector is the diagonal of the parallelogram

When two or more vectors are added together (or one is subtracted from the
other), a single vector is formed and is known as the resultant vector

Vector Addition

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Vector Subtraction

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Condition for Equilibrium
Coplanar forces can be represented by vector triangles
In equilibrium, these are closed vector triangles. The vectors, when joined
together, form a closed path

If three forces acting on an object are in equilibrium; they form a closed triangle

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Two vectors can be represented by a single resultant vector that has the same
eff ect
A single resultant vector can be resolved and represented by two vectors, which in
combination have the same eff ect as the original one
When a single resultant vector is broken down into its parts, those parts are called
components
For example, a force vector of magnitude F and an angle of θ to the horizontal is
shown below

It is possible to resolve this vector into its horizontal and vertical components
using trigonometry

For the horizontal component, Fx = Fcosθ

For the vertical component, Fy = Fsin θ

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 1.2 Measurements & Errors
1.2.1 Errors & Uncertainties

Measurements of quantities are made with the aim of finding the true value of that
quantity
In reality, it is impossible to obtain the true value of any quantity, there will always
be a degree of uncertainty
The uncertainty is an estimate of the diff erence between a measurement reading
and the true value
Random and systematic errors are two types of measurement errors which lead to
uncertainty

Random error
Random errors cause unpredictable fl uctuations in an instrumentʼs readings as a
result of uncontrollable factors, such as environmental conditions
This aff ects the precision of the measurements taken, causing a wider spread of
results about the mean value
To reduce random error: repeat measurements several times and calculate an
average from them

Systematic error
Systematic errors arise from the use of faulty instruments used or from fl aws in the
experimental method
This type of error is repeated every time the instrument is used or the method is
followed, which aff ects the accuracy of all readings obtained
To reduce systematic errors: instruments should be recalibrated or the technique
being used should be corrected or adjusted

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 Representing precision and accuracy on a graph

Zero error
This is a type of systematic error which occurs when an instrument gives a reading
when the true reading is zero
This introduces a fi xed error into readings which must be accounted for when the
results are recorded

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Precision of a measurement: this is how close the measured values are to each
other; if a measurement is repeated several times, then they can be described as
precise when the values are very similar to, or the same as, each other
The precision of a measurement is refl ected in the values recorded -
measurements to a greater number of decimal places are said to be more precise
than those to a whole number
Accuracy: this is how close a measured value is to the true value; the accuracy can
be increased by repeating measurements and fi nding a mean average

The difference between precise and accurate results

Exam Tip
It is very common for students to confuse precision with accuracy -
measurements can be precise but not accurate if each measurement reading
has the same error. Precision refers to the ability to take multiple readings
with an instrument that are close to each other, whereas accuracy is the
closeness of those measurements to the true value.

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1.2.2 Calculating Uncertainties

There is always a degree of uncertainty when measurements are taken; the

uncertainty can be thought of as the diff erence between the actual reading taken
(caused by the equipment or techniques used) and the true value
Uncertainties are not the same as errors
Errors can be thought of as issues with equipment or methodology that cause
a reading to be diff erent from the true value
The uncertainty is a range of values around a measurement within which the
true value is expected to lie, and is an estimate

For example, if the true value of the mass of a box is 950 g, but a systematic error
with a balance gives an actual reading of 952 g, the uncertainty is ±2 g
These uncertainties can be represented in a number of ways:
Absolute Uncertainty: where uncertainty is given as a fixed quantity
Fractional Uncertainty: where uncertainty is given as a fraction of the
measurement
Percentage Uncertainty: where uncertainty is given as a percentage of the
measurement

To fi nd uncertainties in diff erent situations:

The uncertainty in a reading: ± half the smallest division
The uncertainty in a measurement: at least ±1 smallest division
The uncertainty in repeated data: half the range i.e. ± ½ (largest - smallest value)
The uncertainty in digital readings: ± the last signifi cant digit unless otherwise
quoted

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 How to calculate absolute, fractional and percentage uncertainty

Combining Uncertainties
The rules to follow
Adding / subtracting data – add the absolute uncertainties

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Multiplying / dividing data – add the percentage uncertainties

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Raising to a power – multiply the uncertainty by the power

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1.2.3 Measurement Techniques

Common instruments used in Physics are:

Metre rules - to measure distance and length
Balances - to measure mass
Protractors - to measure angles
Stopwatches - to measure time
Ammeters - to measure current
Voltmeters - to measure potential diff erence

More complicated instruments such as the micrometer screw gauge and Vernier
calipers can be used to more accurately measure length

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When using measuring instruments like these you need to ensure that you are fully
aware of what each division on a scale represents
This is known as the resolution

The resolution is the smallest change in the physical quantity being measured that
results in a change in the reading given by the measuring instrument
The smaller the change that can be measured by the instrument, the greater the
degree of resolution
For example, a standard mercury thermometer has a resolution of 1°C whereas a
typical digital thermometer will have a resolution of 0.1°C

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 The digital thermometer has a higher resolution than the mercury
thermometer

Measuring Instruments Table

Micrometer Screw Gauge

A micrometer, or a micrometer screw gauge, is a tool used for measuring small
widths, thicknesses or diameters
For example, the diameter of a copper wire

It has a resolution of 0.01 mm

The micrometer is made up of two scales:
The main scale - this is on the sleeve (sometimes called the barrel)
The thimble scale - this is a rotating scale on the thimble

The spindle and anvil are closed around the object being measured by rotating the ratchet
This should be tight enough so the object does not fall out but not so tight that is deformed
Never tighten the spindle using the barrel , only using the ratchet. This will reduce the chances
of overtightening and zero errors

The value measured from the micrometer is read where the thimble scale aligns with the main scale
This should always be recorded to 2 decimal places (eg. 1.40 mm not just 1.4
mm)

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 How to operate a micrometer

Vernier Calipers
Vernier calipers are another distance measuring tool that uses a sliding vernier
scale
They can also be used to measure diameters and thicknesses, just like the
micrometer
However, they can also measure the length of small objects such as a screw or
the depth of a hole

Vernier calipers generally have a resolution of 0.1 mm, however, some are as
small as 0.02 mm - 0.05 mm
The calipers are made up of two scales:
The main scale
The vernier scale

The two upper or lower jaws are clamped around the object
The sliding vernier scale will follow this and can be held in place using the
locking screw

The value measured from the caliper is read when the vernier scale aligns with the
main scale

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 This should always be recorded to at least 1 decimal place (eg. 12.1 mm not
just 12 mm)

The vernier caliper reading is read when the vernier scale aligns with the main scale

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