Physical quantities: -

The quantities which can be measured by an instrument and by means of which we can describe the
laws of physics are called physical quantities. eg. length, velocity, acceleration, force, time, pressure,
mass, density etc.

Physical quantity = Numerical value x unit

P=n ⨉ u

Physical quantity is completely specified:

If it has

 Numerical value only (ratio); e.g. refractive index, dielectric constant etc.
 Magnitude only (scalar); e.g. mass, charge etc.
 Magnitude and Direction (vector); e.g. Displacement, torque etc.

Note: There are also some physical quantities which are not completely specified even by magnitude,
unit and direction. These physical quantities are called Tensors*. Ex. moment of Inertia , stress.

Physical quantities are of three types

Fundam ental Derived Supplem entary

or Quantities Quantities
Basic quantities

Fundamental Quantities: -
A set of physical quantities which are completely independent of each other and all other
physical quantities can be expressed in terms of these physical quantities are called Fundamental
Quantities.
The General Conference on weight and Measures, has chosen seven physical quantities as basic or
fundamental.

Fundamental quantities

Len gth Tim e M ass Tem perature E lectrical Lum in ous A m ount
(L) (T ) (M ) (K ) current Inte nsity of
(A ) (C d) S ubstance
(m ol)
Derived physical quantities
Physical quantities which can be expressed in terms of basic quantities (M,L,T....) are called derived
quantities.

i.e., Momentum P = mv = (m) = = M1 L1 T– 1

For example speed = , Density =

supplementary quantities
Besides seven fundamental quantities two supplementary quantities are also defined. They are

 Plane angle is the angle dθ which is the ratio of length of arc ds to the
radius r.

the S I unit is radian.

 Solid angle is the angle dΩwhich is the the ratio of

the intercepted area dA of the spherical surface,described about the apex O as the
centre, to
the square of its radius r.

The unit for the solid angle is steradian with the symbol sr .

Solid angle when A = R2, then = 1 steradian

Unit:
Measurement of any physical quantity is expressed in terms of an internationally accepted certain basic
standard called unit.

For the measurement of a physical quantity a definite magnitude of quantity is taken as

standard and the name given to this standard is called unit.

PROPERTIES OF UNIT

(a) The unit should be well-defined.

(b) The unit should be of some suitable size.

 (c) The unit should be easily reproducible.

(d) The unit should not change with time.

(e) The unit should not change with physical condition like pressure, temperature etc.

System of units:

There are three systems of units.

Name of system Fundamental unit of
Length Mass Time
F.P.S. Foot Pound Second
C.G.S. Centimetre Gram Second
M.K.S. (S.I.) Meter Kilogram Second

SI Units : In 1971 , an international Organization “CGPM” : (General Conference on weight and

Measure) decided the standard units, which are internationally accepted. These units are called
SI units (International system of units)

In physics SI system is based on seven fundamental and two supplementary units.

(i) Fundamental units :

S.No. Basic Physical Qty. Fundamental Unit Symbol
1. Mass kilogram kg
2. Length meter m
3. Time second s
4. Electric current ampere A
5. Temperature Kelvin K
6. Luminous intensity candela Cd
7. Quantity of matter mole Mol
(ii) Supplementary units:
S.No. Supplementary Physical Supplementary Symbol
Quantities unit
1. Plane angle Radian rad
2. Solid Angle Steradian sr

SI units of derived Quantities :

 Velocity =
So unit of velocity will be m/s

Acceleration = = =

Momentum = mv

so unit of momentum will be = (kg) (m/s) = kg m/s

Force = ma

Unit will be = (kg) × (m/s2) = kg m/s2 called newton (N)

Work = FS

unit = (N) × (m) = N m called joule (J)

Power =

Unit = J / s called watt (W)

5. Units of some physical Constants :

Unit of “Universal Gravitational Constant” (G)

F=  =

so unit of G =

Unit of specific heat capacity (s) :

Q = ms T

J = (kg) (S) (K)

Unit of s = J / kg K

Unit of 0 :
 force per unit length between two long parallel wires is: =

= Unit of 0 =

Dimensions of physical quantity:

 The dimensions of a physical quantity are the powers (or exponents) to
which the base
quantities are raised to represent that quantity.
 Note that using the square brackets[ ] round a quantity means that we
are dealing
with ‘the dimensions of’ the quantity.
 The nature of a physical quantity is described by its dimensions.
 The basic units are represented as :
Mass  M ; Distance  L ; Time  T
 Temperature  K ; Electric Current  A; Luminous Intensity  Cd ; Amount of
Substance  mol
Note :
1. A physical quantity may have a number of units but their dimensions would be same,

e.g. The units of velocity are: cms–1, ms–1, kms–1. But the dimensional formula is [M0L 1T-1]

2. Dimension does not depend on the unit of a quantity.

Height, width, radius, displacement etc. are a kind of length. So we can say that their dimension
is [L]
[Height]
[W idth]
[radius] [L]
[displacem ent]

here [Height] can be read as “Dimension of Height”

For rectangle
Area = Length × Width
So, dimension of area is [Area] = [Length] × [Width]
= [L] × [L]
 = [L2]

For circle
Area = r2

[Area] = [] [r2] = [1] [L2] = [L2]

Here  is not a kind of length or mass or time so  shouldn’t affect the dimension of
area.

Hence its dimension should be 1 (M0L0T0) and we can say that it is dimensionless.
From similar logic we can say that all the numbers are dimensionless.
[200]
[-1]
0 0 0
[3] [M L T ] = 1
Dim ensionless
 1
2
 

For cube
[Volume] = [Length] × [Width] × [Height]

=L×L×L = [L3]

For sphere

Volume = r3

[Volume] = [r3]

= (1) [L3] = [L3]

So dimension of volume will be always [L 3] whether it is volume of a cuboid or volume of

sphere.
Dimension of a physical quantity remains same and doesn’t depend on the formula we are
using for that quantity.
Principle of homogeneity
The magnitudes of physical quantities may be added together or
subtracted from one another only if they have the same dimensions.
In other words, we can add or subtract similar physical quantities.
Example: In any formula, (L + ) ,where L is length. As length can be added only to length,  should also
have the dimensions of length.

So [] = [L]

Ex. = Fv +

Find dimension formula for [] and [] ( here t = time, F = force, v = velocity, x = distance)

Sol. Since dimension of Fv = [Fv] =[M1L1T–2] [L1T–1] = [M1L2T – 3] ,

so should also be M1L2T– 3

= M1 L2T – 3

[] = M1L4T – 3

and will also have dimension M1L2T – 3 , so L.H.S. should also have the same
dimension M1L2T – 3

so = M1L 2T – 3

[] = M1L2T – 1

1. APPLICATIONS OF DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

(i) To find the unit of a physical quantity

Example-1 G = [M-1L3T-2]. Its SI unit is m3kg-1s-2 or Nm2kg-2.

(ii) To convert a physical quantity from one system of units to another system of
units
n1u1 = n2u2 … (1)

( Where ni and ui are numerical constant unit and dimension in a particular system)
Example-2 Let us convert value of g (i.e. 9.8 m/s2) from SI system to CGS system

From eq. no. 1 [ n1u1]in SI = [n2u2]in CGS

[n2]CGS =

= n1 

= 9.8 m/sec2 

= 9.8 
= 980

(iii) To check the correctness of a given physical relation

Based on principle of homogeneity, the dimensions on two sides must be same for a given
relation.

Example-3 Check dimensionally

Therefore,

If dimensions are same on both sides then the relation is dimensionally correct otherwise
incorrect.

(iv) To derive a relation

Example-4 Derive Planck’s length in terms of G, c and h, where G is gravitation constant, c

velocity of light and h is plank constant.
 L= f(G, c, h), L = KGxcyhz

[L] = [M-1L3T2]x [LT-2]y [ML2T-1]z

-x + y = 0, 3x + y + 2z = 1 and –2x – y – z = 0

Thus, L =

If K = 1 then L 10-35 m.

The importance of Plank’s length is yet to be established.

Limitations of dimensional Analysis:

(i) The dimensional analysis cannot be applied to derive relations other than product of power functions,

for example, s = ut + at2 or y = y0 cos t and so on, cannot be derived directly.

(ii) The dimensional analysis cannot be applied to derive those relations that involve more than 3
unknowns, however, we can use them to check the correctness of a relation even if variables are more
than 3.
(iii) Even if a physical quantity depends upon 3 quantities, out of which two have same dimension then
dimensional analysis cannot be applied to derive such a formula but can be used to check the relation.
(iv) Numerical constants, trigonometric ratios and ratios which are dimensionless cannot be derived.
Physical quantities having same dimensions may not be the same. For example [ML2T-2] is a dimensional
relation for torque as well as work or energy.