UNIT NO #01

(MEASUREMENT)

CONCEPTUAL QUSTIONS
Q1:For an answer to be complete the units need to
be specified. Why ?
STATEMENT
For an answer to be completed, the units need to
be specified due to the following reason.
REASON
A physical quantity can be measured and explained
by a number along with a proper unit. A number
without specific unit is senseless, meaningless and
non-understandable. for complete sense of
information the unit must need to be specified.
EXAMPLE
I ask someone to find his height and he report the
answer to be 7.2. Now here the unit is not specified
and 7.2 does not gives any idea about the height . If
he reports 7.2 feet then the answer will be
complete and clear .
CONCLUSION
Therefore for a clear information the units must be
mentioned to complete the answer .

Q2:What are the advantages of using international

system of units?
DEFINITION
A system of units which defines complete set of
units for the measurement of all physical
quantities is called international system of units.
IMPORTANCE
International system plays important role in the
measurement of physical quantities. Some
importance are given below.
∙RATIONAL SYSTEM
It is a rational system because it defines only one
unit for a specific physical quantity .
∙COHERENT SYSTEM
It is a coherent system which means that all
physical quantities can be obtained from base
physical quantities .
∙METRIC SYSTEM
the multiples and sub multiples can be expressed
interm of power of ten .Therefore is a metric
system.
∙COMMON SYSTEM
It is internationally accepted system, so it is
common all over the world.

Q3:How many radians account for circumference of

a circle? How many steradians account for
circumference of a sphere?
RADIAN
"The plane angle subtended at the center of a
circle by an arc equal to the radius of the circle is
called radian"
Number of radians account for circumference
of a circle
as we know that the plane angle
θ= s/r
circumference of a complete circle = s =2πr
θ= 2πr/r
θ= 2π rad
there will be "2π rad" in a complete circle.
STERADIAN
"The solid angle subtended at the center of a
sphere by an area of the sphere equal to the square
of the radius of the sphere is called steradian"
number of steradians account for circumference of
a sphere
as we know that the solid angle
Ω= A/r2
the surface area of complete sphere = A =4πr2
Ω= 4πr2/r2
Ω= 4π sr
there will be "4π sr" in a complete sphere.
Q4 :What is least count error ?How can least count
error be reduced ?
LEAST COUNT
the minimum value that can be measured by a
device is called least count.
LEAST COUNT ERROR
The error related to the least count of an
instrument is called least count error.
OR
The error associated with the resolution of an
instrument is called least count error .
REDUCTION OF LEAST COUNT
Least count error can be reduced by applying
correction factor and by using more precise and
sensitive device having smaller least count .

Q5 :Why including more digits in answers, does not

make it more accurate ?
STATEMENT
Including more digits in answers does not make it
more accurate due to following reason.
REASON
Accuracy is the consistency of measured value to
actual value .The accuracy of a measurement can
describe by number of significant figures in a
measurement. greater the number of significant
figures more will be the accuracy and vice versa ,so
it does not depends upon the number of digits in a
measurement.
EXAMPLE
If the actual mass of an object is 50kg .Then 49.8
kg is obliviously more accurate than 48.2684 kg.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion we can concluded that
why including more digits in answers does not
make it more accurate .
Q6 :What determines the precision of a
measurement?
PRECISION
The consistency of different measured values to
each other is called precision
DETERMINATION OF PRECISION
The precision of a measurement highly depends
upon least count , sensitivity , absolute uncertainity
and no of decimal place. Hence precision of a
measurement can be determine by least count ,
sensitivity ,absolute uncertainity and no of decimal
places.
precision α sensitivity of instrument.
precision α decimal place
precision α 1 /absolute uncertainity
precision α 1 / least count

Q7 :If two quantities have different dimensions, is

it possible to multiply or divide. Can add or subtract
them?
STATEMENT
Yes , two quantities of different dimensions can
be multiply and divided , but we can not add or
subtract them due to the following reason.
REASON
The multiplication or division of two physical
quantities of different dimensions result into a new
physical quantity
For example the product of mass and velocity
can result into momentum while the division of
distance and time result into a speed.
On the other hand according to principle of
homogeneity we can add / subtract only those
physical quantities which are dimensionally
inhomogeneous .
For example Length with Length, mass with mass
but we can not add/ subtract mass with length.
CONCLUSION
As from the above reason we can concluded that
we can multiply / divided two physical quantities
of different diemensions,but it is impossible to add
or subtract them
Q8 :The human pulse and the swing of a
pendulum are possible time units, Why are they not
often used?
STATEMENT
Human pulse and the swing of pendulum are
possible time units but they are not often used due
to the following reason.
REASON
Any repetitive phenomenon occurring naturally
can be considered as a unit of time.
For example revolution of earth, human pulse and
time period of swinging pendulum.
We need an ideal standard for a measurement
which has two characteristics, it will be accessible
and invariant, human pulse and time period of
swinging pendulum do not fulfill this criteria
Because human pulse change from person to
person and also change with mood, age, health etc.
of a single person. Similarly the time period of
swinging pendulum depends upon the length of a
pendulum and gravitational acceleration both
change with environmental changes.
CONCLUSION
Human pulse and time period of swinging
pendulum are possible time units but due to
variance in their nature they are not often used.
Q9:If an equation is dimensionally correct, is that
equation is right a equation?
STATEMENT
If an equation is dimensionally correct that
equation may or may not be a right equation due
to the given reason.
REASON
According to principle of homogeneity a
physically correct equation will be inhomogeneous
dimensionally, so every physically correct equation
will be correct dimensionally but every
dimensionally correct equation will not be correct
physically. Because dimension does not provides
any information about constants involved in a
physical equation. The equation K.E = 7/5 mv2 is
correct dimensionally but not physically.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion we can concluded that
every physically correct equation will be correct
dimensionally but every dimensionally correct
equation will not be correct physically.
(‫(لوگوں میں سب بہتر وہ ہے جو دوسروں کو نفع پہنچائے‬
"BY:ABID ALI AFKAR''
(lecturer in physics at the right future college takht bhai)

written by "MUHAMMAD MAAZ KHAN"

(class;1st year pre-engineering)