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Lecture 1 - Measurement

The document discusses measurement and units in physics. It introduces the International System of Units (SI) as the standard system used internationally. The SI units for length, mass, and time are defined. Conversion between units uses conversion factors in a chain-link method. Dimensional analysis ensures quantities have the same dimensions when added or subtracted. Examples show calculations of quantities like speed, density, and conversions between units like kilometers to miles.

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Marjorie Jean Anog
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14 views

Lecture 1 - Measurement

The document discusses measurement and units in physics. It introduces the International System of Units (SI) as the standard system used internationally. The SI units for length, mass, and time are defined. Conversion between units uses conversion factors in a chain-link method. Dimensional analysis ensures quantities have the same dimensions when added or subtracted. Examples show calculations of quantities like speed, density, and conversions between units like kilometers to miles.

Uploaded by

Marjorie Jean Anog
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MEASUREMENT

1.What is Physics?
2. Measuring Things
3. The International System of Units
4. Length
5. Time
6. Mass
7. Changing Units
8.Calculations with Uncertain Quantities
WHAT IS PHYSICS?
Physics is the study of the basic
components of the universe and
their interactions. Theories of
physics have to be verified by
the experimental measurements.
THE NATURE OF SCIENCE
 Observation: important first step toward scientific theory; requires
imagination to tell what is important
 Theories: created to explain observations; will make predictions
 Observations will tell if the prediction is accurate, and the cycle goes
on.
 No theory can be absolutely verified, although a theory can be proven
false.
THE NATURE OF SCIENCE
 How does a new theory get accepted?
• Predictions agree better with data
• Explains a greater range of phenomena
 Example: Aristotle believed that objects would return to a state of rest
once put in motion.
 Galileo realized that an object put in motion would stay in motion until
some force stopped it.
THE NATURE OF SCIENCE
 The principles of physics are used in many practical applications,
including construction. Communication between architects and
engineers is essential if disaster is to be avoided.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.


MODELS, THEORIES, AND
LAWS
 Models are very useful during the process of understanding phenomena.
A model creates mental pictures; care must be taken to understand the
limits of the model and not take it too seriously.
 A theory is detailed and can give testable predictions.
 A law is a brief description of how nature behaves in a broad set of
circumstances.
 A principle is similar to a law, but applies to a narrower range of
phenomena.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.


MEASUREMENT
 A scientific measurement requires:
(1) the definition of the physical quantity
(2) the units.
• The value of a physical quantity is actually the
product of a number and a unit .

• The precision of the measurement result is


determined by procedures used to measure
them.
BASIC MEASUREMENTS IN THE STUDY OF
MOTION

 Length: Our “How far?” question involves being


able to measure the distance between two points.

• Time: To answer the question, “How long


did it take?”

• Mass: Mass is a measure of “amount of


stuff.”
THE SYSTÈME INTERNATIONAL (SI) OF UNITS

 The SI, or metric system of units is the internationally


accepted system of units for measurement in all of the
sciences, including physics.

 The SI consists of base units and derived units:


(1) The set of base units comprises an irreducible set
of units for measuring all physical variables
(2) The derived units can be expressed in terms of the
base units
THE SI BASE UNITS
 Time: One second is the duration of 9.192631770 × 10 9 periods of
the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two
hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium-133 atom.
 Length: One meter is the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in a
time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second
Mass: One kilogram is the mass of this thing
(a platinum-iridium cylinder of
height=diameter=39 mm)

Atomic mass units (u)


UNITS, STANDARDS,
AND THE SI SYSTEM

 These are the standard SI prefixes for


indicating powers of 10. Many are familiar;
yotta, zetta, exa, hecto, deka, atto, zepto, and
yocto are rarely used.
CHANGING UNITS
In chain-link conversion, we multiply the original
measurement by one or more conversion factors. A conversion
factor is defined as a ratio of units that is equal to 1.

For example, because 1 mile and 1.61 kilometers are


identical distances, we have:
EXERCISE 1
 (a) Explain why it is correct to write 1 min/60 s = 1, but it is not
correct to write 1/60 = 1.
 (b) Use the relevant conversion factors and the method of chain-link
conversions to calculate how many seconds there are in a day .
 1 day = 24 hrs; 1hr = 60min; 1min=60s
 86400 s

 (c) New pipeline to supply water will be 1.2 km long. Staff put it on
both ends. There is already 0.492 km of pipeline put on one side and
53,500 cm from the other side. How many meters of pipeline have still
to be put ?
EXERCISE 2
 The cran is a British volume unit for freshly caught
herrings: 1 cran=170.474 liters (L) of fish, about 750
herrings. Suppose that, to be cleared through customs
in Saudi Arabia, a shipment of 1255 crans must be
declared in terms of cubic covidos, where the covido
is an Arabic unit of length: 1 covido=48.26 cm . What
is the required declaration?

 Crans to L to cm3 to cubic covido


DIMENSIONS AND
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
 Dimensions of a quantity are the base units that make it up; they are
generally written using square brackets.
 Example: Speed = distance/time
 Dimensions of speed: [L/T]
 Quantities that are being added or subtracted must have the same
dimensions. In addition, a quantity calculated as the solution to a
problem should have the correct dimensions.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.


DIMENSIONS AND
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
 Dimensional analysis is the checking of dimensions of all quantities in
an equation to ensure that those which are added, subtracted, or equated
have the same dimensions.
 Example: Is this the correct equation for velocity?

Check the dimensions:

Wrong!
The correct equation is
DENSITY
The density ρ of a material is the mass per unit volume:
EXERCISE 3
 You have a rock with a volume of 15cm3 and a mass of 45 g.
What is its density in kg/m3?

 In a recent Grand Prix, the winner completed the race with an


average speed of 229.8 km/h. What was the speed in miles per
hour, meters per second, and feet per second?

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