Physical Quantities

Quantitative versus qualitative

• Most observation in physics are quantitative
• Descriptive observations (or qualitative) are usually imprecise
Qualitative Observations Quantitative Observations
How do you measure What can be measured with the
artistic beauty? instruments on an aeroplane?
Physical Quantities

• A physical quantity is one that can be measured

and consists of a magnitude and unit.
Measuring length

70 4.5 m
km/h


SI units are
used in
Scientific
works
Physical Quantities

Are classified into two types:

• Base quantities
• Derived quantities Derived quantity
Base quantity For example : is like
For example : is like the house that was
the brick – the basic build up from a collection
building block of a of bricks (basic quantity)
house
 Definitions :-

• Base quantities • The quantities

are the that are
quantities on the expressed in
basis of which terms of base
other quantities quantities are
are expressed. called derived
quantities
 SI Units for Base Quantity

• SI Units – International System of Units

Base Quantities Name of Unit Symbol of Unit

length metre m
mass kilogram kg
time second s
electric current ampere A
temperature kelvin K
amount of substance mole mol
 9

Derived quantity & equations

• A derived quantity has an equation which links to other quantities.

• It enables us to express a derived unit in terms of base-unit
equivalent.
Example: F = ma ; Newton = kg m s-2

P = F/A ; Pascal = kg m s-2/m2 = kg m-1 s-2

 10

Some derived units

Derived quantity Base equivalent units _______
Symbol
 area square meter m²
 volume cubic meter m³
 speed, velocity meter per second m/s or m s-1
 acceleration meter per second squared m/s/s or m s-2
 density kilogram per cubic meter kg m-3
 amount concentration mole per cubic meter mol m-3
 force kg m s-2 Newton
 work/energy kg m2 s-2 Joule
 power kg m2 s-3 Watt
 pressure kg m-1 s-2 Pascal
 frequency s-1 Hertz
 SI Units

1. Equation: area = length × width

In terms of base units: Units of area = m × m = m2
2. Equation: volume = length × width × height
In terms of base units: Units of volume = m × m × m = m3
3. Equation: density = mass ÷ volume
In terms of base units: Units of density = kg m−3
 SI Units

• Work out the derived quantities for:

distance
1. Equation: speed = time
In terms of base units: Units of speed = ms−1
velocity
2. Equation: acceleration = time
In terms of base units: Units of acceleration = ms−2
3. Equation: force = mass × acceleration
In terms of base units: Units of force = kg ms-2
 SI Units

• Work out the derived quantities for:

For ce
1. Equation: Pressure =
Ar ea
In terms of base units: Units of pressure = Kgm−1 s−2
2. Equation: Work = Force × Displacement
In terms of base units: Units of work = Kgm²s−2
Wor k done
3. Equation: Power = Time
In terms of units: Units of power = Kgm²s−3
 SI Units – Fill in…
Relation with Base and Special
Derived Quantity Unit
Derived Quantities Name
Momentum

Electric Charge

Potential
Difference

Resistance
For you to know…
Reference Link – Physical quantities

• http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/Units/PhysQuantit
ies.htm
1. A physical quantity is a quantity that can be
measured and consists of a numerical magnitude
and a unit.
2. The physical quantities can be classified into
base quantities and derived quantities.
3. There are seven base quantities: length, mass,
time, current, temperature, amount of
substance and luminous intensity.
4. The SI units for length, mass, time, temperature
and amount of substance, electric current are
metre, kilogram, second, kelvin, mole and
ampere respectively.
 Homogeneity of an equation
• An equation is homogeneous if quantities
on BOTH sides of the equation has the
same unit.
• E.g. s = ut + ½ at2
• LHS : unit of s = m
• RHS : unit of ut = ms-1xs = m
• unit of at2 = ms-2xs2 = m
• Unit on LHS = unit on RHS
• Hence equation is homogeneous
 Non-homogeneous

• P = ρgh2
• LHS ; unit of P = Nm-2 = kgm-1s-2
• RHS : unit of ρgh2 = kgm-3(ms-2)(m2) = kgs-2
• Unit on LHS = unit on RHS
• Hence equation is not homogeneous
 Homogeneity of an equation

• Note: numbers has no unit

• some constants have no unit.
• e.g. ,

• A homogeneous eqn may not be physically

correct but a physically correct eqn is definitely
homogeneous

• E.g. s = 2ut + at2 (homogenous but not correct)

• F = ma (homogeneous and correct)
 Magnitude

• Prefix : magnitudes of physical quantity range

from very large to very small.

• E.g. mass of sun is 1030 kg and mass of electron

is 10-31 kg.

• Hence, prefix is used to describe these

magnitudes.
 Significant number

• Magnitudes of physical quantities are often

quoted in terms of significant number.
• Can you tell how many sig. fig. in these
numbers?
• 103, 100.0 , 0.030, 0.4004, 200
• If you multiply 2.3 and 1.45, how many sf should
you quote?
• 3.19, 3.335 , 3.48
• 3.312, 3.335, 3.358
 The rules for identifying significant figures

The rules for identifying significant figures when

writing or interpreting numbers are as follows:-

• All non-zero digits are considered significant. For

example, 91 has two significant figures (9 and 1), while
123.45 has five significant figures (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).
• Zeros appearing anywhere between two non-zero digits
are significant. Example: 101.1203 has seven significant
figures: 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 0 and 3.
• Leading zeros are not significant. For example, 0.00052
has two significant figures: 5 and 2.
The rules for identifying significant figures (cont)

• Trailing zeros in a number containing a decimal

point are significant. For example, 12.2300 has
six significant figures: 1, 2, 2, 3, 0 and 0. The
number 0.000122300 still has only six
significant figures (the zeros before the 1 are not
significant). In addition, 120.00 has five
significant figures since it has three trailing
zeros.
• Often you will be asked to estimate some
magnitudes of physical quantities around you.

• E.g. estimate the height of the ceiling, volume of

an apple, mass of an apple, diameter of a strand
of hair,

Reference link :
http://www.xtremepapers.com/revision/a-
level/physics/measurement.php
 Estimates of physical quantities
• When making an estimate, it is only reasonable to give
the figure to 1 or at most 2 significant figures since an
estimate is not very precise.

Physical Quantity Reasonable Estimate

Mass of 3 cans (330 ml) of
1 kg
Pepsi
Mass of a medium-sized car 1000 kg
Length of a football field 100 m
Reaction time of a young man 0.2 s

• Occasionally, students are asked to estimate the area

under a graph. The usual method of counting squares
within the enclosed area is used.
Convention for labelling tables and graphs
• The symbol / unit is indicated
at the italics as indicated in the
data column left.
t/s v/ms−1 • Then fill in the data with pure
0 2.5 numbers.
1.0 4.0 • Then plot the graph after
2.0 5.5 labelling x axis and y axis

[Illustration with sample graph

on left]
Prefixes
• For very large or very small numbers, we can use
standard prefixes with the base units.
• The main prefixes that you need to know are
shown in the table. (next slide)
Prefixes

• Prefixes simplify the writing of very large or very

small quantities
Prefix Abbreviation Power
nano n 10−9
micro  10−6
milli m 10−3
centi c 10−2
deci d 10−1
kilo k 103
mega M 106
giga G 109
Tera ? ??
Prefixes

• Alternative writing method

• Using standard form
• N × 10n where 1  N < 10 and n is an integer

This galaxy is about 2.5 × 106 The diameter of this atom

light years from the Earth. is about 1 × 10−10 m.