Lesson 1: Conversion Problems & Scientific Notation 001

Conversion - The metric system has two variations: the mks and cgs systems.
The English is otherwise known as the fps system. Each system is represented KEYNOTE: The factor-label method is a technique in converting units into
by abbreviations: mks stands for meter, kilogram, and second; cgs stands other units of measurement using conversion factors.
for centigram, gram, and second; and fps stands for foot, pound, and
Example: Convert 12g to kilograms. To solve this, use 1 kg/1000 g as your
second. The fps system considers the pound-force as fundamental quantity.
conversion ratio since 1 kg: 1000 g.
The counterpart of pound-force in the metric system is mass.
Scientific Notation - is a convenient and widely used method of expressing
Physical quantities may either be fundamental or derived. Fundamental large and small numbers. Any quantity may be expressed in the form of N x
quantities are basic quantities that are independent of one another. The 10", where N is any number between 1 and 10, and n is the appropriate power
International System of Units (SI or modern metric system) fundamental of 10. Example: Express the 300 000 000 m/s in scientific notation. Answer: 3
quantities are length, mass, time, temperature, electric current, and amount of x 108 m/s
substance.
Prefix Symbol Multiplier Exponent Form
Derived quantities are combinations of fundamental quantities. For Exa E 1, 000, 000, 000, 1018
example, speed may be defined as distance over time. Other familiar 000, 000, 000
examples of derived quantities are acceleration, density, work, and energy. Pera P 1, 000, 000, 000, 1015
000, 000
Tera T 1,000,000, 000, 1012
English Unit SI Unit Conversion 000
Mile Kilometer 1 mile = 1.609 Km Giga G 1, 000, 000, 000 109
Foot Meter 1 ft. = .305 M Mega M 1,000,000 106
Inch Centimeter 1 inch = 2.54 cm Kilo k 1,000 103
Pound Grams 1 lb. = 453.59 G hecto h 100 102
Ounce Grams 1 oz. = 28.35 G Deca da 10 101
Gallon Liter 1 gallon = 3.79 L Basic unit Basic unit 1 100
Celsius Kelvin 0 Degree C = 273.15 K
Deci d 0.1 10-1
Centi e 0.01 10-2

International System of Units (SI) Milli m 0.001 10-3

Micro µ 0. 000, 001 10-6
SI Base Units Nano n 0.000, 000, 001 10-9

Base Quantity Name Symbol Pico p 0. 000, 000, 000, 10-12

001
Length meter m Fento f 0. 000, 000, 000, 10-15
Mass kilogram kg 000, 001
Time second s atto a 0.000, 000, 000, 10-18
000, 000, 001
Electric Current ampere A
Thermodynamic kelvin K
Temperature The table above shows the different suffices, with their corresponding
Amount of Substance mole mol symbols, multiplier and their base values in exponent form.
Luminous Intensity candela cd
Lesson 2: Random & Systematic Errors

ACCURACY is how close a measured value is to the actual (true) value &
SI Deliver Units
PRECISION is how close the measured values are to each other
Derive quantity Name Symbol Equivalent SI All experimental uncertainty is due to either random errors or systematic
units errors...
Frequency hertz Hz s-1
Force newton N m-kg-s RANDOM ERRORS usually result from the experimenter's inability to take
the same measurement in exactly the same way to get exact the same number.
Pressure Pascal Pa N/m2
Energy Joule J N-m2 SYSTEMATIC ERRORS, by contrast, are reproducible inaccuracies that are
Power Watt W J/s consistently in the same direction. Systematic errors are often due to a
problem which persists throughout the entire experiment.
Electric Charge Coulomb C s-A
Electric Potential Volt V W/A Note that systematic and random errors refer to problems associated with
making measurements. Mistakes made in the calculations or in reading the
Electric ohm Ω V/A instrument are not considered in error analysis. It is assumed that the
Resistance experimenters are careful and competent!
Celsius Degree Celsius °C K
Temperature Percent Difference: Applied when comparing two experimental quantities,
E1 and E2, neither of which can be considered the "correct" value. The
percent difference is the absolute value of the difference over the mean times
SI Prefixes 100.

Factor Name Symbol Numerical Value

|E1−E 2|
1012 Tera T 1 000 000 000 % Difference= ∙100
000 1
109 Giga G 1 000 000 000 (E −E2)
2 1
106 Mega M 1 000 000
103 Kilo k 1000 Percent Error: Applied when comparing an experimental quantity, E, with a
102 Hector h 100 theoretical quantity, T, which is considered the "correct" value. The percent
error is the absolute value of the difference divided by the "correct" value
101 Deka da 10 times 100
10-1 Deci d 0.1
10-2
10-3
10-6
Centi
Miili
Micro
c
m
µ
0.01
0.001
0.000001
% Error= |T −E
T |
∙ 100

-9
10 nano n 0.000 000 001 THE UNCERTAINTY OF MEASUREMENTS some numerical statements
10-12 Pico p 0.000 000 000 are exact: Mary has 3 brothers, and 2 + 2 = 4. However, all measurements
have some degree of uncertainty that may come from a variety of sources. The
process of evaluating the uncertainty associated with a measurement result is
often called uncertainty analysis or error analysis.

ESTIMATING UNCERTAINTY IN REPEATED MEASUREMENTS

Suppose you time the period of oscillation of a pendulum using a digital

instrument (that you assume is measuring accurately) and find: T = 0.44
seconds. This single measurement of the period suggests a precision of ±0.005
s, but this instrument precision may not give a complete sense of the
uncertainty. If you repeat the measurement several times and examine the
variation among the measured values, you can get a better idea of the
uncertainty in the period. For example, here are the results of 5 measurements,
in seconds: 0.46, 0.44, 0.45, 0.44, 0.41.

X 1+ X 2 +…+ X n
average=
N
This average is the best available estimate of the width of the piece of paper,
but it is certainly not exact. We would have to average an infinite number of
measurements to approach the true mean value, and even then, we are not
guaranteed that the mean value is accurate because there is still some
systematic error from the measuring tool, which can never be calibrated
perfectly. So how do we express the uncertainty in our average value?
However, the standard deviation is the most common way to characterize the
spread of a data set. The standard deviation is always slightly greater than
the average deviation, and is used because of its association with the normal
distribution that is frequently encountered in statistical analyses.

STANDARD DEVIATION

To calculate the standard deviation for a sample of N measurements:

1. Sum all the measurements and divide by N to get the average, or mean.

2. Now, subtract this average from each of the N measurements to obtain N

"deviations".

3. Square each of these N deviations and add them all up.

4. Divide this result by (N-1) and take the square root.

Lesson 3: Directions and magnitudes of vector quantities

A study of motion will involve the introduction of a variety of quantities that

are used to describe the physical world. Examples of such quantities include
distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration, force, mass, momentum,
energy, work, power, etc. All these quantities can by divided into two
categories - vectors and scalars.

A vector quantity is a quantity that is fully described by both magnitude and

direction. On the other hand, a scalar quantity is a quantity that is fully
described by its magnitude.

What is a Component?

In situations in which vectors are directed at angles to the customary

coordinate axes, a useful mathematical trick will be employed to transform the
vector into two parts with each part being directed along the coordinate axes.
For example, a vector that is directed northwest can be thought of as having
two parts - a northward part and a westward part. A vector that is directed
upward and rightward can be thought of as having two parts - an upward part
and a rightward part.