TRINETRA COMPETITIVE CLASSES (TCC)

PHYSICS CLASS XI
ASSIGNMENT : UNITS AND MEASUREMENT
I. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. The base quantity among the following is

a) Speed b) area c) length d) weight

2. Which of the following is not the unit of time

a) second b) minute c) month d) light year

3. The number of significant figures in the number 0.0028 is

a) 2 b) 3 c) 4 d) 5

4. Average distance of the Sun from the Earth

a) light year b) astronomical unit c) fermi d) parsec

5. Dimensional analysis can be applied to

a) to check the correctness of a physical equation.

b) to derive the relationship between different physical quantities.

c) to convert a physical quantity from one system of units to other.

d) All of the above

6. Which of the following is dimensionless

a) force/acceleration b) velocity/acceleration

c) volume/area d) energy/work

7. The pair of the quantities having the same dimensions is

a) displacement, velocity b) time, frequency

c) wavelength, focal length d) force, acceleration

8. The dimension of universal gravitational constant is

a) [M-1L 3T -2] b) [M1L 1T -2] c) [M-1L 2T -2] d) [M1L -1T -1 ]

9. Which of the following physical quantity has the dimensional formula [M1L 2T -3]

a) work b) power c) work d) impulse

a) m/s b) m/s2 c) kgm/s d) m2 /s

II. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS

All engineering phenomena deal with definite and measured quantities and so depend on
the making of the measurement. We must be clear and precise in making these
measurements. To make a measurement, magnitude of the physical quantity (unknown) is
compared.

The record of a measurement consists of three parts, i.e. the dimension of the quantity, the
unit which represents a standard quantity and a number which is the ratio of the measured
quantity to the standard quantity.

i. A device which is used for measurement of length to an accuracy of about 10-5m is

(a) screw gauge (b) spherometer (c) vernier callipers (d) Either (a) or (b)

ii. The system of units which is at present internationally accepted for measurement is

(a) CGS (b) FPS (c) SI (d) MKS

iii. Very large and small distances are measured by

(a) direct methods (b) indirect methods (c) Neither (a) or (b) (d) Either (a) or (b)

iv. The responsibility of maintenance and improvement of physical standards in our

(a) NPL (b) NCL (c) CSIR (d) CECRI

2. DIMENSIONS

The nature of a physical quantity is described by its dimensions. All the physical
quantities represented by derived units can be expressed in terms of some combination
of seven fundamental or base quantities. We shall call these base quantities as the seven
dimensions of the physical world, which are denoted with square brackets []. Thus,
length has the dimension [L], mass [M], time [T], electric current [A], thermodynamic
temperature [K], luminous intensity [cd], and amount of substance [mol]. 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. In
mechanics, all the physical quantities can be written in terms of the dimensions [L], [M]
and [T]. For example, the volume occupied by an object is expressed as the product of
length, breadth and height, or three lengths. Hence the dimensions of volume are [L] ×
[L] × [L] = [L3]
i. Dimensional formula of surface tension

(a) [M1L 0T -2] (b) [M0L 1T -2] (c) [M1L 1T 0] (d) [M1L 1T -2]

ii. Which of the following quantity is dimensionless

(a) Area (b) Angle (c) velocity (d) force

iii. Which of the following equation is dimensionally not correct

(a) ½ mv2 = mgh (b) v =u+ at (c) p = ma (d) F = ma

iv. The value of gravitational constant in CGS system is 6.67 x10-8 dyne cm2 g -2. The value
of the same in SI unit system is

(a) 6.67 x10-12 Nm2 kg-2 (b) 6.67 x10-11 dyne

(c) 6.67 x10-11 Nm2 kg-2 (d) 6.67 x10-12 dyne m2 kg2

3. MEASUREMENT

Significant figures in the measured value of a physical quantity tell the number of digits
in which we have confidence. Larger the number of significant figures obtained in a
measurement, greater is the accuracy of measurement and vice-versa. In addition or
subtraction, the number of decimal places in the result should equal the smallest
number of decimal places in any term in the operation.
In multiplication and division, the number of significant figures in the product or in the
quotient is the same as the smallest number of significant figures in any of the terms.
With the help of the above comprehension, choose the most appropriate alternative for
each of the following questions:

i. Add 3.8 x 10-6 to 4.2 x 10-5 with regard to significant figures

(a) 4.6 x 10-5 (b) 4.6 x 10-6 (c) 4.58 x 10-5 (d) 4.580 x 10-5

ii. Subtract 2.6 x 104 from 3.9 x105 with regard to significant figures

(a) 3.64 x 105 (b) 3.7 x 105 (c) 3.6 x 105 (d) 3.65 x 106

iii. The area enclosed by a circle of diameter 1.06 m with correct number of significant
figures is

(a) 0.88 m2 (b) 0.882 m2 (c) 1.88 m2 (d) 0.882026 m2

iv. The mass of a body is 275.32 g and its volume is 36.41 cm3. Express its density up to
appropriate significant figures

(a) 7.5616 (b) g cm-3 7.56 g cm-3 (c) 7.6 g cm-3 (d) 7.562 g cm-3
III. QUESTIONS
1. Name the different unit systems.

2. Name the supplementary base quantities along with their units and symbols.

3. Name the special units to measure very large and very small lengths.

4. Define dimensions of a physical quantity.

5. State the principle of homogeneity of dimensions.

6. Distinguish between dimensional variables dimensionless variables.

7. Distinguish between dimensional constants and dimensionless constants.

8. Define the terms: i) light year ii) astronomical unit

9. Write the SI unit and dimensional formula of the following:

(i)Pressure (ii) power (iii) density (iv) angle

10. Check the correctness of the given equations by dimensional analysis

(i) S = ut + ½ at2 (ii) mgh = ½ mv2

11. The distance covered by a particle in time t is given by X = a+bt+ct2+dt3. Find the
dimensions of a, b, c and d.

12.

13

14. Convert 5J into ergs using dimensional analysis.

15. If the unit of force is 1kN, unit of length 1km and the unit of time is100s, what will be the
unit of mass?

16. a) What is a unit

b) Name the unit system in practice at present all over the world

c) What are fundamental and derived units

d) List the fundamental units in SI unit system along with their symbols.
e) Write the SI units for the following physical quantities, angular velocity, Planck’s constant

17. What are significant figures? State the rules to determine the number of significant
figures with examples.

18. a) Define dimensional formula. b) Give the uses of dimensional analysis. c) Write down
the limitations of dimensional analysis.

19. List the fundamental physical quantities in SI unit system along with their units.

20. Derive by the method of dimensions, an expression for the volume of a liquid flowing
out per second through a narrow pipe. Assume that the rate of flow of liquid depends on (i)
the coefficient of viscosity ‘η’ (ii) the radius ‘r’ of the pipe and (iii) the pressure gradient (p/l)
along the pipe. Take K = π/8.

21. The frequency ‘ν’ of vibration of a stretched string depends upon: (i) the length ‘l’ of the
string (ii) its mass per unit length ‘m’ and (iii) the tension T in the string.

Obtain dimensionally an expression for the frequency ‘ν’

22. By the method of dimensions obtain an expression for the surface tension ‘S’ of a liquid
rising in a capillary tube. Assume that the surface tension depends upon mass m of the
liquid, pressure P of the liquid and the radius ‘r’ of the capillary tube.

23.

24. List the practical units used to measure a) very small lengths and b) very large distances.

25.

26. The wavelength λ associated with a moving electron depends on its mass m, velocity v
and Plank’s constant h. Prove dimensionally that λ ∝ h/mv.
27. By the method of dimensions, obtain an expression for the centripetal force F acting on a
particle of mass m moving with a velocity v in a circle of radius r. Take dimensionless
constant K = 1.

28.

ANSWER KEY

II.