2. kilogram. The unit kilogram has not been defined on atomic standards.

Therefore, in SI, kilogram is the mass of a platinum-iridium cylinder kept in the International Bureau of weights and measure at Sevres, near France. However, it is hoped that in the near future, kilogram may be defined in terms of the mass of some fundamental particle, like proton. Note. In atomic and nuclear physics, mass is measured in terms of atomic mass unit (a. m. u.) One a. m. u. is defined as of the mass of one 6C12 atom.

It can be calculated that 1 a. m. u. = 1.66x10-27kg. 3. second. In 1964, the Twelfth General Conference of Weights and Measures held in Paris adopted atomic standard for measurement of time. One second was defined as to be equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 vibrations corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of cesium-133 atom in the ground state. 4. kelvin. It was adopted as the unit of temperature. It is defined as fraction of the thermodynamic temperature at the triple point of water.

5. ampere. It was defined as the unit of current. One ampere is defined as the current generating a force of 2x10-7 newton per metre between two straight parallel conductors of infinite length and negligible circular cross-section, when placed one metre apart in vacuum. 6. candela. It was adopted as the unit of luminous intensity. One candela is the luminous intensity in perpendicular direction of a surface of  of a block body at a temperature of freezing platinum (2046.65 kelvin) and under a pressure of 1,01,325 newton per square metre. In 1979, candela was redefined as below: It is the luminous intensity in a given direction due to a source , which emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540x1012Hz and of which the radiant intensity in that direction is 1/683 watt per steradian. 7. mole. It was adopted as the unit of quantity of matter.

It is the amount of substance containing same number of elementary units as there are atoms in 0.012 kilogram of carbon-12. Supplementary units of SI. The two supplementary units, radian (for plane angle) and steradian (for solid angle), are defined as below: 1. radian. It was adopted as the unit of plane angle. It is the plane angle between the two radii of a circle, which cut off from the circumference, an arc equal to the length of the radius.      2. steradian. It was adopted as the unit of solid angle. It is the solid angle with its apex at the centre of a sphere that cuts out an area on the surface of the sphere equal to the area of the square, whose sides are equal to the radius of the sphere.           DIMENSIONS OF A PHYSICAL QUANTITY The derived units of all the physical quantities can be suitably expressed in terms of the fundamental units of mass, length and time are denoted by bracketed capital letters [M], [L] and [T], then for area (= length x breadth), we have area = [L] x [L] = [L2] Further, as in expressing area, units of mass and time do not occur, we write area = [M0L2T0] The dimensions of velocity are zero in mass, one in length and minus one in time. Hence, the dimensions of a physical quantity are the powers to which the fundamental units of mass, length and time have to be raised in order to obtain its units. DIMENSIONAL FORMULAE AND EQUATIONS The expression [M0L2T0] for area and [M0LT-1] for velocity are said to be the dimensional formulae of area and velocity respectively. The dimensional formula of a physical quantity provides two important informations. For example, the dimensional formula [M0LT-1] for velocity tells that (i) the unit of velocity depends upon the unit of length and time and is independent of the unit of mass.

(ii)

In the unit of velocity, the powers of L and T i.e. the units of length and time are 1 and -1 respectively.

Hence, dimensional formula of physical quantity may be defined as the expression that indicates which of the fundamental units of mass, length and time enter into the derived unit of that quantity and with what powers. If we represent velocity by [v], then an equation such as [v] = [M0LT-1] is known as dimensional equation. Thus, the equation obtained, when a physical quantity is equated with its dimensional formula, is known as dimensional equation. In general, in the dimensional equation [X] = [Ma Lb Tc] the right hand side represents the dimensional formula of physical quantity X, whose dimensions in mass, length and time are a, b , and c respectively. THE DIMENSIONAL FORMULAE OF A FEW PHYSICAL QUANTITIES AND THEIR SI UNITS The dimensional formula of a physical quantity can be obtained by defining its relation with other physical quantities and then expressing these physical quantities in terms of fundamental unit of mass [M], length [L] and time [T]. In the following table, the dimensional formulae of a few physical quantities have been deduced after defining their relations with other physical quantities. The SI units of these quantities have also been given. Dimensional formulae of some physical quantities are given in table S. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Dimensional formulae of some physical quantities Physical Quantity Expression Dimensional formula Density (D) Mass/volume [M L-3T0] Relative density Density of substance/ [M0L0T0] (specific gravity) Density of water Dimensionless Frequency (f) Vibrations/time [M0L0T-1] Angle Arc/radius [M0L0T0] Dimensionless Velocity (v) Displacement/time [M0L T-1] Angular velocity ( ) Angle/time [M0L0T-1] Acceleration (a) Change in velocity/time [M0L T-2] Units Kgm-3 Hz rad ms-1 rad s-1 ms-2

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

Angular acceleration Linear momentum Angular momentum Force (f) Moment (torque) Impulse Pressure Work Kinetic energy, Gravitational potential energy gravitational constant Plancks constant (h) Power Moment of Inertia Stress Strain Modulus of elasticity Velocity gradient Coefficient of dynamic viscosity Surface tension Specific heat Latent heat Universal gas constant Pole strength Magnetic moment Charge Electric potential Boltzmann constant

v/ t / t Mass x velocity Momentum x arm Mass x acceleration Force x arm Force x time Force / area Force x distance ()mv2 [Force x (length)2]/(mass)2 Energy/frequency Work/time Mass x (distance)2 Force/area Change in length/ Original length Stress/strain Change of velocity/distance Tangential stress/ velocity gradient Force/length Energy Mass x Temp Energy/mass Energy Temp-Mol ampere x meter pole strength x length current x time work/charge Energy/temp

[M0L0T-2] [M L T-1] [M L2T-1] [M L T-2] [M L2T-2] [M L T-1] [M L-1T-2] [M L2T-2] mgh [M-1L3T-2] [M L2T-1] [M L2T-3] [M L2T0] [M L0T-1] [M0L0T-1] dimensionless [M L-1T-2] [M0L0T-1] [M L-1T-1] [M L0T-2] [M L2T-2K-1] [M0L2T-2] [ML2T-2K-1mol-1] [M0L T0I] [M0L2T0I1] [M0L0T I] [M L2T-3I-1] [M L2T-2 K-1]

rad s-2 kg ms-1 kg m2s-1 N Kg m2s-2 Ns or kg ms1

Nm-2 or Pa Nm or J J J Kg-1 m3 s-2 Kg m2 s-2 or Js W or Js-1 Kg m2 Nm-2 or Pa s-1 Kg m-1 s-1 or Nm-2s or Pa s Kgs-2orNm-1 J kg-1 K-1 Jkg-1 JK-1mol-1 Am Am2 As/coul/C JA-1s-1/volt/ V JK-1

25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF VARIABLES AND CONSTANTS From the study of dimensional formulae of physical quantities, we can divide them into four categories:

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

Dimensional variables. The quantities like area, volume, velocity, force etc possess dimensions and do not have a constant value. Such quantities are called dimensional variables. Non-dimensional variables. The quantities like angle, specific gravity, strain, etc neither possess dimensions nor they have a constant value. Such quantities are called non-dimensional variables. Dimensional constants. The quantities like gravitational constant, Plancks constant, etc possess dimensions and also have a constant value. They are called dimensional constant. Non-dimensional constants. The constant quantities having no dimensions are called non-dimensional constants. These include pure numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 , e (-2.718) and all trigonometric functions.

USES OF DIMENSIONAL EQUATIONS The dimensional equations have got the following three uses: 1. To check the correctness of a physical equation 2. To derive the relation between different physical quantities involved in a physical phenomenon. 3. To change from one system of units to another.

TO CHECK THE CORRECTNESS OF A PHYSICAL RELATION AND THE PRINCIPLE OF HOMGENEITY OF DIMENSIONS Checking the correctness of a physical relation (or equation) is based on the principle of homogeneity of dimension. According to this principle, the dimensions of the fundamental quantities (mass, length and time) are same in each and every term on either side of the physical relation. To check the correctness of a given physical equation, the physical quantities on the two sides of the equation are expressed in terms of fundamental units of mass, length and time. If the powers of M, L and T on two sides of the equation are same, then the physical equation is correct and otherwise not. Check accuracy of the relation: () mv2 = m g h Using dimensional analysis, where m is the mass of the body, v is the velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity and h is the height. Sol. Here, () mv2 = m g h

[L.H.S] = [() mv2] = [M] [LT-1]2 = [M L2 T-2] [R.H.S] = [m g h] = [M] [LT-2] [L] = [M L2 T-2] Since dimensions of L.H.S and R.H.S are the same, the given relation is correct.