PHYSICS CHAPTER 1

1
Table 1.4 shows the conversion factors between SI and British units for
length and mass only.




1.1.2 Conversion of Unit
Length Mass
1 m = 39.37 in = 3.281 ft 1 kg = 10
3
g
1 in = 2.54 cm 1 slug = 14.59 kg
1 km = 0.621 mi 1 lb = 0.453 592 kg
1 mi = 5280 ft = 1.609 km 1 kg = 0.0685 slug
1 angstrom () = 10
-10
m
Table 1.4
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
2
Solve the following problems of unit conversion.
a. 30 mm
2
= ? m
2
b. 865 km h
-1
= ? m s
-1

c. 300 g cm
-3
= ? kg m
-3
d. 17 cm = ? in
e. 24 mi h
-1
= ? km s
-1

Solution :
a. 30 mm
2
= ? m
2





b. 865 km h
-1
= ? m s
-1
1
st
method :




|
|
.
|

\
|

=

h 1
m 10 865
h km 865
3
1
Example 1 :
|
|
.
|

\
|

=

s 3600
m 10 865
h km 865
3
1
1 1
s m 240 h km 865

=
( ) ( )
2
3
2
m 10 mm 1

=
2 6 2
m 10 mm 1

=
2 5 2 6 2
m 10 3.0 or m 10 30 mm 30

=
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
3
2
nd
method :







c. 300 g cm
-3
= ? kg m
-3

|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=

s 3600
h 1
km 1
m 1000
h 1
km 865
h km 865
1
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=

s 3600
h 1
km 1
m 1000
h 1
km 865
h km 865
1
1 1
s m 240 h km 865

=
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
3
3
2 -
3 3 -
3
3 -
m 10
cm 1
g 1
kg 10
cm 1
g 300
cm g 300
-3 5 3
m kg 10 3.0 cm g 300 =

PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
4
d. 17 cm = ? in




e. 24 mi h
-1
= ? km s
-1

( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
cm 1
in
cm 17 cm 17
2.54
1
in 6.69 cm 17 =
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
s 3600
h 1
mi 1
km 1.609
h 1
mi 24
h mi 24
1 -
-1 -2 1
s km 10 1.07 h mi 24 =

PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
5
Dimension is defined as a technique or method which the physical
quantity can be expressed in terms of combination of basic
quantities.
It can be written as
[physical quantity or its symbol]
Table 1.5 shows the dimension of basic quantities.
1.1.3 Dimensional Analysis
[Basic Quantity] Symbol Unit
[mass] or [m] M
kg
[length] or [l] L
m
[time] or [t] T
s
[electric current] or [I] A @ I
A
[temperature] or [T] u
K
[amount of substance]
or [N]
N
mole
Table 1.5
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
6
Dimension can be treated as algebraic quantities through the
procedure called dimensional analysis.
The uses of dimensional analysis are
to determine the unit of the physical quantity.
to determine whether a physical equation is correct or not
dimensionally by using the principle of homogeneity.



to derive a physical equation.
Note:
Dimension of dimensionless constant is 1,
e.g. [2] = 1, [refractive index] = 1
Dimensions cannot be added or subtracted.
The validity of an equation cannot determined by dimensional
analysis.
The validity of an equation can only be determined by experiment.
Dimension on the L.H.S. = Dimension on the R.H.S
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
7
Determine a dimension and the S.I. unit for the following quantities:
a. Velocity b. Acceleration c. Linear momentum
d. Density e. Force
Solution :
a.







The S.I. unit of velocity is m s
-1
.
Example 2 :
| |
| |
| | interval time
nt displaceme in change
Velocity =
| |
| |
| | t
s
v
A
A
=
or
| |
1
LT
T
L

= = v
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
8
b.





Its unit is m s
-2
.
d.








S.I. unit : kg m
-3
.

| |
| |
| | t
v
a
A
A
=
| |
2
LT

= a
| |
T
LT
1
= a
| | | | | | v m p =
| |
1
MLT

= p
| | ( )( )
1
LT M

= p
c.
S.I. unit : kg m s
-1
.
| |
| |
| | V
m
=
| |
3
ML

=
| |
| |
| | | | | | h w l
m

=
| |
L L L
M

=
| | | | | | a m F =
| |
2
MLT

= F
| | ( )( )
2
LT M

= F
e.
S.I. unit : kg m s
-2
.
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
9
Determine Whether the following expressions are dimensionally correct
or not.
a. where s, u, a and t represent the displacement,
initial velocity, acceleration and the time of an object respectively.
b. where s, u, v and g represent the displacement,
initial velocity, final velocity and the gravitational acceleration
respectively.
c. where T, l and g represent the period of simple

pendulum , length of the simple pendulum and the gravitational
acceleration respectively.
Example 3 :
2
2
1
at ut s + =
gs 2 u v =
g
l
2 T =
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
10
Solution :
a. Dimension on the LHS :

Dimension on the RHS :



Dimension on the LHS = dimension on the RHS
Hence the equation above is homogeneous or dimensionally correct.
b. Dimension on the LHS :

Dimension on the RHS :



Thus
Therefore the equation above is not homogeneous or dimensionally
incorrect.
| | L = s
| | | || | ( )( ) L T LT
1
= = =

t u ut
| | | || || | ( )( )( ) L T LT
2 -2
= = = 1 t a at
2
2
1
2
2
1
and
| |
-1
LT = v
| |
1
LT

= u
| | | || || | ( )( )( )
-2 2 -2
T L L LT = = = 1 s g 2 gs 2
and
| | | | | | gs 2 u v = =
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
11
Solution :
c. Dimension on the LHS :

Dimension on the RHS :











Therefore the equation above is homogeneous or dimensionally
correct.
| | T = T
| || | | |
2
1
2
1
g l 2
g
l
2

=
(
(

( )( ) ( ) T LT L
2
= =
(
(

2
1
2
1
1
g
l
2
| |
(
(

=
g
l
2 T
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
12
The period, T of a simple pendulum depends on its length l,
acceleration due to gravity, g and mass, m. By using dimensional
analysis, obtain an equation for period of the simple pendulum.
Solution :
Suppose that :

Then
where k, x, y and z are dimensionless constants.

Example 4 :
z y x
m g l T
z y x
m g kl T =
| | | || | | | | |
z y x
m g l k T =
( ) ( )
z
y
x
M LT L 1 T
2
=
z y y x
M T L T
2 +
=
z y y x
M T L M T L
2 0 1 0 +
=
(1)
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
13
By equating the indices on the left and right sides of the equation, thus





By substituting eq. (3) into eq. (2), thus



Replace the value of x, y and z in eq. (1), therefore






The value of k can be determined experimentally.
0 = + y x
1 2 = y
2
1
= y
0 = z
( ) 0
2
1
= + x
2
1
= x
(2)
(3)
0
2
1
2
1
m g kl T

=
g
l
k T =
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
14
Determine the unit of in term of basic unit by using the equation
below:


where P
i
and P
o
are pressures of the soap bubble and R is the radius
of the bubble.
Solution :
Example 5 :
| |
| |
| |
| || |
| |
2 1
2
2
T ML
L
MLT

= = = =
A
a m
A
F
P
| | L = R
R
4
P P
o i

=
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
15





Since thus







Therefore the unit of is kg s
-2
( )
o i
P P R =
4
1
| | | | | | P P P
o i
= =
| | | | ( ) | |
o i
P P R
(

=
4
1
| | ( )( )( )
2 1
T ML L 1

=
| | | || | P R
(

=
4
1
| |
2
MT

=
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
16
1. Deduce the unit of q(eta) in term of basic unit for the equation
below:


where F is the force, A is the area, Av is the change in velocity
and Al is the change in distance.
ANS. : kg m
-1
s
-1

2. A sphere of radius r and density
s
falls in a liquid of density
f
. It
achieved a terminal velocity v
T
given by the following expression:



where k is a constant and g is acceleration due to gravity.
Determine the dimension of k.
ANS. : M L
-1
T
-1

Exercise 1.1 :
l
v

A
F
=
( )
f s
2
T

k
g r
v =
9
2
PHYSICS CHAPTER 1
17
3. The escape velocity, v for a tomahawk missile which escape the
gravitational attraction of the earth is depend on the radius of the
earth, r and the acceleration due to gravity, g. By using dimensional
analysis, obtain an expression for escape velocity, v.
ANS. :

4. Show that the equation below is dimensionally correct.



Where R is the inside radius of the tube, L is its length, P
1
-P
2
is
the pressure difference between the ends, q is the coefficient of
viscosity ( N s m
-2
) and Q is the volume rate of flow ( m
3
s
-1
).
Exercise 1.1 :
gr k v =
( )
L 8
P P R
Q
2 1
4