CHAPTER 1

Units and
Measurements
System of Units
Fundamental Quantities
Derived Quantities

Units
Prefixes
Conversion of Units
Significant Figure

LESSON OUTCOMES
State the definition and differences of based and

derived quantities.
able to list down the SI Prefixes.
know how to apply the significant figures
make a conversion of any units given by using simple
& common method of rational number method

SYSTEM OF UNITS
Basic Quantities
Derived Quantities
Units
Prefixes

Physical
Quantities

BASIC
QUANTITIES

DERIVED
QUANTITIES

Basis of physical
quantities
* Basis of physical

Combination of one or
more basic quantities.

quantities
Length
(m)

Area
* Combination
of
(m2)
one or more
Volume
(m3)basic
quantity quantities
Velocity
(ms-1)
Acceleration (ms-2)

Example :

Mass (kg)
Time (s)
Temperature (K)
Electric current (A)

Example :

Fundamental Quantities
Also known as Base Quantities

Quantity

Unit

Abbreviation

Length (l)

meter

Time (t)

second

Mass (m)

kilogram

kg

Electric Current (I)

ampere

Temperature (T)

kelvin

Amount of Substance

Mole

mol

candela

cd

Luminous Intensity

Table 1: SI Base Quantity and Units

Derived Quantities
Other quantities which defined in term of seven (7)

fundamental quantities.
Example:
Speed
Work
Force
Electric Potential
Power
Frequency
Angle
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BASIC
QUANTITIES

COMBINATION OF
QUANTITIES

DERIVED
QUANTITIES

Length

(Length)2

Area(m2)

Length

(Length)3

Volume(m3)

Length, time

Length/time

Speed(ms-1)

Length, time

Length/(time)2

Acceleration(ms-2)

Length, mass

Mass/(length)3

Density(kgm-3)

Mass, time

(Mass x length)/
(time)2

Force(kgms-2)

UNITS
Physical quantities measured by using unit.
Example: Length is a physical quantity.
1960 General Conference on Weights and Measures decided on a

universal system of unit called the International System or SI

based on the metric system.
Physical Quantity

Unit of Measurements

Symbol

Length

Metre

Mass

Kilogram

kg

Time

Second

Electric current

Ampere

Thermodynamic temperature

Kelvin

Amount of substance

Mole

mol

Luminous intensity

Candela

cd

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION
A way of writing numbers that accommodates values too large or
small to be conveniently written in standard decimal notation.
In scientific notation, numbers are written in the form:

Example:
An electron's mass is about
0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 910 938 22 kg.
In scientific notation, this is written 9.10938221031 kg.

PREFIXES
Used to simplify big numbers.
Replace powers of ten.
To make the calculation easier.
Y, Z, E, h, da, a, z, and y are

rarely used.

PREFIXES
Example :
2000 m = 2 x 103 m = 2 km
0.005 m = 5 x 10-3 m = 5 mm
45 000 000 bytes = 45 x 106 bytes

= 45 Mbytes
0.00000008 s = 80 x 10-9 s = 80 ns
200 mA = 200 x 10-3 A

CONVERSION OF UNITS
Any quantity can be measured in several different units.
Hence it is important to know how to convert from one unit to

another.
Multiplying or dividing an equation by a factor of 1 does not
alter an equation.
Example: Length: foot / inch / metre

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Conversion of Units
3 km = ? m
1 km = 1000 m
3 km = 3 x 1000 m

=3000 m
OR
3 km = 3 km x 1000 m
1 km
= 3000 m

CONVERSION OF UNITS
45 cm = ? km

1m
45 cm 45 cm x

100 cm
5
45 cm 45x10 km
45 cm 4.5x10

km

1km

1000 m

CONVERSION OF UNITS
35 km.hr-1 = ? m.s-1

35 km 35 km 1000 m

1 hr
1hr 1 km
35 km 35x1000 m

1hr
60x60 s
35 km.hr

9.72 ms

1hr

60 min

1min

60 s

CONVERSION OF UNITS
20 kg.m-3 = ? g.cm-3

20kg 20kg 1000g 1m

3
3
1m
1m 1kg 100cm

20kg 20kg 1000g

1m

3
3
1m
1m 1kg 100cm 3
20kg
20 x1000 g

3
3
100
x
100
x
100
1m
cm

20kg.m 3 2 x10 2 g.cm 3

Significant Figures
The digits that carry meaning contributing to its precision.
Retain all figures during calculation.
The leftmost non-zero digit is sometimes called the most

significant digit or the most significant figure.

The rightmost digit of a decimal number is the least

significant digit or least significant figure.

Numbers having three significant figures:

587

0.777

0.000999 121000

Numbers having two significant figures:

16

8.9

0.12

0.0082
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Rules for Significant Figures

1.

Non zero integers always count as significant

figures.

2.

Zeros: There are three classes of zeros.

Leading zeros

Captive zeros

Trailing zeros

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Rules for Significant Figures

a)

b)

c)

Leading zeros

Zeros that precede all the non zeros digit

They do not count as significant figures

Ex: 0.000562 [3 s.f]

Captive zeros

Zeros between non zeros digits. They always count as

significant figures

Ex: 13.009 [5 s.f.]

Trailing zeros

Zeros at the end of numbers. They count as significant figures

only if the number contains a decimal point.

Ex: 200 [1 s.f.]

2.00 [3 s.f]

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Mathematical Operation For

Significant Figures
Multiplying or Dividing
Significant figure = the quantity which has the least
for final answer
number of significant figures

Ex: 16.3 x 4.5 = 73.35

(but the final answer must have 2 s.f.)

Therefore, 16.3 x 4.5 = 73 (2 s.f.)

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Mathematical Operation For

Significant Figures
Adding or Subtracting
Number of decimal
= the smallest number of decimal
places for final answer
places of any quantity in the
sum

Ex:

12.11 + 8.0 + 1.013 = 31.123

The final answer is 31.1 (1 decimal places)

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Exercise 1
1.

Ohms law states that V = IR. If V = 3.75 V and I = 0.45 A,

calculate R and express your answer to the correct number
of significant figures.

2.

If the resultant force on an object of mass 260 kg is 5.20 x

102 N, use equation F = ma to find acceleration.

3.

If a car is traveling at a constant speed 72 km/h for a time

35.5 s, how far has the car traveled? (use distance = speed x
time)

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Solutions
1.

2.

R = V/I = 3.75/0.45 = 8.3333333

Due to the least s.f. (0.45 = 2 s.f.), thus the answer is 8.3
5.20 x10 2
a F /m
2ms 2
260

Due to the least s.f. (260 = 2 s.f. ), thus the answer is 2.0ms-2
3.

Change v=72km/h to m/s => 72km/3600s=20m/s

l v t 20m / s 35.5s 710m
Due to the least s.f. (72x103m/h = 2 s.f.), thus the answer is
0.71 km or 7.1x102m.

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Thank You

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