Chapter 1: Measurement
- SI Units
- Errors and Uncertainties
- Scalars and Vectors
a. Recall the following base quantities and their units; mass (kg), length (m), time (s), current (A),
temperature (K), amount of substance (mol).
SI Units
Base Quantities
Name Symbol
Length metre m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
Amount of substance mole mol
Temperature Kelvin K
Current ampere A
Luminous intensity candela cd
b. Express derived units as products or quotients of the base units and use the named units listed in
„Summary of Key Quantities, Symbols and Units‟ as appropriate.
A derived unit can be expressed in terms of products or quotients of base units.
Derived Quantities Equation Derived Units
2 2
Area (A) A=L m
3 3
Volume (V) V=L m
m kg
= V
-3
Density ()
m = kg m
3
L m -1
Velocity (v) v= t s =ms
-1
v ms -2
Acceleration (a) a= t s =ms
-1 -1
Momentum (p) p=mxv (kg)(m s ) = kg m s
Derived Unit
Derived Quantities Equation Derived Units
Special Name Symbol
-1
p kg m s -2
Force (F) F= t Newton N = kg m s
s
-2
F kg m s -1 -2
Pressure (p) p=A Pascal Pa 2 = kg m s
m
-2 2 -2
Energy (E) E=Fxd joule J (kg m s )(m) = kg m s
2 -2
E kg m s 2 -3
Power (P) P= t watt W = kg m s
s
1 1 -1
Frequency (f) f= t hertz Hz
s=s
Charge (Q) Q=Ixt coulomb C As
2 -2
Potential Difference E kg m s 2 -3 -1
V=Q volt V = kg m s A
(V) As
2 -3 -1
V kg m s A
Resistance (R) R= I ohm 2 -3 -2
= kg m s A
A
c. Show an understanding of and use the conventions for labelling graph axes and table columns as
set out in the ASE publication SI Units, Signs, Symbols and Systematics (The ASE Companion to 5-
16 Science, 1995).
Self-explanatory
d. Use the following prefixes and their symbols to indicate decimal sub-multiples or multiples of both
base and derived units: pico (p), nano (n), micro (), milIi (m), centi (c), deci (d), kilo (K), mega (M),
giga (G), tera (T).
Multiplying Factor Prefix Symbol
-12
10 pico p
-9
10 nano n
-6
10 micro
-3
10 milli m
-2
10 centi c
-1
10 deci d
3
10 kilo k
6
10 mega M
9
10 giga G
12
10 tera T
e. Make reasonable estimates of physical quantities included within the syllabus.
When making an estimate, it is only reasonable to give the figure to 1 or at most 2 significant figures since
an estimate is not very precise.
Physical Quantity Reasonable Estimate
Mass of 3 cans (330 ml) of Coke 1 kg
Mass of a medium-sized car 1000 kg
Length of a football field 100 m
Reaction time of a young man 0.2 s
- Occasionally, students are asked to estimate the area under a graph. The usual method of
counting squares within the enclosed area is used. (eg. Topic 3 (Dynamics), N94P2Q1c)
- Often, when making an estimate, a formula and a simple calculation may be involved.
EXAMPLE 1E1
Estimate the average running speed of a typical 17-year-old‟s 2.4-km run.
distance
velocity = time
2400
= 12.5 x 60 = 3.2
3ms
-1
EXAMPLE 1E2 (N08/ I/ 2)
Which estimate is realistic?
Option Explanation
A The kinetic energy of a A bus of mass m travelling on an expressway will travel between 50 to
-1 -1
bus travelling on an 80 km h , which is 13.8 to 22.2 m s . Thus, its KE will be approximately
2
expressway is 30 000 J ½ m(18 ) = 162m. Thus, for its KE to be 30 000J: 162m = 30 000. Thus,
m = 185kg, which is an absurd weight for a bus; ie. This is not a realistic
estimate.
B The power of a domestic A single light bulb in the house usually runs at about 20 W to 60 W.
light is 300 W. Thus, a domestic light is unlikely to run at more than 200W; this estimate
is rather high.
0
C The temperature of a hot 300K = 27 C. Not very hot.
oven is 300 K.
- PAGE 5 -
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller enviromation17. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.