Lecture-3

Elementary Physics:
Measurements & Mechanics

Text:
Physics by A. F. Abbott
5th ed, 2002

Measurements in Physics
Physical science is nothing but the basic knowledge
of accurate measurement. In physics physical
quantity means a quantity that can be measured.
There are many physical quantities like mass,
length, time, speed, current, temperature etc.
There are altogether seven basic quantities
namely mass, length, time, electric current,
temperature, luminous intensity, and amount of
substance.
Except these all other physical quantities are
derived from the seven basic quantities.
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Elementary Physics

Measurement and Unit

Measurementisthe
processortheresultof
determiningthe
magnitudeofaquantity,
suchaslengthormass
relativetoaunitof
measurement,suchas
ameterorakilogram.

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Aunit of
measurementis
adefinitemagnitudeof
aphysicalquantity.For
example,lengthisa
physicalquantity.
Themeterisaunitof
length.

Elementary Physics

Fundamental and Derived Quantities

Fundamental
quantities are those
which do not depend on
other quantities, rather
other quantities depend
on them. These are
mass, length, time,
electric current,
temperature, luminous
intensity, and amount of
substance.

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Derived quantities are

those which depend on
fundamental quantities
and are derived from
them. There can be
numerous derived
quantities; area,
volume, force, velocity,
density etc. are few of
the derived quantities.

Elementary Physics

Base and Derived Units

Base Units: The units of
which are not dependent
on each other or on units
of other quantities, are
called base units. Like
seven fundamental
quantities, seven base
units are- meter, kilogram,
second, Kelvin, ampere,
candela and mole.

Derived Units: The units

which are based on the
other base units are
called derived units. For
example, square meter,
Newton, watt, etc.
Unit of Area, A: m2
Unit of Force, F: Kg.m/s-2
= Newton

Unit of Power is Watt

1 Watt = 1 Joule/1 Second
1 Joule = 1 Newton 1 meter

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Elementary Physics

Physical quantities had many different types of

units, like
System

Length

Mass

Time

i) F. P. S.

Foot

Pound

Second

ii) C. G. S.

Centimeter

Gram

Second

iii) M. K. S.

Meter

Kilo-gram

Second

Nowadays, scientists have agreed to adopt one set of

units the SI units (International System of Units).
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Elementary Physics

The SI units are derived from the earlier M. K. S.

system. Table shows the seven basic quantities and
their corresponding SI units.
Basic physical
quantities
1. Length

Name of the base

units

Symbol for units

Meter

2. Mass

Kilogram

kg

3. Time

Second

4. Electric current

Ampere

5. Temperature

Kelvin

Candela

cd

mole

mol

6. Luminous Intensity
7. Amount of
substance

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Elementary Physics

Scientific Notation:
Use of Power of 10
Scientists often use such numerical values which can
be very large or very small.
For example, the speed of light is approximately
30,00,00,000 ms1. The electrical charge in an
electron is 0.00000000000000000016 coulomb.
Normally it is very difficult to count, remember, read
and write all the zeroes in these examples.
We can use the power of 10 to eliminate this
problem. For example, we can simply express the
velocity of light as 3 108 ms1.

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Elementary Physics

The law of indices

The law of indices can be applied in expressing
scientific notation. The laws are as follows:
10m 10n = 10 m + n
Here m, n can be either positive or negative e.g.
106 107 = 106+7 = 1013
107 1020 = 107 + (20) = 10 13
For division, = 10n 10m = 10nm
e.g. 106 104 = 1064 = 102
103 107 = 103(7) = 1010 etc.

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Elementary Physics

Mechanics
Mechanics is the science of motion.
It deals with the speed, velocity, acceleration, force and
energy of large objects such as cars, aeroplanes and tiny
objects such as the electrons.
Mechanics also helps to investigate the motion of athletes or
the motion of a ball bowled in cricket or hit in golf.

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Elementary Physics

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Mechanics (contd.)
If an objects moves, we are interested in how
fast it moves, that is its speed.
If the speed of the object changes with time,
we are also interested in how much it
changes with time, that is, the acceleration.
Before we can fully understand why an object
moves, we must be able to describe its
motion precisely.

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Distance and Displacement

Distance is the total length covered by a moving
object irrespective of the direction of motion,
that is, only the magnitude is of importance.
The SI unit of distance is the unit of length i.e.
meter (m).
Displacement is the distance measured in a
straight line (linear distance) and in a specified
direction so both magnitude and directions are
important.
SI unit of displacement is also meter (m).
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Example
Suppose a car travels 5 km to the east and makes a Uturn back to travel a further distance of 3 km. Find (a)
the distance covered, (b) the displacement.

Solution:(a)distancecovered=5+3=8km
3 km

O
5 km

(b)Displacement=53=2kmtotheeastofthe
startingpointO.
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Speed
Speed is defined as the rate of change of
distance. In other words, speed is the distance
moved per unit time. It tells us how fast or slow
an object is moving.
Speed =

distance moved
time taken

d
In symbol, v =
t

Where v = speed, d = distance moved and t = time taken

Mostoftheobjectsdonotmoveatconstantspeed.
average speed =

total distance moved

total time taken

d
In symbol, <v> =
t

TheSIunitofspeedisms-1
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Exercise-1
An athlete ran a distance of 100 meters in 9.83
seconds. What was his average speed?

Exercise-4
What is the speed, km/hr, of a truck that travels
15 kilometers is 15 minutes at a constant
speed?

Exercise-5
Sound travels a speed of 330 meters per
second. How long does it take of the sound of
thunder to travel 1485 meters?
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Velocity
Velocity is defined as the rate of change of
displacement. It is speed in a specified
direction. When you are asked for the velocity
of an object, you have to state the speed of
the object and the direction it is traveling.
velocity =

displacement (linear distance)

time taken

average velocity

total displacement
total time taken

Theunitsofvelocityarethesameastheunitsofspeed.
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Acceleration
Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of
velocity. An object whose velocity (not speed) is
changing is said to be accelerating.
Acceleration =

In symbols, a

change in velocity
time taken

v
v-u
=
t
t

Where a = acceleration, u = initial velocity, v = final

velocity, v = change in velocity, and t = t = time taken

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Acceleration(contd.)
Like velocity, acceleration has a direction.
Acceleration is regarded as positive if the velocity
is increasing and negative if the velocity is
decreasing.
Negative acceleration is usually called a
deceleration or retardation.
TheSIunitforaccelerationismeterpersquareof
second,i.e.m/s2.
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Exercise-2
A bus starts from rest and achieves a velocity
of 20 m/s in 10 s while moving westwards from
a starting point O. Calculate its average
acceleration.

Exercise-3
A car traveling eastwards at 30 m/s suddenly
comes to a halt in 5s. Find its average
acceleration (retardation).

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Exercise-6
When traveling westward along a highway, a
driver slows down from 24 meters per second
to 15 meters per second in 12 seconds. What
is the drivers acceleration?

Exercise-7
One car accelerates from rest to 50 km /hr in
4 s and a second car accelerates from rest to
80 km/hr in 8 s. Does the faster car have larger
acceleration?
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Mass (m)
The mass of a substance is the quantity
of matter contained in the substance.
It depends on the number of atoms it
contains and the size of those atoms.
It is the basic property of the substance
and cannot be changed by the location,
shape and the speed of the body
(speed less than the speed of light).

The unit of mass is kilogram.

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Weight (W)
Theforceappliedonanobjectduetogravityisknownas
weight (w). This is often expressed as W = mg,
where W is the weight, m the mass of the object, and g
gravitational acceleration . Gravitational acceleration is
the acceleration on an object caused by gravity.
An object having mass 1 Kg (m) is weightless at the outer
space, but its mass will remain 1 Kg.
On earths surface the gravitational force is approximately
10N/kg, i.e. a 1 kg object on earths surface has force of
10 N pulling on it due to earth. On the moon it is 1.6 N/Kg.

W=mg
WeightismeasuredinNewton(N)whichistheunitofforce.
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ProbableQuestions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

What is measurement and unit? Name seven

basic quantities with base units and symbols.
Compare between fundamental and derived
quantities, base and derived units.
Discuss the importance of use of power 10.
What is mechanics? Define distance and
displacement with examples.
What is SI unit? Compare speed with velocity.
Define acceleration with example.
Explain mass and weight.
Why weight of an object on the outer space is zero?

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