CHAPTER 1

PHYSICAL QUANTITIES ,
UNITS & DIMENSIONS,
SCALARS & VECTORS,
ERRORS
PN MAHANI BINTI SULAIMAN
SMK DATO’ JAAFAR, JOHOR BAHRU
1.0 PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
A base quantity A derived quantity
is : is :
a physical quantity a physical quantity
which cannot be that combines base
defined in terms of quantity either by
other physical multiplication or
quantities. division
1.1 LIST OF 5 BASIC QUANTITIES, UNITS AND
DIMENSIONS

Symbol
Symbol for
for S.I. Unit Dimensions
Base quantity S.I. Unit
quantity

Length

Mass

Time

Electric current

Temperature
 1.2 Examples
i. [ area] = [ length x breadth ]
= L x L
= L 2

ii. [ velocity ] = [ displacement / time ]

= L / T
= L T -1
 1.3 DETERMINE THE DERIVED UNIT FOR THE FOLLOWING
DERIVED QUANTITIES.
Name of
Derived
Formula derived Dimension
Derived quantity unit
unit
area area = length x width m x m = m2 –
volume = length x width mxmxm
volume mass –
x height
density  = m3
volume

density velocity 
displacement –
time

velocity –
change in velocity
acceleration 
momentum = masstimex
momentum kg m s-1 –
velocity
Acceleration force
pressure 
area

force = mass x
Force kg m s-2 Newton (N)
acceleration
pressure
 1.4 Examples
i) Experiment indicates that the speed c depends on
acceleration g , wavelength  and density ρ .

C = k gxyρ z

,
Given k is a dimensionless constant

But x, y and z are numerical values.

Find the values of x, y and z
 Solutions

[LT-1] = k[LT-2] x . [L] y . [ML-3] z

[L] : 1 = x + y – 3z
[T] : -1 = - 2x
[M] : 0 = z
 Tutorial
ii) The period of a load iii)
of mass m suspended
by a spring oscillates
with a period given by
T = 2 √ ( m/k )
Find the dimension of
k ?.
Specific heat capacity
c is defined as heat
supplied to raise unit
mass of a substance
per unit degree rise in
temperature.
What is the dimension
of c?.
 Tutorial (continued….)
iv) The period T of a simple pendulum
depends on the length  , mass m and
acceleration due to gravity g.

Use dimension analysis to obtain an equation

for the period T of a simple pendulum
 1.5 SCALAR AND VECTOR
QUANTITIES
 SCALAR QUANTITY  VECTOR QUANTITY

is a physical quantity that is a physical quantity that

requires only magnitude is represented by both
magnitude and direction.

Examples: Examples:
 1.6 Applications
 RESOLUTION OF FORCES
There are 3 types:
 1. Two forces in the same direction:
F = F1 + F 2
 2. Two forces in the opposite direction:
F = F1 – F 2
 3. Two forces perpendicular to one another:
F2 = F1 2 + F2 2
Tan  = F1 / F2
 Applications ( continued …….)
 4. Two forces parallel to one another:
(Apply Law of parallelogram in polygon)
1.7 Tutorial
1.8 FORCES IN EQUILIBRIUM
i. (Example of 3 forces)
1.8 ii. Two perpendicular forces
 Fx = F cos 
Fy = F sin 
y
  is an angle between
the force F to the
horizontal line
 the sign of the force
depend on the quadrant
where the force , F is
placed
1.8 iii. Example(continued)

 Find the
values of Px
and Py for
the
following
figures.
1.8 iv. Example (continued)
 a) Draw a triangle of
forces.
 (b) Calculate the value
of
 (i) M
 (ii) N
 1.8 v. Example(continued)

What is the
magnitude and
the direction of
the resultant
force acting on
the trolley.
1.8 vi. Example(continued)

 Calculate the
magnitude of
the resultant
force acting on
the trolley.
1.8 vii. Example (continued)

A = W sin 

B = W kos 
 1.8 viii Applications
(Find the resultant force )
 ERRORS
 Precision is the degree  Accuracy is the degree
of a measuring of closeness of the
instrument to record measurements to the
consistent reading for actual or accepted value
each measurement by the
same way.

Sensitivity is the degree of a measuring instrument to record small

change in its reading.
 ERRORS
 There are two types of errors.
1 Systemmatic errors
2 Random errors
 ERRORS
Systemmatic error is a
physical quantity due to
instruments, the effects of
surrounding conditions and
physical constraints of the
observer.
 Sources of systematic errors are:
(i) Zero errors or end errors
 Zero errors occurs when the instrument gives a
non- zero reading when in fact the actual
reading is zero.
(ii)Personal error of the observer.
 Physical constraints or limitations of the
observer can cause systematic errors.
An example is the reaction time.
(iii) Errors due to instruments
Example:
 A stopwatch which is faster than normal would
give readings which are always larger than the
actual time.
 ERRORS
The main source of random error is
the observer or has non -constant
size of error and is unpredictable.
 Examples of random errors are:
(i) Parallax errors – occur when the
position of the eye is not perpendicular to the
scale.
(ii) Different pressures are applied when
closing the gap of the micrometer screw gauge
when it is used to measure the diameter of a
wire.
(iii) Changes in the temperature during an
experiment.
(iv) Recording the wrong reading.
(v) Mistake in counting
 To eliminate or reduce random errors ,
repeated reading are taken.
 ERRORS & ACCURACY
 Example for time: Percentage errors =

t = 2.1  0.1 s size of error x 100 %

size of
Measured measurement
value
Uncertainty/
absolute error