MODULE 2 - MEASUREMENT

Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, learners should be able to:
1. explain the need for standardization of measurement;
2. use the metric system of measurement;
3. convert measurements from one system to another;
4. solve problems involving length, area, and volume;
5. distinguish between mass and weight;
6. use significant digits to determine the accuracy of measurements;
7. differentiate between accuracy and precision; and

Learning Time: 2 weeks (week-2-3)

Measurement

DISCUSSION

Standards of Measure
 Standards of measure are sets of units of measurement for length, weight, and other
quantities defined in a way that is useful to a large number of people. Throughout history,
there have been many standards by which measurements have been made:
- Yard: The distance from the tip of the king’s nose to the fingertips of his outstretched
hand
- Foot: The rod divided by 16; it was also common to use the length of one’s own foot
- as the unit foot.
- Inch: The length of three barley corns, round and dry, taken from the center of the
ear,
and laid end to end
 During the 1790s, a decimal system based on our number system, the metric system, was
developed in France.
 By 1900, most of Europe and South America were metric.
 In 1866, metric measurements for official use were legalized in the United States.
 1893, the Secretary of the Treasury, by administrative order, declared the new metric
standards to be the nation’s “fundamental standards” of mass and length.

8
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
Introduction to Metric System
 The modern metric system is identified in all languages by the abbreviation SI (for
Système International d’Unités—the international system of units of measurement
written in French).
 The SI metric system has seven basic units. All other SI units are called derived units;
that is, they can be defined in terms of these seven basic units
 For example, the newton (N) is defined as 1 kg m/s2 (kilogram metre per second per
second).
 Gabriel Mouton is often credited with originating the metric system.
 Because the metric system is a decimal or base 10 system, it is very similar to our
decimal number system and any decimal money system.
 It is an easy system to use because calculations are based on the number 10 and its
multiples.
 Special prefixes are used to name these multiples and submultiples, which may be used
with most all SI units.

9
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
Example 1
Write the SI abbreviation for 36 centimetres.
The symbol for the prefix centi is c.
The symbol for the unit metre is m.
Thus, 36 cm is the SI abbreviation for 36 centimetres.

Example 2
Write the SI metric unit for the abbreviation 45 kg.
The prefix for k is kilo; the unit for g is gram.
Thus, 45 kilograms is the SI metric unit for 45 kg.

Scientific Notation
 Scientific notation is a useful method of expressing such very small (or very large)
numbers.
 For example:
- 0.1 = 1 x 10-1 or 10-1
- 10,000 = 1 x 104 or 104
- 0.001 = 1 x 10-3 or 10-3
 A number in scientific notation is written as a product of a number between 1 and 10
and a power of 10. General form: M x 10n , where;
M = a number between 1 and 10
N = the exponent or power of 10
Example
The following numbers are written in scientific notation:
(a) 325 = 3.25 x 102
(b) 100,000 = 1 x 105 or 105

10
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
  A number greater than 10 is expressed in scientific notation as a product of a decimal
between 1 and 10 and a positive power of 10.
Example
Write each number greater than 10 in scientific notation.
(a) 2580 = 2.58 x 103
(b) 54,600 = 5.46 x 104
(c) 42,000,000 = 4.2 x 107
(d) 715.8 = 7.158 x 102
(e) 34.775 = 3.4775 x 101
* A number between 0 and 1 is expressed in scientific notation as a product of a decimal
between 1 and 10 and a negative power of 10.
Example:
Write each positive number less than 1 in scientific notation.
(a) 0.0815 = 8.15 X 10-2
(b) 0.00065 = 6.5 X 10-4
(c) 0.73 = 7.3 X 10 -1
(d) 0.0000008 = 8 X10-7
* A number between 1 and 10 is expressed in scientific notation as a product of a decimal
between 1 and 10 and the zero power of 10.
Write each number between 1 and 10 in scientific notation.
(a) 7.33 = 7.33 X 100
(b) 1.06 = 1.06 X 100

To change a number from scientific notation to decimal form:

1. Multiply the decimal part by the power of 10 by moving the decimal point to the right the
same
number of decimal places as indicated by the power of 10 if it is positive.
2. Multiply the decimal part by the power of 10 by moving the decimal point to the left the same
number of decimal places as indicated by the power of 10 if it is negative.
3. Supply zeros as needed

Write 7.62 x 102 in decimal form.

7.62 x 102 = 762 ---- move the decimal point two places to the right
Write 6.15 10-4 in decimal form.
6.15 x 10-4 = 0.000615-------move the decimal point four places to the left and insert
three zeros.
Write each number in decimal form.
(a) 3.75 x 102 = 375
(b) 1.09 x 105 = 109,000
(c) 2.88 x 10-2 = 0.0288
(d) 9.4 x 10-6 = 0.0000094
(e) 6.7 x 100 = 6.7

11
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
Length
 The basic SI unit of length is the metre (m). The first standard metre was chosen in the
1790s to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the earth’s equator to either pole.
 The current definition adopted in 1983 is based on the speed of light in a vacuum and
reads “The metre is the length of path traveled by light in a vacuum during a time interval
of 1/299,792,458 of a second.”
 Long distances are measured in kilometres (km).
 We use the centimetre (cm) to measure short distances, such as the length of this book
or the width of a board
 The millimetre (mm) is used to measure very small lengths, such as the thickness of
this book or the depth of a tire tread

Conversion Factor
 A conversion factor is an expression used to change from one unit or set of units to
another.
 We know that we can multiply any number or quantity by 1 without changing the value
of the original quantity.
 We also know that any fraction equals 1 when its numerator and denominator are equal.
Example
5 =1
5
 In addition, since 1m = 100 cm, 1m = 1, because the numerator equals the
100 cm denominator

- 1m = 100 cm, there are two conversion factors for each set of data:
1m and 100 cm
100 cm 1m

 Choose a conversion factor in which the old units are in the numerator of the original
expression and in the denominator of the conversion factor, or the old units are in the
denominator of the original expression and in the numerator of the conversion factor.
That is, we want the old units to cancel each other
Example 1
Change 215 cm to metres. We will choose the conversion factor with centimeters in the
denominator so that the cm units cancel each other.
215 cm x 1m = 2.15 m
100 cm
Note: conversion within the metric system involve only moving the decimal point.

Example 2
Change 4m to centimeters
4m x 100 cm = 400 cm
1m

12
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
Example 3
Change 39.5 mm to centimeters
Choose the conversion factor with millimetres in the denominator so that the mm
units cancel each other
39.5 mm x 1 cm = 3.95 cm
10 mm

Example 4
Change 0.05 km to centimetres
First, change to metres and then to centimetres.
0.05 km x 1000 m = 50 m
1 km
50 m x 100 cm = 5000 cm
1m

Or
0.05 km x 1000 m x 100 cm = 5000 cm
1 km 1m

Example 5
1 foot (ft) = 12 inches (in.)
1 yard (yd) = 3 ft
1 mile (mi) = 5280 ft
Change 84 in. to feet
Choose the conversion factor with inches in the denominator and feet in the numerator
84 in. x 1 ft = 7 ft
12 in.

Example 6
Express 10 inches in centimetres
1 in. = 2.54 cm -------------- so, 10 in. x 2.54 cm = 25.4 cm
1 in.
Example 7
Change 15 miles to kilometres
1 mile (mi) = 1.61 km
15 mi x 1.61 km = 24.15 km
1 mi
Example 8
Change 220 centimetres to inches
1 centimetre = 0.394 inches
220 cm x 0.394 in. = 86.68 in.
1 cm
Example 9
Change 3 yards to centimetres
Since there is no direct conversion from yards to centimetres, we must first change yards
to inches and then inches to centimetres:
3 yd x 36 in. x 2.54 cm = 274.32 cm
1 yd 1 in.

13
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
Area and Volume
Area
 The area of a figure is the number of square units that it contains. To measure a surface
area of an object, you must first decide on a standard unit of area.
 Standard units of area are based on the square and are called square inches, square
centimetres, square miles, or some other square unit of measure. An area of 1 square
centimetre (cm2) is the amount of area found within a square 1 cm on each side. An area
of 1 square inch (in2) is the amount of area found within a square of 1 in. on each side
 In general, when multiplying measurements of like units, multiply the numbers and
then multiply the units as follows:
2 cm x 4 cm = (2 x 4) (cm x cm) = 8 cm2
3 in. x 5 in. = (3 x 5) (in. x in.) = 15 in2
1.4 m x 6.7 m = (1.4 x 6.7) (m x m) = 9.38 m2
Metric Area
 The basic unit of area in the metric system is the square metre (m2), the area in a square
whose sides are 1 m long
 The square centimetre (cm2) and the square millimetre (mm2) are smaller units of area.
 Larger units of area are the square kilometre (km2) and the hectare (ha).

Example 1
 Find the area of a rectangle 5 m long and 3 m wide. Each square represents 1 m2
 By simply counting the number of squares (square metres), we find that the area of the
rectangle is 15 m2
 We can also find the area of the rectangle by using the formula

A = l x w = (5m) x (3m) = 15 m2

Volume
 The volume of a figure is the number of cubic units that it contains.
 Standard units of volume are based on the cube and are called cubic centimetres, cubic
inches, cubic yards, or some other cubic unit of measure.
 A volume of 1 cubic centimetre (cm3) is the same as the amount of volume contained in
a cube 1 cm on each side.
 One cubic inch (in3) is the volume contained in a cube 1 in. on each side
Note: When multiplying measurements of like units, multiply the numbers and then
multiply the units as follows:

14
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
3 in. x 5 in. x 4 in. = (3 x 5 x 4)(in. x in. x in.) = 60 in3
2 cm x 4 cm x 1 cm = (2 x 4 x 1)(cm x cm x cm) = 8 cm3
1.5 ft x 8.7 ft x 6 ft x = (1.5 x 8.7 x 6)(ft x ft x ft) = 78.3 ft3

Metric Volume
 Find the volume of a rectangular prism 6 cm long, 4 cm wide, and 5 cm high. Each cube
shown in is 1 cm3

 To find the volume of the rectangular solid, count the number of cubes in the bottom
layer of the rectangular solid and then multiply that number by the number of layers that
the solid can hold.
 Therefore, there are 5 layers of 24 cubes, which is 120 cubes or 120 cubic centimetres.
 by formula, V = Bh, where B is the area of the base and h is the height.
 However, the area of the base is found by lw, where l is the length and w is the width of
the rectangle.
 Therefore, the volume of a rectangular solid can be found by the formula
V x lwh = (6 cm)(4 cm)(5 cm) = 120 cm3
 Note: cm x cm x cm = cm3

15
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
  A common unit of volume in the metric system is the litre (L).
 The litre is commonly used for liquid volumes.
 The cubic metre (m3) is used to measure large volumes.
 The cubic metre is the volume in a cube 1 m on an edge. For example, the usual
teacher’s desk could be boxed into 2 cubimetres side by side.
 The relationship between the litre and the cubic centimetre deserves special mention.
 The litre is defined as the volume in 1 cubic decimetre (dm3).
 That is, 1 litre of liquid fills a cube 1 dm (10 cm) on an edge
 The volume of this cube can be found by using the formula
V = lwh = (10 cm)(10 cm)(10 cm) = 1000 cm3
That is, 1 L = 1000 cm3
Then, 1 L = 1 cm3
1000
But 1 L = 1 mL
1000
Therefore, 1 mL = 1 cm3

 Milk, soda, and gasoline are usually sold by the litre in countries using the metric system.
 Liquid medicine, vanilla extract, and lighter fluid are usually sold by the millilitre.
 Many metric cooking recipes are given in millilitres.
 Very large quantities of oil are sold by the kilolitre (1000 L).
Example 1
Change 0.75 L to millilitres.

.75 L x 1000 mL = 70 mL
1L

Example 2
Change 0.65 cm3 to cubic millimetres

.65 cm3 x 1000 mm3 = 650 mm3

1 cm3

Mass and Weight

 The mass of an object is the quantity of material making up the object. One unit of mass
in the metric system is the gram (g). The gram is defined as the mass of 1 cubic
centimetre (cm3) of water at its maximum density.
 Since the gram is so small, the kilogram (kg) is the basic unit of mass in the metric
system.
 One kilogram is defined as the mass of 1 cubic decimetre (dm3) of water at its maximum
density. The standard kilogram is a special platinum–iridium cylinder at the International
Bureau of Weights and Measures near Paris, France. Since 1 dm3 = 1 L, 1 litre of water
has a mass of 1 kilogram
 For very, very small masses, such as medicine dosages, we use the milligram (mg).
 One grain of salt has a mass of about 1 mg. The metric ton (1000 kg) is used to measure
the mass of very large quantities, such as the coal on a barge, a trainload of grain, or a
shipload of ore.

16
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
Example 1
Change 74 kg to grams
 Choose the conversion factor with kilograms in the denominator so that the kg units
cancel each other.
74 kg x 1000 g = 74,000 g
1 kg
Example 2

Change 600 mg to grams.

600 mg x 1g = 0.6 g
1000 mg

 The weight of an object is a measure of the gravitational force or pull acting on it.
 The weight unit in the metric system is the newton (N). A small apple weighs about one
newton.
 The pound (lb), a unit of force, is one of the basic U.S. system units. It is defined as
the pull of the earth on a cylinder of a platinum–iridium alloy that is stored in a vault at
the U.S. Bureau of Standards.
 The ounce (oz) is another common unit of weight in the U.S. system. The relationship
between pounds and ounces is
1 lb = 16 oz
The following relationships can be used for conversion between systems of units:
 The mass of an object remains constant, but its weight changes according to its distance
from the earth or another planet.
 A spring balance is an instrument containing a spring with a pointer attached to it. The
spring stretches in proportion to the weight of the item being weighed. The
weight is shown on a calibrated scale read directly in pounds or newtons. The common
bathroom scale uses this principle to measure weight.

17
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
  A platform balance consists of two platforms connected by a horizontal
rod that balances on a knife edge.
 This device compares the pull of gravity on objects that are on the two platforms. The
platforms are at the same height only when the unknown mass of the object on the left is
equal to the known mass placed on the right. It is also possible to use one platform and a
mass that slides along a calibrated scale.
 Variations of this basic design are found in some meat market and truck scales.

Example
 The weight of the intake valve of an auto engine is 0.18 lb. What is its weight in ounces
and in newtons?
To find the weight in ounces, we simply use a conversion factor as follows:
0.18 lb x 16 0z = 2.88 0z
1 lb

To find the weight in newtons, we again use a conversion factor:

0.18 lb x 4.45 N = 0.801 N
1 lb

Time
 The basic time unit is the second (s).
 The second is not always convenient to use, so other units are necessary.
 The minute (min) is 60 seconds, the hour (h) is 60 minutes, and the day is 24 hours.
 The year is 365 days in length except for every fourth year, when it is 366 days long.

ROUNDING NUMBERS
To round a number to a particular place value:
1. If the digit in the next place to the right is less than 5, drop that digit and all other
following digits. Replace any whole number places dropped with zeros.
2. If the digit in the next place to the right is 5 or greater, add 1 to the digit in the place to
which you are rounding.
3. Drop all other following digits. Replace any whole number places dropped with zeros.

18
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
Name: ____________________________ Course & year: _________________Date: _________

Exercise No. 2

EXERCISES

A. Write each number in decimal form.

1. 3.75 x 102 = __________________________________

2. 1.09 x 105 = __________________________________

3. 2.88 x 10-2 = __________________________________

4. 9.4 x 10-6 = ___________________________________

5. 6.7 x 100 = ____________________________________

B. Write each number in scientific notation

1. 326 __________________________________________

2. 0. 00053 ____________________________________

3. 826.4 ________________________________________

4. 14,500 _______________________________________

5. 0.00413 ______________________________________

C. Fill in the blank with the most reasonable metric unit (km, m, cm or mm)

1. Your car is about 6 _________________ long.

2. Your pencil is about 20 ______________ long.
3. The distance between New York and San Francisco is about 4200 _____________.
4. Your pencil is about 7 _____________________ thick.
5. The ceiling in my bedroom is about 240 ________________ high.
6. The length of a football field is about 90 _________________.
7. A jet plane usually cruises at an altitude of 9 ______________.
8. A standard film size for cameras is 35 _____________.
9. The diameter of my car tire is about 60 _____________.
10. The zipper on my jacket is about 70 ____________ long.

19
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS
Name: ________________________________ Course & Year: ________________________

Evaluation No. 2

EVALUATION
Conversion of units. Convert the following units.
1. Change 250 m to ____________________ cm.
2. Change 250 m to ____________________ km.
3. Change 546 mm to __________________ cm.
4. Change 178 km to ___________________ m.
5. Change 830 cm to ___________________ m.
6. The length of a connecting rod is 7 in. What is its length in centimeters? _____________.
7. The distance between two cities is 256 mi. Find this distance in kilometres ___________
8. Change 5.94 m to ____________________ feet.
9. Change 7.1 cm to ____________________ inches
10. Change 1.2 in. to _____________________ centimetres
11. Change 7500 mL to ___________________ L
12. Change 0.85 L to _____________________ mL
13. Change 1.6 L to ______________________ mL
14. Change 9 ml to _______________________ L
15. Change 275 cm3 to ____________________ mL
16. The basic metric unit of time is ______________. Its abbreviation is _____________
17. The basic metric unit of mass is ______________. Its abbreviation is _____________
18. The common metric unit of weight is __________. Its abbreviation is _____________
19. Change 575 g to _____________________ kg

Determine the accuracy (the number of significant digits) of each measurement.

1. 536 ft ___________________
2. 307.3 mi _________________
3. 5007 m __________________
4. 5.00 cm __________________
5. 0.0070 in. _________________
6. 6.010 cm __________________
7. 187.40 m __________________
8. 0.00700 in. ________________
9. 10.30 cm __________________
10. 376.52 m __________________

20
MODULE 2 – APPLIED PHYSICS