Topic 1 Measurement

Republic of the Philippines
DR. EMILIO B. ESPINOSA, SR. MEMORIAL STATE

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
Masbate State College
www.debesmscat.edu.ph
Mandaon, Masbate
Introductory Topic
The Nature of Science and Physics
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• Explain the difference between a principle and a law
• Perform unit conversions both in the SI and English units
KEY CONCEPTS:
• A theory is an explanation of natural phenomena based on observation and accepted fundamental
principles.
• Law a description, using concise language or a mathematical formula, a generalized pattern in

nature that is supported by scientific evidence and repeated experiments
• Units are standards for expressing and comparing the measurement of physical quantities. All
units can be expressed as combinations of four fundamental units.
COURSE CONTENT:
1.1 The Nature of Physics
Physics is an experimental science. Physicists observe the phenomena of nature and try to find patterns
that relate these phenomena. These patterns are called physical theories or, when they are very well
established and widely used, physical laws or principles.
1.2 Solving Physics Problems

In physics, truly understanding a concept means being able to apply it to a variety of problems. Learning
how to solve
problems is absolutely essential; you don’t know physics unless you can do physics.
PHYSICS
The word physics is derived from the Greek word “fusis”, meaning “natural things”. Physics is a natural
science that involves the study of matter and its motion through space and time. Physics helps us analyze
the behavior of nature around us.
MEASUREMENT
- It refers to the determination of the size or magnitude of something.
- It is the comparison of an unknown quantity with a standard quantity of the same rate.
PHYSICAL QUANTITY
It is any number that is used to describe quantitively a physical phenomenon.
For example, two physical quantities that describe you are your weight and your height. Some physical
quantities are so fundamental that we can define them only by describing how to measure them. Such a
definition is called an operational definition.
THE FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITIES OF MECHANICS
MASS – it is a measure of the amount of matter in a body.

Mass of an object is related to the amount of material that is present in the object, or how much
that object resists changes in its motion. The SI fundamental unit of mass, the kilogram
(abbreviated kg), is defined to be the mass of a particular cylinder of platinum–iridium alloy kept
at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures at Sèvres, near Paris
LENGTH – it refers to the state, quantity or fact of being long.

Length is defined as the distance between two points in space. The SI unit of length is in meter
(abbreviated m) defined as the distance that light travels in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 second.
TIME – it refers to the number of years, days, minutes, etc., representing such an interval.
The standard time was defined in terms of the mean solar day. The fundamental unit of a second
(s) was defined as (1/60) (1/60) (1/24) of a mean solar day. One second (abbreviated s) is now
defined as for 9,192,631,770 times the period of vibration of radiation from the cesium-133 atom.
DERIVED QUANTITIES
These are the quantities obtain from the fundamental quantities.
Examples:
1. Velocity
2. Acceleration
3. Energy
4. Area
5. Volume
SYSTEM OF UNITS
1. S.I. / METRIC SYSTEM – refers to the International System of Units. It provides a complete
coherent system of units used for physical quantities.
LENGTH – meter (m)

MASS – gram (g)
TIME – second (s)
2. BRITISH UNITS – are used only in mechanics and thermodynamics.
British units are now officially defined in terms of SI units, as follows:
Length: 1 inch = 2.54 cm (exactly)
Force: 1 pound = 4.448221615260 newtons (exactly)
LENGTH – feet (ft)

MASS – slug (slug)
TIME – second (s)
TABLE OF PREFIXES
PREFIXES SYMBOL MULTIPLE DESCRIPTION

Yotta Y 1024 Septillion
Zetta Z 1021 Sextillion
Exa E 1018 Quintillion
Peta P 1015 Quadrillion
Tera T 1012 Trillion
Giga G 109 Billion
Mega M 106 Million
Kilo K 103 Thousand
Hecto h 102 Hundred
Deca da 101 Ten
Base b 100 One
Deci d 10-1 Tenth
Centi c 10-2 Hundredth
Milli m 10-3 Thousandth
Micro µ 10-6 Millionth
Nano n 10-9 Billionth
Pico p 10-12 Trillionth
Femto f 10-15 Quadrillionth
Atto a 10-18 Quintillionth
Zepto z 10-21 Sextillionth
Yocto y 10-24 Septillionth
CONVERSION FACTORS
TIME
1min = 60s
1hr = 60min = 3600s
1 day = 24hrs = 84, 400s
1 yr = 365days = 3.156x107s
1 decade = 10 yrs
1 score = 20 yrs
1 century = 100 yrs
1 millennium = 10 centuries = 1000 years
LENGTH
1m = 100cm = 1000mm
1km = 1000m = 0.6214mi
1m = 3.281ft = 39.37in
1cm = 0.3937in
1in = 2.54cm
1yd = 3ft = 91.44cm
1ft = 12in = 30.48cm
1mi = 5280ft = 1.609km
1nautical mile = 6080ft
1light year = 9.46x1015m
AREA
1cm2 = 0.155in2
1m2 = 104cm2 = 10.76ft2
1in2 = 6.452cm2
1ft2 = 144in2 = 0.0929m2
VOLUME
1li = 1000cc = 10-3m3 = 0.03531ft3 = 61.02in3
1ft3 = 0.02832m3 = 28.32li = 7.477gal
1gal = 3.785li = 4quarts
1 pint = 16 fluid ounces = 2 cups
1 quart = 2 pints
1 peck = 8 quarts
1 bushel = 4 peck
1 m3 = 106 cm3 = 103 lit = 35.3147 ft3 = 264.172gal
ANGLE
1rad = 57.30o = 1800/π
10 = 0.01745 rad = π/1800
1 rev = 3600 = 2 π
1 rev/min (rpm) = 0.1047rad/s
SPEED
1m/s = 3.281ft/s
1ft/s = 0.3048m/s
1mi/min = 60mi/hr = 88ft/s
1km/hr = 0.2778m/s = 0.6214mi/hr
1mi/hr = 1.466ft/s = 0.4470m/s = 1.609km/hr
1 furlong/fornight = 1.662x104m/s
ACCELARATION
1m/s2 = 100cm/s2 = 3.281ft/s2
1cm/s2 = 0.01m/s2 = 0.0328ft/s2
MASS
1kg = 1000g = 0.0685 slug
1g = 6.85x10-5 slug
1 slug = 14.59kg
FORCE
1N = 1x105 dynes = 1kg.m/s2
= 0.224809(1bf)
PRESSURE
1 bar = 105kg/ms2 = 105N/m2
= 105 Pa = 102kPa
= 106 dyne/cm2
= 0.986923 (atm)
= 14.5038 (psia)
= 750.061 (torr)
ENERGY
1J = 1kg.m2/s2 = 1N.m
= 1m3.Pa = 10-5m3.bar = 10cm3.bar
= 9.86923 cm3.atm
= 107(dyne).cm = 107erge
= 0.239006 (cal)
= 5.12197 x 10-3(ft3)(psia) = 0.737562(ft)(lbf)
= 9.47831 x 10-4(Btu) = 2.77778 x 10-7kW.h
POWER
1kW = 103W = 103kg.m2/s3 = 103J/s
= 239.006(cal)/s
= 737.562(ft)(lb)/s
= 0.947831(Btu)/s
= 1.34102hp
Example:
Convert the following:

1. 29.18kg = __________slug
2. 432in2 = ____________ft2
3. 18.94 li = ___________gallon
4. 264 ft/s = ___________mi/hr
Solution:
1) 1 slug = 14.59 kg
29.18 kg x 1 slug = 2 slug

14.59 kg
2) 12 in = 1 ft
432 in2 x (1 ft / 12 in)2
=432 in2 x (1 ft2 / 144 in2 )
= 3 ft2
3) gallon = 3.785 li
18.94 li x 1 gal = 5 gallons

3.785
4) 264 ft x 1mi x 3600 s = 180 mi/hr

s 5280 ft 1 hr
EXAMPLE 1:
1. A worker is about to paint the walls of a square room 8ft high and 12ft long each side.
(a) What area in square meters must he cover?
(b) What is the thickness of the paint on the wall in meter, if one gallon of paint is used?
SOLUTION:
a) A = L x W = (8ft)(12ft) = 96ft2
A = 96ft2 x (1m / 3.281 ft)2
A = 96ft2 x 1m2
10.765ft2
A = 8.918m2
b) 1 li = 1x10-3 m3
= 1 gal x 3.785 li x 1x10-3 m3
1 gal 1 li
= 3.785x10-3 m3
V = LxWxH ; H =t ; V = LxWxt
But A = LxW ; V = At
t=V
A
t = 3.785x10-3 m3
8.918m2
t = 4.244x10-4 m
2. A worm moves at a speed of 5 furlongs per fornight. Given that 8 furlongs = 1 mile and 1 fornight
= 14 days, determine the speed of the worm in m/s?
SOLUTION:
s = 5 furlongs x __1 mi__ x 1609 m x 1 fornight x 1 day

fornight 8 furlongs 1 mi 14 days 86,400 s
s = 8.314x10-4 m/s
Example 2:
2. Suppose that you drive the 10.0 km from your university to home in 20.0 min. Calculate your
average speed (a) in kilometers per hour (km/h) and (b) in meters per second (m/s).
Solution:
Given: distance = 10km ; time = 20min ; average speed =?
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
a) average speed = 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
1ℎ𝑟
20min x 60𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 0.333hr
10
Average speed = 0.333
Average speed = 30km/hr
1000𝑚
b) 10km x = 10000m
1𝑘𝑚
60𝑠
20min x 1𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 1200s
10000
Average speed = 1200
Average speed = 8.333m/s
Seatwork 3:
1. The speed limit on some interstate highways is roughly 100 km/h. (a) What is this in meters per
second? (b) How many miles per hour is this?
2. A car is traveling at a speed of 33 m/s. (a) What is its speed in kilometers per hour?
3. Soccer fields vary in size. A large soccer field is 115 m long and 85 m wide. What are its
dimensions in feet and inches?
4. Mount Everest, at 29,028 feet, is the tallest mountain on the Earth. What is its height in
kilometers?
5. Tectonic plates are large segments of the Earth’s crust that move slowly. Suppose that one such
plate has an average speed of 4.0 cm/year. (a) What distance does it move in 1 s at this speed?
(b) What is its speed in kilometers per million years?
6. What is the height in meters of a person who is 6 ft 1.0 in.
7. The speed of sound is measured to be 342 m/s on a certain day. What is this in km/h?
1. (a) 27.8 m/s (b) 62.1 mph
5. length: 377 ft; 4.53 × 103 in. width: 280 ft; 3.3 × 103 in.
7. 8.847 km
9. (a) 1.3 × 10−9 m (b) 40 km/My
References:
1. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 10th ed., by Raymond A. Serway and John W.
Cewett, c2018 Cengage
Learning Asia Pte.Ltd.

2. https://openstax.org/details/books/college-physics
- College Physics, by Paul Peter Urone and Roger Hinrichs, c 2020, Rice University
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBcTG5UA-
Vs&list=PLm5da2qSqUfnk7xXZEdIwqvzU5PTeIWTX&index=5
- video supported/tutorial by Engr. Palmer De Leon

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Republic of the Philippines

DR. EMILIO B. ESPINOSA, SR. MEMORIAL STATE

• Law a description, using concise language or a mathematical formula, a generalized pattern in

1.2 Solving Physics Problems

THE FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITIES OF MECHANICS

MASS – it is a measure of the amount of matter in a body.

LENGTH – it refers to the state, quantity or fact of being long.

LENGTH – meter (m)

LENGTH – feet (ft)

PREFIXES SYMBOL MULTIPLE DESCRIPTION

Convert the following:

29.18 kg x 1 slug = 2 slug

18.94 li x 1 gal = 5 gallons

4) 264 ft x 1mi x 3600 s = 180 mi/hr

s = 5 furlongs x 1 mi x 1609 m x 1 fornight x 1 day

1. (a) 27.8 m/s (b) 62.1 mph

9. (a) 1.3 × 10−9 m (b) 40 km/My

Learning Asia Pte.Ltd.

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