Measurements: Units/ Physical Quantities

MEASUREMENTS
UNITS/ PHYSICAL QUANTITIES

WHAT IS PHYSICS?
• The study nature, the understanding of its
phenomena and how it behaves.
KINEMATICS
Study of motion
MEASUREMENTS
• a collection of quantitative or
numerical data that describes a
property of an object or event.
• it is made by comparing a quantity
with a standard unit.
MEASUREMENTS
• Since this comparison cannot be
perfect, measurements inherently
include error, which is how much a
measured value deviates from the
true value.
MEASUREMENTS
• The study of measurement is called
metrology.
• The modern International System of
Units (SI) bases all types of physical
measurements on seven base units.
MEASUREMENTS
• The study of measurement is called
metrology.
• The modern International System of
Units (SI) bases all types of physical
measurements on seven base units.
METHODS OF MEASUREMENT
• The length of a piece of string can be measured
by comparing the string against a meter stick.
• The volume of a drop of water may be measured
using a graduated cylinder.
• The mass of a sample may be measured using a
scale or balance.
• The temperature of a fire may be measured using
a thermocouple.
COMPARING MEASUREMENTS
• Measuring the volume of a cup of water with an
Erlenmeyer flask will give you a better
measurement than trying to gauge its volume by
putting it into a bucket, even if both
measurements are reported using the same unit
(e.g., milliliters).
• Accuracy matters, so there are criteria that
scientists use to compare measurements: type,
magnitude, unit, and uncertainty.
COMPARING MEASUREMENTS
• Magnitude is the actual numerical value of a
measurement (e.g., 45 or 0.237).
• Unit is the ratio of the number against the standard for
the quantity (e.g., gram, candela, micrometer).
• Uncertainty reflects the systematic and random errors
in the measurement.
• Uncertainty is a description of confidence in the
accuracy and precision of a measurement that is typically
expressed as an error.
MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
• International System of Units
(SI): SI comes from the French
name Système International
d'Unités. It is the most commonly
used metric system.
MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
• Metric System: SI is a specific metric system,
which is a decimal system of measurement.
Examples of two common forms of the metric
system are the MKS system (meter, kilogram,
second as base units) and CGS system
(centimeter, gram, and second as base units).
There are many units in SI and other forms of the
metric system that are built upon combinations of
base units. These are called derived units.
MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
• English System: The British or Imperial system of
measurements was common before SI units were
adopted internationally. Although Britain has
largely adopted the SI system, the United States
and some Caribbean countries still use the English
system for non-scientific purposes. This system is
based on the foot-pound-second units, for units
of length, mass, and time.
PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
• Have numerical values (number) and unit of
measurements (e.g. two kilograms, one meter)
FUNDAMENTAL DERIVED
QUANTITIES QUANTITIES
FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITIES
QUANTITY UNIT SYMBOL
MASS Kilogram kg
LENGTH Meter m
TIME Second s
ELECTRIC CURRENT Ampere A
TEMPERATURE Kelvin K
LUMINOUS INTENSITY Candela cd
AMOUNT OF SUBSTANCE Mole mol
DERIVED QUANTITIES
• Products or ratios or the base units.
Example:
• Speed is the change in distance per unit
change in time. While the unit of speed
is the unit of distance (same as length)
divided by the unit of time (m/s).
ACCURACY
•Accuracy is defined as how close

a measured value to a true or
accepted value is.
•The measured error is the
amount of inaccuracy.
PRECISION
•Precision is a measure of how

close a series of measurements
are to one another.
ACCURACY & PRECISION
FORMS OF ERRORS
RANDOM SYSTEMATIC
ERRORS ERRORS
RANDOM ERRORS
• Variations in the measured data brought
by the limitations of the measuring
device.
• Use statistical analysis
• Averaging the large numbers of
observation can reduce errors.
SYSTEMATIC ERRORS
• Reproducible inaccurate data that are
constantly in the same direction.
• Inaccurate calibration of a measuring
instrument.
• Applying a correction factor can reduce
error.
CAUSES OF ERROR
INADEQUATE DEFINITION
• Systematic/ random
Example:
Measuring the length of a rope, it will be
affected by the force applied by the
students.
UNABLE TO INCLUDE A FACTOR
• Systematic
Example:
When measuring free fall, air resistance was
not considered.
• Discuss all aspects that could probably affect
the result before doing an experiment.
FACTORS DUE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
• Systematic/ random
Example:
Vibrations, temperature, noise, or
other conditions that may affect the
measuring instrument.
LIMITED SCALE OF THE INSTRUMENT
• Random
Example:
A meter stick cannot measure
exactly in the smallest scale
division.
UNABLE TO CALIBRATE OR CHECK ZERO SCALE
OF THE INSTRUMENT
•Systematic
Reminder:
Always check the calibration of
the instrument before taking
measurements.
PARALLAX
•Systematic/ random
Reminder:
Whenever an experimenter’s eye is not
aligned with a pointer in a scale, the
reading may differ, either too high or
low
PERSONAL ERRORS
•Occur from carelessness,
poor method, or bias
measurement of the
experimenter.

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MEASUREMENTS

UNITS/ PHYSICAL QUANTITIES

•Accuracy is defined as how close

•Precision is a measure of how

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