CHAPTER 1

MEASUREMENTS
MCQs
1. Number of base units are:
(a) 2 (b) 3 (c) 4 (d) 7
2. Angle subtended by circle at the center is:
(a)  rad (b) 2 rad (c) 3 rad (d) 4 rad
3. Angle subtended by sphere at the center is:
(a)  Sr (b) 2 Sr (c) 3 Sr (d) 4 Sr
4. 1 m /1 pm :
(a) K (b) M (c) G (d) None of these
5. In scientific notation 74000 kg is written as:
(a) 7400 101 kg (b) 740 102 kg (c) 74 103 kg (d) 7.4 104 kg
6. The percentage errors in the measurement of mass and speed are 2% and 3% respectively. How much
will be maximum error in the kinetic energy obtained by measuring mass and speed?
(a) 11% (b) 8% (c) 5% (d) 1%
7. Number of significant zero in 0.03020 are:
(a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5
8. Number of significant figures in 7.4 10 kg are:
2

(a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5

9. Which quantity has different units from the other three?
(a) Density x volume x velocity (b) Rate of change of momentum
(c) Young’s modulus x area (d) Weight
10. Light year is the unit of:
(a) Time (b) Speed (c) Length (d) Mass
3
11. Density of mercury is 13600 kgm , its value in cgs system is:
(a) 13.6 g cm3 (b) 1360 g cm3 (c) 136 g cm3 (d) 1.3 g cm3
12. 72.1  3.42  0.003 
(a) 75.523 (b) 75.52 (c) 75.5 (d) 75.6
2
5.34 10  3.64 10 4
13. 
1.336
(a) 1.4 103 (b) 1.46 103 (c) 1.45 103 (d) 1.457 103
14. Time taken by light to reach earth from sun is:
(a) 8 min (b) 8 min 10 sec (c) 8min 20 sec (d) 9 min
15. 64.350 is rounded off as:
(a) 64.35 (b) 64.46 (c) 64.36 (d) 64.4
16. Second pendulum strikes in a day:
(a) 3600 times (b) 43200 times (c) 86400 times (d) None of these
17. Three students measured the length of a needle with a scale on which minimum division is 1mm which
is correct?
(a) 0.2145 m (b) 0.21 m (c) 0.214 m (d) 0.2 m
18. If y  a  bt  ct 2 where “y” is in meter and “t” is in seconds then units of “b” are:
(a) m (b) ms1 (c) ms2 (d) No units
19. Which of the following is dimensionless?
v2 v2r v2 g
(a) (b) (c) (d) v2rg
rg g r
-1
20. Erg m can be the unit of:
(a) Force (b) Momentum (c) Power (d) Acceleration
21. N kg 1 is the unit of:
(a) Velocity (b) Acceleration (c) Momentum (d) Angular momentum
22. One femto =
(a) 109 (b) 1012 (c) 1015 (d) 105
23. Which of the following is derived quantity?
(a) Time (b) Area (c) Length (d) Mass
24. If radius of earth shrinks by 1.5% (mass is constant) then value of gravitational acceleration changes by
(a) 1% (b) 2% (C) 3% (d) 4%
0 3
25. Dimensional formula [ML T ] is that of:
(a) Power (b) Energy (c) Momentum (d) Intensity
26. If % uncertainty in “V” is 2% and that of “R” is 6% , then % uncertainty in “I” is:
(a) 0.3% (b) 3% (c) 8% (d) 12%
27. Dimensions of refractive index are:
(a) M 0 L0T 2 (b) M 0 L0T 0 (c) M 0 LT 0 (d) MLT
28. The branch of physics which deals with the ultimate particles of matter is:
(a) Plasma physics (b) Atomic physics (c) Nuclear physics (d) Particles physics
29. % uncertainty in measurement of mass and velocity are 2% and 3% respectively. Then maximum
uncertainty in measurement of momentum is:
(a) 5% (b) 6% (c) 8% (d) 11%
30. How many meters are there in one light year?
(a) 9.5 1015 m (b) 9.5 1015 m (c) 9.5 1016 m (d) 9.5 1016 m
31. Dimensions of work are:
(a) MLT 1 (b) MLT 2 (c) ML2T 2 (d) ML2T 2
32. Significant figures in 0.0010 are:
(a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5
33. Product of dimensions of frequency and time period is:
1
(a) 2 (b) (c) T (d) 1
2
34. Dimensions cannot be:
(a) Added (b) Multiplied (c) Divided (d) All of these
35. If % uncertainties in length “L” and time period “T” of a simple pendulum are 0.1% and 2% then %
uncertainty in gravitational acceleration “g” is:
(a) 2.1% (b) 1.9% (c) 4.1% (d) 8.1%
36. Which of the following is correct representation of units of force?
(a) N (b) newton (c) Both a and b (d) Newton
37. Unit of thermodynamic scale of temperature is:
(a) K (b) C o (c) F o (d) None of these
38. The error is constant for ______ error:
(a) Random (b) Systematic (c) Both a and b (d) All
39. The % uncertainty for V and I is 2% and 6% respectively. Hence total uncertainty in the value of R:
1
(a) 8% (b) (c) 4% (d) 3%
3%
40. In a simple electrical circuit, the current in a resistor is measured as (2.50  0.05)mA . The resistor is
marked as having a value of 4.7   2% . What would be the %age uncertainity in power dissipation in
resistor?
(a) 2% (b) 4% (c) 6% (d) 8%
41. The product of energy and time is dimensionally same as product of:
(a) Impulse and distance (b) Impulse and time
(c) Impulse and velocity (d) Impulse and acceleration
42. In a simple pendulum experiment, percentage errors in L and T are 0.1% and 2% respectively. What is
maximum percentage error in LT 2 ?
(a) 4.1% (b) 3% (c) 5% (d) 2.1%
43. If error in the measurement of volume of a sphere is 6% . Then error in the measurement of its surface
area?
(a) 2% (b) 3% (c) 4% (d) 7.5%
44. The dimensions of a cube are measured with Vernier callipers. The measured length of each side is 30mm
. If the Vernier callipers can be read with an uncertainty of 0.1mm . What does this give for the
approximate uncertainty in the value of its volume?

1 3 1
(a) % (b) % (c) % (d) 1%
27 10 3
45. The number 1.348467539 should be rounded off as follows:
(a) 1.2 (b) 1.3 (c) 1.4 (d) 1.1
46. Given resistance R1  (8  0.4) and R2  (8  .6) . What is the net resistance when R1 and R2 are
connected in series?
(a) 16  0.4  (b) 16  0.6  (c) 16  1  (d) 16  0.2 
47. Which one of the following prefixes is the greatest?
(a) Femto (b) Tera (c) Exa (d) Milli
48. The radius of the sphere is (4.3  0.1)cm . The percentage error in its volume is:
0.1 0.1 1 0.1 0.1
(a) 100 (b) 3  100 (c)  100 (d) 3  100
4.3 4.3 3 4.3 4.3
49. The SI unit of velocity gradient is:
(a) ms2 (b) ms1 (c) m (d) s 1
50. One micron is equal to:
(a) 102 cm (b) 104 cm (c) 106 cm (d) 108 cm
51. A force F is given by F  at  bt 2 where t is time, what are the dimensions of ‘a’ and ‘b’?
(a) MLT 1 , MLT 0 (b) MLT 2 , ML2T 4 (c) MLT 4 , MLT 1 (d) MLT 3 , MLT 1
52. The frequency f of vibration of a mass m suspended from a spring of force constant k is given by the
relation f  cmx k y , the value of x and y are:
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
(a) x  , y  (b) x  , y  (c) x  , y  (d) x  , y 
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
3/2
 Pr essure 
53. ( Speed )  
n
 gives the value of n:
 Density 
(a) 2 (b) 3 (c) 4 (d) -5
54. The dimensions of rectangular block measured with Vernier calipers having least count of 0.01cm are
5 mm 10 mm  5 mm . The maximum percentage error in the measurement of the volume of the block is:
(a) 5% (b) 10% (c) 15% (d) 20%
55. Which of the following are two principle characteristics of an ideal standard?
(a) Accessible & convertible (b) Convertible & invariable
(c) Accessible & invariable (d) None of these
56. A cube has a side of length 1.2 x 10-2 m. Calculate its volume.
(a) 1.7 x 10-6 m3 (b) 1.73 x 10-6 m3 (c) 1.70 x 10-6 m3 (d) 1.732 x 10-6 m3
57. The number 3498 rounded to two significant figures is:
(a) 34.98 x 102 (b) 34.98 (c) 35.00 (d) 3500
 1
58. The least count of stop watch is s . The time of 20 oscillations of a pendulum is measured to be 25
5
second. The percentage error in the measurement of time period will be:
(a) 0.1 % (b) 0.8 % (c) 1.8 % (d) 8 %
59. Among the following readings which of them is most precise?
(a) 6578 s (b) 657.8 s (c) 65.78 s (d) 6.578 s
60. Four students each made a series of measurements of the acceleration of free fall g. The table shows the
results obtained. Which student obtained a set of results that could be described as precise but not
accurate?
Student Result, g/m s-2
A. 9.81 9.79 9.84 9.83
B. 9.81 10.12 9.89 8.94
C. 9.45 9.21 8.99 8.76
D. 8.45 8.46 8.50 8.41
61. A quantity x is measured many times and the number N or measurements giving a value x is plotted
against x . the true value of the quantity is xo . Which graph best represents precise measurement with
poor accuracy?

(a) (b)

(c) (d)
SHORT QUESTIONS
1. What are physical quantities. Also give examples.
2. Define base and derived quantities.
3. Define radian and steradian.
4. Define random error and systematic error.
5. Define dimensions of a physical quantity. Also write uses of dimensional analysis.
6. What are the limitations of dimensional analysis?
7. Define significant figures. Give examples.
8. Write down rules for significant figures.
9. What is the difference between precise and accurate measurement?
10. Name several repetitive phenomena occurring in nature which could serve as reasonable time
standards.
11. Give the draw backs to use the period of pendulum as a time standard.
12. Why do we find it useful to have two units for the amount of substance, the kilogram and the mole?
13. Does a dimensional analysis give any information on constant of proportionality that may appear in
an algebraic expression? Explain.
14. Write the dimensions of (i) Pressure (ii) Density.
15. Can 0.5 cm be measured by Vernier Calipers OR Screw gauge. With which instrument more accurate
measurement is obtained.
16. If potential difference V = 5.2 ± 0.1V and percentage uncertainty in resistance R is 8%. Then calculate
percentage uncertainty in current I.
ab2c3
17. If X  and percentage uncertainty in a=1%, b=2%, c=3%, d=4%.
d
Then calculate percentage uncertainty in X.
18. If percentage uncertainty in mass and diameter of sphere is 1% and 3% respectively. Calculate
percentage uncertainty in density of sphere.
b
19. If v is the velocity of a body in time t then for v  at 
t c
What are the dimensions of a, b and c.
(9G )(4c)( M )
20. 
(6 P)(6d )
PROBLEMS
1. A light year is the distance light travels in one year. How many meters are there in one light year?
(speed of light = 3.0 x 08 ms-1).
2. a) How many seconds are there in 1 year?
b) How many nanoseconds in 1 year?
c) How many years in 1 second?
3. The length and width of a rectangular plate are measured to be 15.3 cm and 12.80 cm respectively.
Find the area of the plate.
4. Add the following masses given in kg up to appropriate precision. 2.189, 0.089, 11.8 and 5.32.
mm
5. What are the dimensions and units of gravitational constant G in the formula F  G 1 2 2 .
r
6. Show that expression v f  vi  at is dimensionally correct, where vi is the velocity at t  0, a is
acceleration and v f is the velocity at time t.
7. Show that the famous Einstein’s equation E  mc2 is dimensionally consistent.