CHAPTER
#1
MEASURE
MENTS
FUNDAMENTALS
OF PHYSICS
10TH EDITION
CONTENTS
What is Physics?
Measuring Things
The International System of units
Changing Units
Length
Time
Mass
What is
Physics?
Science needs precise
measurements.
Experiments set
measurement standards.
Physics designs these
experiments.
GPS relies on extreme
precision.
MEASURING THINGS
• Physics involves measuring quantities like length, time,
mass, etc.
• Each quantity has its own unit, e.g., meters for length,
based on precise standards.
• Definitions aim for global scientific agreement.
• Procedures enable expressing diverse lengths in
standard units.
• Base quantities like length and time are agreed upon
internationally.
• Standards must be both invariable and accessible.
THE
INTERNATIONAL
SYSTEM OF UNITS
• In 1971, the 14th General Conference on Weights and Measures
established seven base quantities for the SI system, known as the
metric system.
• Early chapters focus on SI base units for length, mass, and time.
• SI derived units, like the watt (W) for power, are defined based on
these base units.
• Scientific notation simplifies expressing very large and small
quantities using powers of 10.
• Prefixes (e.g., giga and nano) indicate specific powers of 10, aiding
in measurement.
• Familiar prefixes like milli, centi, kilo, and mega are used in
everyday terms.
CHANGING
UNITS
• Chain-Link Conversion Method
• Multiply the original measurement by a
conversion factor (a ratio of units that is
equal to unity)
2km = (2km) (1) = (2 km) ( )= 2000m
ASSIGNMENT!
CONVERT THE FOLLOWING USING APPROPRIATE CONVERSION FACTORS.
1. CONVERT 500 METERS TO KILOMETERS.
2. CONVERT 2.5 KILOGRAMS TO GRAMS.
3. CONVERT 3 HOURS TO SECONDS.
COMMENT THE ANSWERS
LENGTH
• In 1792, France introduced the meter, initially defined as
1/10,000,000th of the distance from the north pole to the equator.
• Later, the meter was defined using a platinum-iridium bar with
engraved lines as the standard. Copies of this bar were distributed
globally, creating secondary standards.
• In 1960, the meter was redefined based on the wavelength of
orange-red light emitted by krypton-86 atoms, resulting in a precise
measurement of 1,650,763.73 wavelengths.
• In 1983, the meter was redefined as the distance traveled by light in
a specified time interval by the 17th General Conference on Weights
and Measures.
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
• Time serves two purposes: ordering events and measuring
event duration.
• Earth's rotation has historically been used as a time standard.
• Quartz clocks are calibrated against Earth's rotation but lack
modern scientific precision.
• Atomic clocks, like those at NIST, provide highly accurate time
standards based on cesium-133 atom oscillations.
• One second is the time taken by 9,192 631,770 oscillations of
the light (of a specified wavelength) emitted by a cesium-
133 atom.
MASS
• The SI standard for mass is a platinum and iridium cylinder, with a mass of 1
kilogram, kept at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. Copies
are distributed globally for calibration.
• A second mass standard is the carbon-12 atom, defined internationally as
having a mass of 12 atomic mass units (u), with a conversion factor of 1 u ≈
1.660 538 86 x 10^-27 kg.
• Scientists can experimentally determine the relative masses of other atoms
compared to carbon-12 but face challenges extending this precision to
common mass units like kilograms.
• Density (ρ) is defined as mass per unit volume and is measured in kilograms
per cubic meter or grams per cubic centimeter. Water (1.00 g/cm³) is often
used as a reference. For instance, fresh snow has about 10% of water's
density, while platinum is approximately 21 times denser than water.
