CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS

1.1 Understanding Physics

PHYSICS
Mechanical
Energy

Study of the natural phenomena and the

properties of matter.
Matter

Solid

Light Energy

Energy

states

Liquid

Heat Energy

Wave Energy

forms

Electrical Energy

Gas

Nuclear Energy
Chemical Energy

Properties of
Matter

Relationship
with
matter

Relationship
with
energy

Properties of
Energy

in the fields of

Mechanics

Properties
of matter

Electronics

Wave

Heat

Light

Electricity &
Electromagnetism

SPM format for Physics

Questions on SPM examinations consists of:
Paper 1: 50 Objective Questions (50 m)
Paper 2: Structured and Essay Questions
Section A: 8 structured questions (60 m)
Section B: Choose 1 essay from 2 (20 m)
Section C: Choose 1 essay from 2 (20 m)
Paper 3: Written Practical Test
Section A: 2 questions on graphs (28m)
Section B: Choose 1 planning experiment from 2 (12m)
1

Atomic Physics
& Nuclear

Mechanical
Energy

1.2 Understanding Base and Derived quantities

Base quantity
1. A physical quantity is ..
2. Examples of scientific instruments:
3. A base quantity is a physical quantity which cannot be defined in terms of other physical quantities.
4. List of 5 basic physical quantities and their units.
Base quantity

Symbol

S.I. Unit

Symbol for S.I. Unit

Length
Mass
Time
Current
Temperature
5. Two quantities that have also identified as basic quantity. There are:
i) ..unit .. ii) . unit ..
Standard Form
1
Standard form = A x 10n ,
2
3

1 < A < 10 and n = integer

Standard form is used to ...

Write the following quantities in standard form :
a. Radius of the earth = 6 370 000 m =.
b. Mass of an electron = 0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 911 kg =...
c. Size of a particle = 0.000 03 m =
b. Diameter of an atom = 0.000 000 072 m = ...
c. Wavelength of light = 0.000 000 55 m = ..

Prefixes
Sub-multiple
1012
109
106
103
102
101

Prefix
tera
giga
mega
kilo
hecto
deca

Symbol
T
G
M
k
h
da

Sub-multiple
10-1
10-2
10-3
10-6
10-9
10-12

Conversion of unit
Example
1. Convert every measurement to base unit metre, m:
a) 2.15 x 10-2 cm = 2.15 x 10-2 x 10-2 m
= 2.15 x 10-4 m
b) 2.15 x 1010 m =
=
2

Prefix
deci
centi
milli
micro
nano
pico

Symbol
d
c
m

n
p

c) 2.15 x 10 3 km =
=
d) 2.15 x 10 8 nm =
=
2. Express the following measurement in the units specified.
a) 3.86 ms = __________ ns
= 3.86 x 10-3 s (1st step, change to the based unit s)
= 3.86 x 10-3 x (10 9 x 10 9) s (2nd step, add the prefix required nano,n by multiply it opposite
value so it become 1)
= 3.86 x 10-3 x 10 9 ns
= 3.86 x 10 6 ns
b) 3.86 Ms = __________ ds
= 3.86 x 10 6 x (10 1 x 10 1) s
= 3.86 x 10 6 x 10 1 ds
= 3.86 x 10 7 ds
c) 6.37 Gm = ___________ km

3. Solve the following problems and express the answer in standard form.
a)
40 cm2 = _________ m2

b) 4.2 m3 = ___________ mm3

c) 38 cm2 = _________ mm2

4. Convert
a) 3 km h-1 = _______________________ m s-1 b) 600 g cm-3 = ______________________kg m-3

Skill Practice Conversion of units

1. Convert every measurement to base unit gram, g
a) 2500 mg =

c) 2.89 x 1011 kg =
d) 7.72 x 10-5 Tg =

b) 6.54 x 104 g =

e) 45.1 x 10-2 dg =
3

f) 378 x 106 Mg =

2. Express the following measurement in the units specified.

a) 450 kg =_____________mg
d) 65.7 cm =_____________ km

b) 9.8 TA = _____________ dA
e) 572 x 10-10 ms =___________ds

c) 5.91 s = _____________ Ms

f) 499 x 104 Mg = __________ cg

3. Solve the following problems and express the answer in standard form
a) 0.02 m2 = ______________ Gm2

c) 45 km3 = ________________m3

b)

d) 365 mm3= _______________dm3

8.72 pm2 = ______________ m2

4. Convert
a) 120 m s-1 = _______________________ km h-1

b) 10 kg m-3 = ______________________g cm-3

Derived quantities
1

A derived quantity is .

Determine the derived unit for the following derived quantities.

Derived
quantity

Formula

Derived unit

Name of derived unit

area

area = length x width

m x m = m2

volume

volume = length x width x height

m x m x m = m3

density
velocity

Acceleration

Force

pressure
work
power
kinetic energy
potential
energy

mass
volume

displacement
time

density
velocity

acceleration

change in velocity
time

force = mass x acceleration

pressure

K.E

kg m s-2

Newton (N)

force
area

work = force x displacement

power

work
time

1
mass velocity 2
2

P.E = mass x gravitational acceleration x height

Nm

kg m-1 s-2
(Nm-2) @ Pa
Joule (J)

J s -1

Watt (W)

kg m2s-2

Joule (J)

kg m2s-2

Joule (J)

Note that the physical quantities such as width, thickness, height, distance, displacement, perimeter, radius
and diameter are equivalent to length.

1.3 Understanding Scalar and Vector Quantities

1. Scalar quantities are quantities that have . but no ..

2. Vector quantities are quantities that have both and .
Scalar Quantities

Vector Quantities

3. Example :
Distance(s)
Total . of
the.
.. quantity

Displacement(s)
Distance between ..
measured along a specific direction
.. quantity

Speed
Rate of of .

Velocity
Rate of of ..

Speed =

Velocity =

quantity

. quantity

4. Annie the ant is traveling down the road to buy an umbrella for these rainy days. She walks from her
nest, A to B, B to C in 10 minutes time as shown in the picture below:
(a) What is the distance she traveled?
Annie the ant
U
A
(b) What is her displacement from A?
4m
(c) What is her speed?

(d) What is her velocity?

1.4

Understanding Measurements

3m

Accuracy, Consistency and Sensitivity in measurement & Errors

Definitions:
1. Consistency in measurements refers to .. . there is among the
measurements made when a quantity is measured ..
2. Accuracy of a measurement is .. the measurement made is to the ..
of the quantity.
3. Sensitivity of an instrument is its . to detect a in the quantity to be
measured in a .. .. of .
4. Figure 1.4.1 shows the result for four shooters A, B, C and D in a tournament. Every shooter shot five
times.
:
Shooter
Consistency
Accuracy
A
B
C
D

Figure 1
Table 1
5. Error is . caused by measuring or the .. or the .
. of the surroundings.
6. Two main types of errors : . . and .

Systematic Error
Caused by:
i.
Error in instruments
ii.
Error in calibration

Example
i.
.

.. be reduced or overcome
Way of correction
i.
Take the error into account

Table 2
Parallax errors
Definition:

Random Error
Caused by:
i.
Surroundings factors, such as
temperature and wind
ii.
Carelessness of the observer
Example
i.
..
ii.
Error in .
. be reduced
Ways of correction
i.
Take several readings and
calculate the average value.

A parallax error is an in reading an instrument because the observers eyes and pointer are not
.. to the plane of the scale.
Concept & Explanation:
1. Figure 2, 3 and 4 show the correct positioning of the observers eyes to avoid parallax errors.

2.

How to avoid parallax error?

(a) position of eyes must bewith the scale of the reading to be taken.
(b)
When taking reading from an ammeter, we must make sure that the eyes are exactly in
front of the pointer, so that the of the pointer in the mirror is .
. the pointer. In other words, the reflection of the pointer on the mirror could not be
seen by the observer, then it is free from ..

Measuring Instruments & Accuracy

Measuring Instruments:
Physical Quantity

Measuring Instruments

Length
Current
Mass
Temperature
Time
Voltage
Table 3
Vernier Calipers

Diagram 1.1

Diagram 1.2

Diagram 1.2 shows the reading of a vernier caliper to measure the diameter of a ping pong ball
main scale reading + vernier scale reading
=
=
Positive zero error

Negative zero error

Figure 10
Negative zero error = ..cm
All measurements taken with this vernier calipers
must be corrected by subtracting which
is adding 0.08 cm to the readings
Figure 9
Positive zero error = .. cm
All measurements taken with this vernier calipers
must be corrected by subtracting ..
from the readings.
Example
Before
Before

(i)

after

Figure 11

Zero error = . cm
Vernier caliper reading =
=
Corrected reading

after

(ii)

Example

(i)

Figure 12

Zero error = . cm
Vernier caliper reading =
=
Corrected reading

(ii)

= vernier caliper reading zero error

=

= vernier caliper reading zero error

=

Exercise:
1 Write down the readings shown by the following
(a)

Answer: ..
(b)
Answer: ..
(c)

(d)

Answer: ..

10

5
1

Answer: ..
0

10

2. (a) The following diagram shows the scale of a vernier calliper when the jaws are closed.
1

10

Zero error =
(b)

The following diagram shows the scale of the same vernier calliper when there are 40 pieces
of cardboard between the jaws.
5

10

Reading shown
=
Corrected reading = =

Micrometer Screw Gauge

1. How to read from a micrometer screw gauge?

Figure 13

Figure 13 shows the use of a micrometer screw gauge to measure the size of a spherical object.
Main scale reading = ____________ mm
Thimble scale reading = ____________
= _____________ mm
Final reading = ______________
= _________________ mm
2. Positive zero error and negative zero error
Positive zero error

Figure 14

Positive zero error = _____________ mm

All measurements taken with this micrometer
screw gauge must be corrected by _________
_____________from the readings
Example

Negative zero error

Figure 15

Negative zero error = ___________ mm

All measurements taken with this micrometer
screw gauge must be corrected ____________
_______________, which is __________ 0.04 mm
from the readings
Example

Figure 17

Figure 16

Zero error = . mm
micrometer screw gauge reading
=

Zero error = mm
micrometer screw gauge reading
=

Corrected reading
= micrometer screw gauge reading zero error
=

Corrected reading
= micrometer screw gauge reading zero error
=

Exercise:
1. Write down the readings shown by the following micrometer screw gauges.
(a)

(b)
0

30

10

45

15

40

25

Answer: .
(c)

Answer:..
(d)

10

30

Answer:

Answer:.

2. (a) Determine the readings of the following micrometer screw gauges.

0
45

Zero error = .. mm

35

5
0

Zero error = ........ mm

(b) Determine the readings of the following micrometer screw gauges.

20

0
15
Zero error =

Reading shown = ..
=
Corrected reading =..
= .

Paper 3
Section A
1. A student carries out an experiment
to study
the relationship between the diameter
of a
circular disc made of a certain material and its mass. He used several discs, made of the same material, with
the same uniform thickness but different diameters. The masses of the discs were chosen to have certain
specific values. Diagram 1.1 shows how he measured the diameter of the discs with the vernier callipers.

The actual reading of the vernier callipers while measuring the diameters of the various discs are shown in
Diagram 1.2,1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7.

(a)

(b)

For this experiment, identify:

(i) the manipulated variable: ...

[1 mark]

(ii) the responding variable: ..

[1 mark]

(iii) the fixed variable:

[1 mark]

Determine the readings of the vernier callipers in Diagram 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7. Tabulate your
results for the mass of the disc, m, diameter, d and d 2.

[4 marks]
2

(c)

On the graph paper in pg 14, plot a graph of d against m.

(d)

Based on your graph, state the relationship between d and m.

[5 marks]

[1 mark]
(e)

State one precaution to be taken when using the vernier callipers in order to obtain accurate readings.
.
.
[1 mark]

1.5 Understanding Scientific Investigation

Step of Writing a Report

Example Question
Diagram 3.1 and Diagram 3.2 show a boy sliding down on two different slides. The boy in Diagram ' seems
to move faster.

Based on the above information and observation:

(a)
State one suitable inference.
[1 mark]
(b)
State one suitable hypothesis.
[1 mark]
(c)
With the use of apparatus such as a convex lens and other apparatus, describe an experiment
framework to investigate the hypothesis stated in (b).
In your description, state clearly the following:
(i)
Aim of the experiment.
(ii)
Variables in the experiment.
(iii)
List of apparatus and materials.
(iv)
Arrangement of the apparatus.
(v)
The procedure of the experiment which include the method of controlling the manipulated
variable and the method of measuring the responding variable.
(vi)
The way you would tabulate the data.
(vii)
The way you would analyse the data.
[10 marks]
Answer:
(a) Inference :

(b) Hypothesis :

(c)(i) Aim :

(ii) Variables :

(iii) Apparatus / materials :

(iv) Arrangement of apparatus :

(v) Procedure :
...
....
...
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
....
(vi)

Tabulation of data :

(vii)

Analysis of data :