Unit

and Dimensions
Operation with units
Conversion of Units and Conversion
Factors
Dimensional Consistency
(Homogeneity)

measured or counted quantity has a

numerical value and a unit
Any other value of the physical quantity
can be expressed as a simple multiple of
the unit of measurement.
360
50
0.065
27

meter (m)
kilograms (kg)
second (s)
celcius(0c)

Addition, subtraction, equality

You can add, subtract, or equate numerical

quantities only if the associates units of the

quantities are the same;
Thus the operation: 12 kilogram + 34 pounds
cannot be carried out because the units as
well as the dimensions of the two terms are
different
Can be performed only after the units are
transformed to be the same units

The benefits of attached units with

the numbers;
Diminished possibility of errors in your
calculation
Reduced intermediate calculations and time in
problem solving
A logical approach to the problem rather than
remembering a formula and substituting
numbers into the formula
Easy interpretation of the physical meaning of
the numbers you use

Systems of units;

SI, formally called System International Units and

informally called SI, the SI systems of units

AE or American Engineering systems of units,.

Dimensions and their respective units are classified
as fundamental or derived;

Fundamental (or basic) dimension/units are those that

can be measured independently and sufficiently to
describe essential physical quantities

Derived dimensions/units are those that can be

developed in terms of the fundamental
dimensions/units

What is the derived unit for FORCE in the

SI System?
The CGS System?
The American Engineering System?

DIMENSION

SI UNITS

LENGTH

Meter (m)

TIME

Second (s)

MASS

Kilogram (kg)

ELECTRIC CURRENT

Ampere (A)

TEMPERATURE

Kelvin (K)

AMOUNT OF MATTER

Mole (mol)

ANGLE

Radian (rad)

Fractions of base unit

-Example : years
days
Hours
minutes

Multiple Unit prefixes

-Example :Mega ( x 106)
Nano ( x 10-9)

Seconds

Derived Unit
By multiplying base or multiple unit
Example : Density = Mass = kg
Volume
m3

As defined equivalent of compound units

Example : 1 Nm = 1 kg.m2/s2

SYSTEMS OF UNITS

EXERCISE
Convert 50 miles per hour to meter per second
Length
1 m = 100 cm = 1000 mm
=106 microns = 1010
angstrom
= 39.37 in = 3.2808 ft
= 1.0936 yd = 0.0006214
mile
1 ft = 12 in = 1/3 yd = 0.3048 m
= 30.48 cm

EXERCISE

Convert 48 Ibm.ft/min2 to its equivalent kg.cm/s2

Mass
1 kg = 1000 g = 0.001 metric
tonne
= 2.20462 Ibm = 35.2739 oz
1 Ibm = 16 oz = 5 x 10-4 ton
= 453.593 g = 0.453593 kg
Length
1 m = 100 cm = 1000 mm
=106 microns = 1010 angstrom
= 39.37 in = 3.2808 ft
= 1.0936 yd = 0.0006214 mile
1 ft = 12 in = 1/3 yd = 0.3048 m
= 30.48 cm

Dimensions are our basic concepts of

measurement such as length, time, mass,
temperature

It is a property that can be measured

Eg. : Base units; length, time, mass, temperature

Calculated by multiplying or dividing other

dimensions
Eg. : Length/Time

= VELOCITY

Mass/(Length)3
= DENSITY

Quantity

SI
Unit

Dimension

Kilogram

Meter

Temperature

Time

Mass
Length

Examples:
F = ma

where F = Force (N = kg.m/s2)

m = mass (kg)
a = acceleration (m/s2)
F = ( M ) ( L ) / ( T )2 , m = ( M ) , a = ( L ) / ( T ) 2
(M)(L) =(M) x (L)
(
( T )2
T )2
(M)(L) =(M)(L)
( T )2
( T )2
LEFT

RIGHT

Dimensional Homogeneity
Quantities can be added/subtracted if ONLY their
units are same
Unit same, the DIMENSION of each term must
be the same.
Eg. :

VELOCITY = LENGTH / TIME

LL) / (T)
(m/s)

(L) / (T)
(m/s)

Dimensional Analysis
This is a very important tool to check your work
Eg. : Doing a problem you get the answer distance
d = v t2 (velocity x time2)
Units on left side = ( L )
Units on right side = ( L )/( T ) x ( T )2
= ( L ) .( T )
Left units and right units dont match, so
answer must be wrong!!

Exercise
The period P of a swinging pendulum depends
only on the length of the pendulum d and the
acceleration of gravity g.
Which of the following formulas for P could be
correct ?
(a)

P = 2 (dg)2

Given :

(b)

d
P 2
g

(c

d has units of length ( L ) and

g has units of ( L / T 2).

d
P 2
g

 Realize that the left hand side

P has units of time (T )
Try the first equation

L
L 2
(a)
T

L
4 T
T

(a) P 2 dg

Not
Right !!

d
(b) P 2
g

(c) P 2

d
g

 Try the second equation

(b)

(a)

L
2
T T
L
2
T

P 2 dg

(b)

Not
Right !!

d
P 2
g

(c)

d
P 2
g

Try the third equation

(c)

L
2
T T
L
2
T

(a) P 2 dg

This has the correct units!!

This must be the answer!!

d
(b) P 2
g

(c) P 2

d
g

 If an equation is dimensionally
homogeneous but its additive terms
have inconsistent unit, the terms may
be made consistent by applying
conversion factors
Example:
V (m/s) = Vo (m/s) + g (m/s2) t
(min)
Apply the conversion factor

V (m/s) = Vo (m/s) + g (m/s2) t

V = Vo + 60 g t
(min)
(60s/min)

An equation is only VALID

when it is dimensionally
Homogeneous
= consistent in UNITS!!!

Dimensionless Quantities
Can be a pure number
Eg. : 2, 1.3 ,5/2

a multiplicative combination of variables

with no net dimensions
Eg. :

ud
Re

= (g/cm3) , u = (cm/s),
d = (cm), = (g/cm.s)

DIMENSIONLESS