CHAPTER 1:

MEASUREMENT
TEXT: UNDERSTANDING PHYSICS
by
Karen Cummings, Priscilla Laws, Edward Redish, & Patrick Cooney

Introduction
Basic measurements
Accuracy and precision
The SI unit
Measurement tools
Changing units
Uncertain quantities
PHY 131 Spring, 2016

Introduction
Physics is the study of the basic components of the universe and their
interactions.
Measurement is the process of associating numbers with physical
quantities.
12 is arbitrary. $12, 12 meters, or 12 kg makes more sense.
Units are very important in science and other applications.
Focus on fundamental and derived units with respect to motion.

PHY 131 Spring, 2016

Basic measurements in motion

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Ancient mass measurement

technique
PHY 131 Spring, 2016

Basic measurements in motion

Important questions in studying motion:
Length: how far is the distance between two points?
Time: how long will it take?
Mass: how much is the amount of stuff?

PHY 131 Spring, 2016

Accuracy and precision

Accuracy: how close your measured values are to the target value.
E.g. atmospheric pressure is 1 atm. Measured values of 1.03 atm, 0.99
atm, 1.01 atm are quite close.
Precision: consistently obtaining the same values which might or might
not be close to the target value. E.g. 1 atm atmospheric pressure.
Measured values of 2.50 atm, 2.48 atm , and 2.51 atm are inaccurate
but precise.
Physical quantities need to be measured as accurately and precisely as
possible.

PHY 131 Spring, 2016

The SI unit
Due to the abundant units of comparison and ways of measuring
those units, the metric system was established. Also called the
Systeme International, SI.

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PHY 131 Spring, 2016

The SI unit: base and derived

units

PHY 131 Spring, 2016

The SI unit: Prefixes

e.g. 1 .27 x 109 watts = 1 .27

gigawatts or 1.27 GW
PHY 131 Spring, 2016

The SI unit: standards precision

Time is precisely measured with the atomic clock.
The meter is precisely measured with respect to the length of the
path travelled by light.
Mass: on large substances, standard kilogram is based on a platinumiridium cylinder. On a smaller scale, the standard, atomic mass unit
(amu or u), is based on C-12 (carbon).

PHY 131 Spring, 2016

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Example 1.1: Sunset and earth`s

radius
Relaxing at the
beach & computing
the earth`s radius
using the line of
sight of the sunset.

PHY 131 Spring, 2016

11

Measurement tools for physics

lab

Vernier
caliper

multimeter-test.com
PHY 131 Spring, 2016

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Measurement tools: data acquisition

system

PHY 131 Spring, 2016

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Changing units
Use of conversion factor to convert from one unit to another.
Do the following conversions:
1.

If a woman has a mass of 115 lb., what is her mass in grams? ( take 1 lb. =
0.45 kg)

2.

How many seconds are in 1 day?

3.

The average speed of a nitrogen molecule in air at 25C is 515 m/s. Convert
this speed to miles per hour. (take 1 mile = 1.61 km).

4.

Express the speed of light, 3.0 x 108 m/s, in millimeters/picosecond.

PHY 131 Spring, 2016

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Uncertain quantities: significant

figures (s.f.)
1.

All nonzero digits are

significant.

2.

Zeros between
nonzero digits are
significant

1005 kg (four
significant figures)
1.03 cm (three
significant figures)

3. Zeros at the beginning

of a number are never
significant

0.02 g (one
significant figure)
0.0026 cm (two
significant figures)

4. Zeros at the end of a

number are significant
if the number contains
a decimal point

3.0 cm (two
significant figures)
No matter how precise a measuring
instrument is, there will always be a
uncertainties with respect to the values
obtained.

Uncertain quantities: significant

figures & scientific notation

The number of significant figures is determined by the first number in

the scientific notation.
3 x 103

one significant figure

3.0 x 103 two significant figures

3.00 x 103three significant figures
3.000 x 103

four significant figures

Uncertain quantities: s.f.

examples
What is the number of significant figures in each of the following
measured quantities?

358 kg
0.054 s
200.0 m

6.3050 cm
0.0105 L
1.01 g

Uncertain quantities: decimal

places
a) 35.6 m
b) 3.56 m

1 decimal place
2 decimal places

c) 0.0356 m 4 decimal places

Decimal places are not the same as significant figures!
The numbers on a, b, and c all have 3 significant figures but different
decimal places.

PHY 131 Spring, 2016

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