Unit and Dimensions

Operation with units

Conversion of Units and Conversion Factors

Dimensional Consistency (Homogeneity)

 COMPONENTS
OF
UNITS

BASE MULTIPLE DERIVED

UNITS UNITS UNITS
 A 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 meter (m)
50 kilograms (kg)
0.065 second (s)
27 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

TIME

MASS

ELECTRIC CURRENT

TEMPERATURE

AMOUNT OF MATTER

ANGLE
 Fractions of base unit
-Example : years
days ________
Hours
minutes

Multiple Unit prefixes

-Example :Mega ( x 106)
Nano ( x 10-9)
 Derived Unit
By multiplying base or multiple unit

Example : Density = Mass =

Volume

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 Dimension
Unit
Mass M

Length L

Temperature

Time T
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) =
( 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) (L) / (T)
(m/s) (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 d d
(b)
P 2 (c) P 2
g g

Given : d has units of length ( L ) and

g has units of ( L / T 2).
 Realize that the left hand side
P has units of time (T )
Try the first equation

2 4
L L Not Right !!
(a) L 2 4 T
T T

d d
(a) P 2 dg
2
(b) P 2 (c) P 2
g g
 Try the second equation

L
T T
2
Not Right !!
(b) L
2
T

d d
(a)
P 2 dg
2 (b) P 2 (c)
P 2
g g
 Try the third equation

L
(c) T T
2 This has the correct units!!
L This must be the answer!!
2
T

d d
(a) P 2 dg
2
(b) P 2 (c) P 2
g 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 (min)(60s/min)

V = Vo + 60 g t
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 DIMENSIONLESS
Re

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