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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region V
SCHOOLS Division of Camarines Sur
GENERAL PHYSICS 1 (Week-1)
MEASUREMENT
Name: ___________________________________________ Section: ____________________
Grade: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________

I. Introductory Concept

Measurements are hallmark of good science. How much you know about something is often
related to how well you measure it. Lord Kelvin (born William Thomson), a British physicist,
emphasized the importance of measurement when he said, “When you measure what you are speaking
about and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when
you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind; it may the
beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of a science.”
Physics begins with measurement. Measurement is simply a comparison of a physical
quantity with the standard. To carry out accurate measurements, it is necessary to establish a system
of standard and a system of units in which too express the standards. Physical quantities can be
expressed in terms of a number of fundamental quantities. Mass, distance, time are some of these
fundamental quantities. A physical quantity will only make sense if compared to a reference standard.
For example, a cloth you bought from OTEX Store means that the cloth’s length is times a meter stick
(or a tape measure that is 1-m long). Here, the meter stick is considered as our reference standard.
Therefore, stating that the cloth is 3.5 is not as informative. How difficult will it be without a
standard? To make sure that scientist throughout the world means the same thing when referring to a
measurement; standards have been defined for measurements of time, mass and length. In this lesson,
you are to solve measurement problems involving conversion of units, expression of measurements in
scientific notation.
The rules on significant figures will be used in the entire topic about measurement. Thus, it is
important to remember and apply these rules.
Rules in Determining the Number of Significant Figure: (A short recall)
1. All nonzero digits are significant.
2. All zeros between nonzero digits are significant.
3. All zeros before the first nonzero digit are NOT significant.
4. All zeros to the right of the last nonzero digit are significant.
Determine the number of significant figures: (A short Recall)

1. 0.0035 ________________
2. 12. 00030 ________________
3. 3.1416 ________________
4. 30.30 ________________

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5. 0.4 ________________

Unit Consistency and Conversion of Units

There are two major systems of units in the world namely, SI (derived from French Syteme
International) units also known as Metric system and the English system. Although the system of
units used by engineers and scientists is the metric system since 1960, some countries continue to use
the English system of units like for example the United States of America. However, the conversions
between the SI unit and English system of units have been well-defined. (See appendix B found in the
last page of this lesson for conversion factors)
Conversion is easy in the International System in as much as it I sin a decimal system. The
units are related to powers of ten. The English system is rather an inconvenient system because the
units bear irregular ratio to one another. For example, one foot is equal to 12 inches and one mile is 5
280 feet.
Multiplying and/or dividing units just like ordinary algebraic expressions give an easy way to
convert a quantity from one unit to another to be dimensionally consistent.
Example:

(a) To convert 0.58 m to mm

Conversion factor can be used: 1 m = 1 000 mm
1000 mm
0.58 m x = 580 mm
1m
(b) To convert 90 km/h in meter per second
Conversion factor can be used: I km = 1 000m 1 h = 6- min 1 min = 60 s
km 1000 m 1h 1min
90 x x x = 25 m/s
h 1 km 60 min 60 s

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(d) Converting units with different prefixes

(iv)

Example: 384.0 mg to dg
Milli mean 10-3 so, 384.0 mg = 384. 0 x 10-3 g

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Conversion factor (See appendix A for the SI prefixes found in the last page of this lesson) 1
dg = 0.1 g
1 dg
(3.84.0 x 10-3 g) x = 3.840 dg
0.1 g

*ANOTHER way top do this: 384.0 mg to dg

Step I: Subtract exponents
*milli has exponent of 10-3 and deci has exponent of 10-1

deci milli

Scientific Notation
Scientific notation also called exponential notation is a convenient way of writing values
using the power of ten notation wherein we can determine the number of significant digits as well as
the place value of the digit. Place values are denoted by prefixes. (See appendix A for the SI prefixes
found in the last page of this lesson)
Format: C. MMMM x 10e
where: C- the characteristic digit, may be any digit from 0-9
M – the mantissa digits, may be any digit from 0-9
10 – base
e – exponent, the number of times the decimal point is moved to either towards left or
right

Rules in expressing standard notation to scientific notation:

1. When the decimal point is moved from right to left, the result is positive exponent.
Example: 8876. 125 = 8.876125 x 103 = 8.88 x 103
2. When the decimal point is moved left to right, the result is negative exponent.

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Example: 0.00000008876125 = 8.88 x 10-8

Rules in Multiplication and Division Involving Scientific Notation

1. Powers of ten are added in multiplication
Example: (1.50 x 102) (1.20 x 103) = (1.50) (1.20) x 102+3 = 1.80 x 105
2. Powers of ten are subtracted in division

Significant Figures
1. In adding or subtracting quantities, the least number of decimal places in any of the
numbers being added or subtracted should be the number of the decimal places in the
answer.
Example: 2.15 m (two decimal places)

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+ 1.8 m (one decimal place ) LEAST

0.4367 m (three decimal places)
4.7 m (One decimal place)
2. In multiplying or dividing quantities, the least number of significant figures in the input
number should be the number of significant figures in the answer.
Example: 10.15 m (four significant figures)
+ 2.14 m (three significant figures ) LEAST
12. 6 m2 (three significant figures)
II- Learning Skill/ Competency
Solve measurement problems involving conversion of units, expression of measurements in
scientific notation (STEM_G-12EU-Ia-1)

III- Activities
Activity 1. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Below are the given measurements. Convert it as indicated.
(a) 365 days into seconds
(b) 95.5 MHz into kHz
(c) 960 cm2 into km2
(d) 85 nm into mm
(e) 120 mi/h into m/s
(f) 60.0 l to mL
(g) 80 m/s to km/h
Activity 2. Write your answer in a separate sheet of paper.
A. Apply the rules in identifying the number of significant figures in each of the following:
1. 0.00044 4. 0.001256
2. 9500 5. 32.0040
3. 569 000 6. 4.130 x 104
B. Express the following numbers in scientific notation: (Answer should include three significant
figures)
1. 75 000 3. 7 450 000
2. 0.001327 4. 0.000019987
C. Performa the indicated operations. (All Answers should be expressed in scientific notation.
Apply the rules for significant figures in your final answer.)
1. (4.0 x 10-6) x (3.0 x 104)=
2. (42 x 106) – (2 x 107) =

3.
4. 0.967 kg + 2.35 kg – 31.5 kg =

5.

Activity 3. Solve the following measurement problems. Apply the rules in scientific notation and
significant figures in giving your final answer. Write your answer in a separate paper including your
solutions.

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a. How many boxes measuring 3 cm x 4 cm x 5 cm can fit into a carton 30 cm x 40 cm x 50 cm?

b. Romy is taking his portable TV to the boarding house. He finds a cubical box which ha s a
volume of 0.05m3. Will his TV, which measures 45 cm x 10 cm x 30 cm, fit into this box?
c. Maria is 162.2 cm tall and weighs 50 000 g. Express her height and weight in meters and
kilograms, respectively.
d. A piece of carpet is 68.58 cm wide. How many strips of such carpet will it take to cover the
width of a room that is 5.5 m wide?
e. A Chevrolet Camaro convertible travels along the highway at a speed of 128 km/hr. What is
it the speed of the car (1) in meters/sec (2) in miles/h?
ACTIVITY 4. Performance Task: Measurement
Objectives:
 Use appropriate measuring tool to take the measurement of physical quantities such as height
and weight.
 Convert the values to its equivalent units.
 Apply the rules of significant figures.

Procedure:
1. Measure the height and mass of your family member using appropriate measuring tool.
2. Gather the data and write it on the space provided for the data and results.
3. Take its equivalent height in cm and ft using conversion factor.
4. Also take its equivalent mass in grams and pounds.
5. Refer to the format provided below. Provide pictures on this task you performed.
Name: _________________________
Date Performed: ______________________________
Performance Task #1
Objective(s)
Data and Result:
Name of your HEIGHT MASS
family member
*Measuring instrument used: *Measuring instrument used:
___________________________ _____________________________
m cm ft kg g lb

Solution: (for conversion of units)

Documentation (Provide pictures)

IV- References

Manuals/Modules
Department of Education Central Office. Most Essential Learning Competencies ( MELCs). 2020.

Books
General Physics 1- Grade 12 Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 1 - Module 1: Units, Physical
Quantities and Measurements First Edition, 2020

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Angelina A. Silverio and Gloria de Castro-Bernas Physics: Exploring Life through Science, Second
Edition (2013). Phoenix Publishing House.

Prepared by: RAQUEL J. TOGORES

Writer, Teacher III, Nabua NHS

Quality Assured by: EMILY B. ESMABE

EPS-1, Science

Address: Freedom Sports Complex, San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur

Email: deped.camsur@deped.gov.ph
Website: www.depedcamsur.com
Telephone No.: (telefax) 8713340

APPENDICES

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General Physics 1: Quarter 1 (Week 1) Measurement RJTogores 2021-2022