CHAPTER -1

UNITS AND DIMENSIONS

Need of Measurement
is the basic concept in the study of Mathematics and
Science.

Measurement quantifies the characteristics of an

object or event, which we can compare with other
things or events.

The exactness or accuracy of these relationships

depends upon the measurements we make.

The accuracy of the measure­ments, in turn, depends

on the accuracy of the measuring instruments and
techniques
Measurement Definition
Measurement is a technique in which the
properties of an object are determined by
comparing them to a standard quantity.

The recent progress in science and

technology has been possible only due to the
development of high precision instruments.

One can measure mass as small as that of an

electron (~10-30 kg) and as large as that of the
universe (~1055 kg).
Types of Measurement
There are some basic types of measurement
variables that we deal with in several areas of
physics . They are:
 Time
 Length
 Weight
 Volume
 Temperature
Time: Units for expressing time include
seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks,
months, years, etc.

Length: Units for measuring length

include millimetres, centimetres, metres,
kilometres, etc.

Weight: Units for expressing the weight of

certain objects include grams, kilograms,
tons, etc.

Volume: Units for expressing volume

include cm3, m3, litres, etc.

Temperature: The major units of

temperature include centigrade ,
fahrenheit and kelvin
Applications of Measurement
 Measurement is an important concept for the
following situations.
 To construct buildings, we need to consider
proper dimensions.
 For trading, purchasing, and selling of goods
 For preparing food, we generally take the
ingredients in specific quantities
 For conducting scientific experimentations in labs
 To complete a certain task, time is the crucial
thing to count.
 For formulating medicines and treating patients
Unit:
A fixed amount or number used as a standard
of measurement.
Examples
To express the measurement of a physical quantity,
we need to know two things :
(I) The unit in which the quantity is measured.
(2) The numerical value or the magnitude of the
quantity i.e., the number of times that unit is
contained in the given physical quantity.
Measure of a physical quantity
= Numerical value of the physical quantity
x size of the unit
 SYSTEMS OF UNITS
 A complete set of units which is used to measure all
kinds of fundamental and derived quantities is called a
system of units.
 Some of the commonly used systems of units are as
follows:
 (i) cgs system. It was set up in France. It is based on
centimeter, gram and second as the fundamental units
of length, mass and time respectively.
 (i) Fps system. It is a British system based on foot,
pound and second as the fundamental units of length,
mass and time respectively.
 (iii) mks system. It is also a French system based on
metre, kilogram and second as the fundamental units of
length, mass and time respectively.
 (iv) SI : The international system of units.
 SI is the abbreviation for "Systeme Internationale d'
Unites", which is French equivalent for international
system of units.
 It covers all branches of science and technology.
 It is based on the following seven basic units and two
supplementary units.

Therefore The cgs, mks and SI are metric or decimal

systems of units. This is because the multiples and
sub-multiples of their basic units are related to the
practical units by powers of 10.
 The fps system is not a metric system. This system is
not in much use these days.
Advantages of SI System
 The SI system is a universal system of units.
Thus, it is used in almost every country in the world.
 The SI system is a metric system that means in this
system, quantities can be expressed as the exponents of
10.
 It is an absolute system of units.
 The SI system of units assigns only one unit to a
particular quantity. Thus, it is a rational system of units.
 It is a coherent system of units. All derived units can be
obtained by simple multiplication and division of
fundamental units without introducing any numerical
factor.
Desirable characteristics of a physical
unit
 It should be well-defined.
 It should be of convenient size, i.e., neither too small nor
too large in comparison with the measurable physical
quantity.
 It should not change with time.
 It should be easily reproducible.
 It should be imperishable or indestructible.
 It should not be affected by the change in physical
conditions such as pressure, temperature, etc.
 It should be internationally acceptable.
 It should be easily accessible.
PHYSICAL QUANTITY
 The quantities which can be measured directly
or indirectly and in terms of which the laws of
physics can be expressed are called physical
quantities.
 For example, length, mass, temperature,
speed, force, electric current, etc.
 The physical quantities are the building
blocks of physics in terms of which the basic
laws of physics can be expressed in
mathematical forms.
Physical quantities are of two types -
fundamental and derived.

(i) Fundamental quantities. The physical quantities which

can be treated as independent of other physical
quantities and are not usually defined in terms of other
physical quantities are called fundamental quantities.

(ii) To describe all physical quantities, we need a minimum

of seven fundamental or base quantities.

(iii) These are mass, length, time, electric current,

temperature, luminous intensity and amount of
substance.
Derived units
 All the other physical units which can be
expressed in terms of the fundamental
units are called derived units.
Let us consider the unit of speed.
 Speed = Distance travelled

Time taken
= m/s
unit of speed (ms- 1) is a derived unit as it
has been expressed in the fundamental
units of length and time.
 supplementary SI units
Radian (rad). It is defined as
the plane angle subtended at
the centre of a circle by an arc
equal in length to the radius of
the circle.

Radian = I / r
Where l =arc length, r =radius of the
circle

Steradian (sr). It is defined as the solid angle subtended at the

centre of a sphere by a surface of the sphere equal in area to
that of a square, having each side equal to the radius of the
sphere.
Steradian = surface area / (radius)2
Ω = ∆s / r2
 Dimensional Formula
The dimensional formula of any physical quantity is the formula that tells

which of the fundamental units have been used for the measurement of that

physical quantity.

Steps written for a physical quantity

 The formula of the physical quantity must be written. The quantity must be on the

left-hand side of the equation

 All the quantities on the right-hand side of the formula must be written in terms of

fundamental quantities like mass, length and time.

 Replace mass, length and time with M, L and T, respectively.

 Write the powers of the terms.

Dimensional Analysis
The dimensional formula can be used to
(1) Check the correctness of the equation.
(2) Convert the unit of the physical quantity from one
system to another.
(3) Deduce the relation connecting the physical
quantities.
Units and Dimensions of a Few Derived Quantities
Units and Dimensions of a Few Derived
Quantities( continuation…..)
Example.1
 Example.1 Derive the dimensional formula of
following Quantity & write down their
dimensions. (i) Density (ii) Power (iii) Angle
(i) Density = mass/volume
=[M] / [L3 ]
= [M1L -3T0 ]
(ii) Power = Work/Time
=Force x Distance/Time
=[M1L 1T -2 ] x [L]/[T]
=[M1L 2T -3 ]
 (iii) Angle = arc (length)/radius
= [L]/[L]
=[M0L 0T 0 ]
= no dimension
PRINCIPLE OF HOMOGENEITY
OF DIMENSIONS
 It states that the dimensions of all the terms on both
sides of an equation must be the same.
 According to the principle of homogeneity, the
comparison, addition & subtraction of all physical
quantities is possible only if they are of the same nature
i.e., they have the same dimensions.
 If the power of M, L and T on two sides of the given
equation are same, then the physical equation is
correct otherwise not.
 Therefore, this principle is very helpful to check the
correctness of a physical equation.
Example: A physical relation must be dimensionally
homogeneous, i.e., all the terms on both sides of the equation must
have the same dimensions. In the equation,
S = ut + ½ at2
Dimensions of various quantities in the equation are:
Distance, S = [L1 ]
Velocity, u = [L1T -1 ]
Time, t = [T1 ]
Acceleration, a = [L1T -2 ]
½ is a constant and has no dimensions.
Dimensions of the term on L.H.S. is

S=[L1 ] and
Dimensions of terms on R.H.S.
ut + ½ at2 = [L1T -1 ] [T1 ] + [L1T -2 ] [T2 ]
= [L1 ] + [L1 ]

Here, the dimensions of all the terms on both sides of the equation are the

same. Therefore, the equation is dimensionally homogeneous