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CLASS : 11 PHYSICS
Chapter 1
UNITS AND MEASUREMENTS
INTRODUCTION
• Measurement of any physical quantity involves comparison with a certain basic,
arbitrarily chosen, internationally accepted reference standard called unit .
• Fundamental or base quantities - Fundamental or base units .
Units obtained for the derived quantities - Derived units.
• International System of Units (SI) based on seven base units is at present
internationally accepted unit system .
1. Length (metre)
BASE UNITS - 2. Mass (Kg)
3. Time (sec)
4. Electric current (Ampere)
5. Thermodynamic temperature (kelvin)
6. Amount of substance (mole)
7. Luminous intensity (Candela)
• SIGNIFICANT FIGURE CONCEPT
• Reports Precision of the actual measurement
• Reliable Digit + First uncertain Digit
• Example - the length 2.308 cm has four significant figures.
But in different units, the same value can be written as 0.02308m or 23.08
mm or 23080 µm.
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Rules :
• All the non-zero digits are significant.
• All the zeros between two non-zero digits
are significant, no matter where the
decimal point is, if at all.
• If the number is less than 1, the zero(s)
on the right of decimal point but to the
left of the first non-zero digit
are not significant.
• The terminal or trailing zero(s) in a
number without a decimal
point are not significant.
• The trailing zero(s) in a number with a
decimal point are significant.
• For a number greater than 1, without any
decimal, the trailing zero(s) are not
significant.
• For a number with a decimal, the trailing
zero(s) are significant.
FOR ARITHEMATIC OPERATION -
(1) In multiplication or division, the final
result should retain as many significant
figures as are there in the original number
with the least significant figures.
(2) In addition or subtraction, the final result
should retain as many decimal places as are
there in the number with the least
decimal places.
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ROUNDING OFF
• Preceding digit is raised by 1 if the
insignificant digit to be dropped (the
underlined digit in this case) is more than
5, and is left unchanged if the latter is less
than 5.
• The convention is that if the preceding digit is
even, the insignificant digit is simply
dropped and, if it is odd, the preceding digit
is raised by 1
UNCERTAINITY
If a set of experimental data is specified
to n significant figures, a result obtained by
combining the data will also be valid to n
significant figures.
(3) The relative error of a value of number
specified to significant figures depends not
only on n but also on the number itsel
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DIMENSIONS
The dimensions of a physical quantity are the
powers (or exponents) to which the base
quantities are raised to represent that
quantity.
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Checking the Dimensional Consistency
• Based on Principle of homogeinity of Dimension
•The dimensions of a physical quantity are the
powers (or exponents) to which the base
quantities are raised to represent that
quantity.
Relation of Dimensions
•The method of dimensions can sometimes be
used to deduce relation among the physical
quantities. For this we should know the
dependence of the physical quantity on other
quantities
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