SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
The reported result of measurement is a number that includes all digits in
the number that are known reliably plus the first digit that is uncertain.
The reliable digits plus the first uncertain digit are known as significant
digits or significant figures.
Example:
(i) The period of oscillation of a simple pendulum is 2.36 s; the digits 2 and
3 are reliable and certain, while the digit 6 is uncertain. Thus, the measured
value has three significant figures.
(ii) The length of an object reported after measurement to be 287.5 cm has
four significant figures, the digits 2, 8, 7 are certain while the digit 5 is
uncertain.
Note:
A choice of change of different units does not change the number of
significant digits or figures in a measurement.
Eg. The length 1.205 cm, 0.01205, 12.05 mm and 12050 μm all have four SF.
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Rules for determining the number of significant figures
(i) All the non-zero digits are significant.
(ii) All the zeros between two non-zero digits are significant, no
matter
where the decimal point is, if at all.
(iii)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.
(iv) The terminal or trailing zero(s) in a number without a
decimal point are
not significant.
(v) The trailing zero(s) in a number with a decimal point are
significant.
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Scientific Notation
Any given number can be written in the form of a×10b in many ways;
for example 350 can be written as 3.5×102 or 35×101 or 350×100.
a×10b means "a times ten raised to the power of b", where the exponent b is
an integer, and the coefficient a is any real number called the significand or
mantissa (the term "mantissa" is different from "mantissa" in common
logarithm).
If the number is negative then a minus sign precedes a (as in ordinary
decimal notation).
In normalized scientific notation, the exponent b is chosen such that the
absolute value of a remains at least one but less than ten (1 ≤ |a| < 10).
For example, 350 is written as 3.5×102.
This form allows easy comparison of two numbers of the same sign in a, as
the exponent b gives the number's order of magnitude.
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Rules for Arithmetic Operations with Significant Figures
In arithmetic operations the final result should not
have more significant figures than the original data
from which it was obtained.
(1)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) 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 the Uncertain Digits
Rounding off a number means dropping of digits which are
not significant. The following rules are followed for
rounding off the number:
1. If the digits to be dropped are greater than five, then
add one to the
preceding significant figure.
2. If the digit to be dropped is less than five then it is
dropped without
bringing any change in the preceding significant figure.
3. If the digit to be dropped is five, then the preceding
digit will be left
unchanged if the preceding digit is even and it will be
increased by
one if it is odd.
4. In any involved or complex multi-step calculation, one
should retain, in intermediate steps, one digit more than
the significant digits and round off to proper significant
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figures at the end of the calculation.
DIMENSIONS OF PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
The nature of a physical quantity is described by its dimensions.
All the physical quantities can be expressed in terms of the
seven base or fundamental quantities viz. mass, length, time,
electric current, thermodynamic temperature, intensity of light
and amount of substance, raised to some power.
The dimensions of a physical quantity are the powers (or
exponents) to which the fundamental or base quantities are
raised to represent that quantity.
Note:
Using the square brackets [ ] around a quantity means that we
are dealing with ‘the dimensions of’ the quantity.
Example:
i) The dimensions of volume of an object are [L3]
ii) The dimensions of force are [MLT-2]
iii) The dimensions of energy are [ML2T-2]
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Dimensional Quantity
Dimensional quantity is a physical quantity which has dimensions.
For example: Speed, acceleration, momentum, torque, etc.
Dimensionless Quantity
Dimensionless quantity is a physical quantity which has no dimensions.
For example: Relative density, refractive index, strain, etc.
Dimensional Constant
Dimensional constant is a constant which has dimensions.
For example: Universal Gravitational constant, Planck’s constant, Hubble
constant, Stefan constant, Wien constant, Boltzmann constant, Universal
Gas constant, Faraday constant, etc.
Dimensionless
Constant
Dimensionless constant is a constant which has no dimensions.
For example: 5, -.0.38, e, π, etc.
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Quantities having the same dimensional formulae
1. Impulse and momentum
2. Work, energy, torque, moment of force
3. Angular momentum, Planck’s constant, rotational impulse
4. Stress, pressure, modulus of elasticity, energy density
5. Force constant, surface tension, surface energy
6. Angular velocity, frequency, velocity gradient
7. Gravitational potential, latent heat
8. Thermal capacity, entropy, universal gas constant and Boltzmann’s const.
9. Force, thrust
10. Power, luminous flux
Dimensional formulae for physical quantities often used in Physics are
given at the end. (From Slide 63)
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DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS AND ITS APPLICATIONS
Dimensional analysis is a tool to find or check relations among physical
quantities by using their dimensions.
When magnitudes of two or more physical quantities are multiplied, their
units should be treated in the same manner as ordinary algebraic symbols.
We can cancel identical units in the numerator and denominator.
Similarly, physical quantities represented by symbols on both sides of a
mathematical equation must have the same dimensions.
Dimensional Analysis can be used-
1. To check the dimensional consistency of equations
(Principle of homogeneity of dimensions).
2. To convert units in one system into another system.
3. To derive the relation between physical quantities
based on certain
reasonable assumptions.
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I. Checking the Dimensional Consistency of Equations
The principle of homogeneity of dimensions:
The magnitudes of physical quantities may be added together or
subtracted from one another only if they have the same dimensions.
For example, initial velocity can be added to or subtracted from final
velocity because they have same dimensional formula [M0LT-1] .
But, force and momentum can not be added because their dimensional
formulae are different and are [MLT-2] and [MLT-1] respectively.
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Example:
1. To check the dimensional consistency of v2 = u2 + 2as
The dimensions of the quantities involved in the equation are:
[u] = [M0LT-1]
[v] = [M0LT-1]
[a] = [M0LT-2]
[s] = [M0LT0]
Substituting the dimensions in the given equation,
[M0LT-1]2 = [M0LT-1]2 + [M0LT-2] [M0LT0] (Note that the constant 2 in the term
‘2as’ does not have dimensions)
[M0L2T-2] = [M0L2T-2] + [M0L2T-2]
Each term of the above equation is having same dimensions.
Therefore, the given equation is dimensionally correct or dimensionally
consistent.
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