Topic

Measurement of Physical Quantities

Complete explanation about Units, Fundamental quantities, Derived quantities, SI units

Learning Content

📏 What is measurement?

Measurement= comparing the volume of an object with a standard volume

Unit= standard quantity used for measurement

🎯 Formula of measurement

Measure = Numerical Value × Unit

Example: length =5×meter= 5 meters

📊 Types of physical quantities

Type Explanation example Memoir
Basic sizes
(Fundamental Quantities)
which are independent of other quantities
stand alone
Length, Mass, Period, Temperature, Current, Luminosity, Volume of matter 🎯7 basic sizes
Route sizes
(Derived Quantities)
Dependent on basic quantities
A combination of two or more
Area, Volume, Velocity, Acceleration, Force, Work 🎯Based on

🔢 7 base quantities - SI units

No Base size SI unit code Memory Trick
1 Length meter m "L = Length = Meter"
2 Mass Kilogram kg "M = Mass = Kilogram"
3 Time second s "T = Time = Second"
4 Temperature Kelvin K "Temp = Kelvin"
5 Electric Current Ampere A "Current = Ampere"
6 Luminous Intensity Candila cd "Light = Candela"
7 Amount of Substance Mole mol "Substance = Mole"

🎯 TNPSC Shortcut - "LMT TALS"

L- Length (Length) - m
M- Mass (Mass) - kg
T- Time (period) - s
T- Temperature (Temperature) - K
A- Ampere/Current - A
L- Luminous Intensity - cd
S- Substance Amount - mol

📝 Important questions

Q:What are the base quantities in SI system?
A:7 ✅

Q:What is the SI unit of mass?
A:Kilogram (kg) ✅

Q:What is the SI unit of temperature?
A:Kelvin (K) ✅ (Not Celsius!)

📐 Systems of Units

📊 Comparison of major unit methods

Unit method length Mass Period application
CGS method
(Centimeter-Gram-Second)
Centimeter (cm) gram (g) Second (s) Laboratories, small scales
MKS method
(Meter-Kilogram-Second)
meter (m) Kilogram (kg) Second (s) Common usage
FPS mode
(Foot-Pound-Second)
feet (ft) pound (lb) Second (s) Britain, America
SI method
(International System)
meter (m) Kilogram (kg) Second (s) 🌟 Globally accepted

🌟 SI System (Système International)

Important information about the SI system

Introduction 1960- France
CGPM General Conference on Weights and Measures
Basic units 7
Sub-units 2(radian, steradian)
Accepted countries Most countries of the world

📐 SI Supplementary Units (Supplementary Units)

Size unit code Explanation
Plane Angle Radian rad An arc equal to the radius of the circle
Solid Angle Steadiene sr 3D angle of the sphere

🔄 Unit conversions - important

Change value Memory Trick
1 kilometer 1000 meters "kg = 1000"
1 meter 100 cm "Centi = 100th"
1 meter 1000 millimeters "Milli = one part in 1000"
1 kilogram 1000 grams "kg = 1000"
1 hour 3600 seconds "60 × 60 = 3600"
1 day 86400 seconds "24×3600"
1 light year 9.46 × 10¹² km "Distance of light in 1 year"

📏 Prefixes

prefix code value example
Tera T 10¹² 1 TB = 10¹² bytes
Giga G 10⁹ 1 GB = 10⁹ bytes
Mega M 10⁶ 1 MHz = 10⁶ Hz
Kilo k 10³ 1 km = 10³ m
Centi c 10⁻² 1 cm = 10⁻² m
Milli m 10⁻³ 1 mm = 10⁻³ m
Micro μ 10⁻⁶ 1 μm = 10⁻⁶ m
Nano n 10⁻⁹ 1 nm = 10⁻⁹ m

🎯 Shortcut - "TGMK cmμn"

Major:T(12) → G(9) → M(6) → K(3)
Small ones:c(-2) → m(-3) → μ(-6) → n(-9)

🔬 Derived Quantities

Route sizes= Quantities obtained by adding or dividing base quantities

📊 Main way quantities - formula & units

route size formula SI unit CGS unit Memory Trick
Area Length × Width cm² "L × L = L²"
Volume Length × Width × Height cm³ "L × L × L = L³"
Density Mass / Volume kg/m³ g/cm³ "ρ = M/V"
Speed Distance / Duration m/s cm/s "v = d/t"
Velocity Displacement / Period m/s cm/s "Direction + Speed"
Acceleration Change in velocity / period m/s² cm/s² "a = Δv/t"
Force Mass × Acceleration Newton (N) dyne "F = ma"
Work force × distance Joule (J) erg "W = F × d"
Energy Ability to work Joule (J) erg "E = Work Unit"
Power Job / Period Watt (W) erg/s "P = W/t"
Pressure force / area Pascal (Pa) dyne/cm² "P = F/A"

🎖️ SI units with special names

Size SI unit code whose name equal to
key Newton N Isaac Newton kg·m/s²
Work, energy Joule J James Zool N·m = kg·m²/s²
ability Watt W James Watt J/s
Pressure Pascal Pa Blaise Pascal N/m²
frequency Hertz Hz Heinrich Hertz 1/s
voltage Volt V Alessandro Volta W/A
electrical resistance Omg Ω George Ohm V/A
Condensation Farat F Michael Faraday C/V
magnetic field Tesla T Nikola Tesla Wb/m²

🔄 CGS & SI conversions

Size Change remember
key 1 N = 10⁵ dyne "5 zeroes"
Work 1 J = 10⁷ erg "7 zeros"
ability 1 W = 10⁷ erg/s "7 zeros"
Pressure 1 Pa = 10 dyne/cm² "1 zero"

🎯 Shortcut - "5-7-7-1"

Key:10⁵ (5 zeros)
Job:10⁷ (7 zeros)
Capacity:10⁷ (7 zeros)
Pressure:10¹ (1 zero)

🔧 Measuring Instruments

📏 Length measurement tools

Tool Measuring range The smallest size application
Meter scale up to 1 m 1 mm Common length measurement
Vernier scale
(Vernier Caliper)
Up to 15 cm 0.01 cm = 0.1 mm Inner, outer diameter, depth
Screw gauge
(Screw Gauge)
up to 2.5 cm 0.001 cm = 0.01 mm Wire, plate thickness
Spherometer
(Spherometer)
- 0.001 cm Bend radius, glass thickness

🎯 Vernier vs Screw Gauge - Comparison

Detail Vernier scale Screw gauge
Least Quantity (LC) 0.01 cm 0.001 cm
Accuracy less more (10 times)
Inventor Pierre Vernier (1631) William Gascoigne (1638)
to measure Inner, outer diameter, depth Smaller thicknesses

⚖️ Mass Measuring Instruments

Tool Type application
Legal balance Mechanical Laboratory, Jewellery
Electronic scale Electronic Accurate measurement
Body weight scale Spring body weight
Plate scale Mechanical Vegetables, fruits

⏱️ Time measurement tools

Tool Accuracy application
Sundial min ancient times
Sand clock min specified time
Pendulum clock second houses
Quartz watch Milli second Wrist watch
Atomic clock 10⁻⁹ second 🌟 Very accurate
Stopwatch 0.01 second game

🌡️ Temperature measuring instruments

Thermometer limit application
Medical thermometer 35°C - 42°C Body temperature
Laboratory thermometer -10°C - 110°C Laboratory
Maximum-Minimum - Weather
Digital thermometer - Accurate measurement

📝 Important questions

Q:Smallest scale of vernier scale?
A:0.01 cm (0.1 mm) ✅

Q:Smallest size of screw gauge?
A:0.001 cm (0.01 mm) ✅

Q:Which is the most accurate watch?
A:Atomic clock

🎯 Measurement - Master Shortcut Chart

📊 7 Basic Sizes - Quick Reference

Size SI unit code Memory Trick
length meter m Length = Meter
Mass Kilogram kg Mass = Kilogram
Period second s Time = Second
temperature Kelvin K 🔴 Kelvin (NOT °C)
current Ampere A Ampere
Transmittance Candila cd Candela = Candle
Size of item Mole mol Mole

🏆 Special Units - Scientists name

unit Size Scientist
Newton key Isaac Newton
Joule Work, energy James Zool
Watt ability James Watt
Pascal Pressure Blaise Pascal
Hertz frequency Heinrich Hertz
Volt voltage Alessandro Volta
Omg electrical resistance George Ohm
Farat Condensation Michael Faraday
Tesla magnetic field Nikola Tesla
Cooloom Charge Charles Coolum

🔢 Memorize important numbers

Detail value Trick
SI base units 7 "7 Fundamentals"
SI sub-units 2 "rad, sr"
SI Introductory Year 1960 "Sixty = 60"
Vernier LC 0.01 cm "2 decimals"
Screw gauge LC 0.001 cm "3 decimals"
1 N = ? dyne 10⁵ "5 zeroes"
1 J = ? erg 10⁷ "7 zeros"

📝 Frequently asked MCQ

1.What are the base units in SI system?
a) 5 b) 6c) 7 ✅d) 8

2.SI unit of temperature?
a) Celsius b) Fahrenheitc) Kelvin ✅d) Rankin

3.SI unit of force?
a) Dineb) Newton ✅c) Erg   d) Joule

4.1 newton = how many dynes?
a) 10³ b) 10⁴c) 10⁵ ✅d) 10⁶

5.Smallest scale of vernier scale?
a) 0.1 cmb) 0.01 cm ✅c) 0.001 cm d) 1 mm

6.Smallest size of screw gauge?
a) 0.1 cm b) 0.01 cmc) 0.001 cm ✅d) 0.1 mm

7.SI unit of capacity?
a) Jouleb) Watt ✅c) Newton d) Pascal

8.SI unit of pressure?
a) N/mb) Pascal (N/m²) ✅c) Joule   d) Watt

9.The most accurate watch?
a) Quartz b) Pendulumc) Atomic clock ✅d) Digital

10.In which year SI system was introduced?
a) 1950b) 1960 ✅c) 1970 d) 1980

🎯 Final Memory Trick - "UNITS"

U- Units are 7 fundamental + 2 supplementary
N- Newton for Force (10⁵ dyne)
I- International System = SI (1960)
T- Temperature in Kelvin (NOT Celsius!)
S- Screw gauge more accurate than Vernier

⚠️ Common Mistakes - Things to Avoid

❌ Temperature SI unit Celsius → ✅Kelvin (K)

❌ The SI unit of mass is gram → ✅Kilogram (kg)

❌ CGS unit of force is Newton → ✅ NewtonSI, Dine CGS

❌ Vernier precision → ✅Screw gaugeVery accurate

❌ 1 N = 10⁷ dyne → ✅1 N = 10⁵ dyne

📐 formula summary

Speed v = d/t m/s
Acceleration a = Δv/t m/s²
key F = ma N (kg·m/s²)
Work W = F × d J (N·m)
ability P = W/t W (J/s)
Pressure P = F/A Pa (N/m²)
density ρ = m/V kg/m³
DISCLAIMER

This is an independent educational initiative. Not affiliated with TNPSC.
Please verify official sources before appearing for exams.