Physics Form One Topic 3: Measurement - Physics Notes


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Measurement is the process of assigning numbers to observations or events


Physical Quantities


Physical quantity is a property of a material that can be quantified by measurement.


There are two types of physical quantities namely.


1. Fundamental quantities


2. Delivered quantities


Fundamental Quantities


Are the basic physical quantities which cannot be obtained from other physical quantities.


SI UNITS


This is the System International of Units. They are specifically chosen units which have been agreed upon internationally to be used for measurements.


BASIC QUANTITIES


These are quantities that cannot be expressed in terms of other physical quantities. These quantities are sometimes referred to as Fundamental quantities and examples of the basic quantities with their SI units are given in the table below;


Fundamental Quantities and their SI Unit


QuantitiesSI unitUnit symbol
LengthMetrem
MassKilogramkg
TimeSecondS
Electric currentAmpereA
TemperatureKelvinK
Amount of substanceMolemol
Luminous intensityCandelaCd


Length


Is the distance between two points.


The SI unit of length is metre (m).


It is measured by metre rule, tape measure, Vernier calliper and micrometer screw gauge


Metre Rule


Metre rule is a mainly wooden graduated in 100 centimeters or 1metre.


The reading should be perpendicular to the mark otherwise the parallax error occurs


Parallax Error


Is the apparent motion of one object related to another when the position of the eye is varied


Vernier Caliper


Is an instrument used to measure length to the nearest accuracy of 0.01cm


It is used to measure lengths to the range of 1.0 cm to about 12.0 cm



Using vernier calipers:

Place the object between the jaws of the calipers and close the jaws until they just grip it.


Read the main scale value just before the zero mark on the vernier scale.


Read the divison on the vernier scale that coincides with the mark on the main scale. The number on this mark on the vernier scale is reading for the hundredth of centimeters. (Always divide the number read on vernier scale by 100)


Add the reading of the main scale to that of the vernier scale to obtain the vernier caliper reading.



Object to be measured

Therefore, the reading of the above vernier caliper is 1.30 + 0.02 = 1.32cm


Examples


1.What is the reading of the vernier caliper below?



Main scale    = 3.70cm


Vernier scale    = 0.07cm


Vernier reading    = 3.77cm


2. What is the reading of the vernier caliper below?


Main scale    = 0.70cm


Vernier scale    = 0.08cm Vernier caliper reading    = 0.78cm


3. What is the reading of the vernier caliper below?



Main scale    = 11.20cm


Vernier scale    = 0.08cm Vernier caliper reading    = 11.28cm


Scale of Vernier Calliper has two scales

- Main (Fixed) scale


- Vernier scale


NB:

Fixed scale gives reading in centimeter (cm) or millimeter (mm).


Vernier scale gives reading in hundredth of a centimeter (0.01cm) or thousands of millimeter (0.001mm)


The reading should be taken in the parallel mark between fixed scale and Vernier scale then convert it to cm or mm


Total reading is obtained by Summing up the main scale (M.S) and Vernier scale (V.S)


Before using a vernier caliper, close its jaws to determine if it contains zero error


Zero error is the error arises when scale is not starting from zero mark


Example


1. From the fig below, determine the diameter of the object.



Solution:


Give:    Main scale, m.s = 9.9cm , Vernier scale, v.s = 2 x 0.01 = 0.02cm


𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙
𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 = 9.9 + 0.02 = 9.92 𝑐𝑚

Micrometer Screw Gauge


Is an instrument used to measure the length to the nearest accuracy of 0.001cm or 0.01mm


It is used to measure the diameters of wires and ball bearings


It can measure small lengths up to about 2.5 cm



Diagram:

Scale of Micrometer Screw Gauge:-


a. Main scale (mm)


a. Thimble scale


NB:

Fixed scale gives reading in centimeter (cm) or millimeter (mm).


Thimble scale gives reading in thousandth of a centimeter (0.001cm).


Before to use micrometer screw gauge close its jaws to determine if it contains zero error


Example


1. From the fig below, determine the diameter of an object.



Solution:


Given: Main scale, m.s = 9.5mm = 0.95cm , Thimble scale, v.s = 31 x 0.001 = 0.031cm


𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙
𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 = 0.95 + 0.031 = 0.981 𝑐𝑚

Mass


Is the quantity of matter in a substance.


The

SI unit of mass is kilogram (kg).

It is measured by beam balance.


Other units of mass are milligram, gram, tones etc


Their equivalence: 1t = 1000kg    1kg = 1000g    1g = 1000mg


Types of Beam Balance


1. Lever arm balance (uses the principle of moments to measure the mass)


2. Triple beam balance (uses the principle of moments to measure the mass)


3. Digital balance (measures the mass to an accuracy of the thousandth (0.001g) of a gram


Difference between Mass and Weight


Massweight
Is the quantity of matter in an objectIs a force of gravity on an object
It is constantIt varies with environment
It is a fundamental quantityIt is a derived quantity
Its SI unit is kilogram (kg)Its SI unit is Newton (N)
It is measured by beam balanceIt is measured by spring balance
Is a scalar quantityIs a vector quantity


Time


Time is the rate at which an event happens.


It is measured by using clock or wristwatch or stopwatch


Stopwatch


Is a device that is held in the hand to show the time elapsed


Types of Stopwatches


1. Mechanical stopwatch


2. Digital stopwatch


N.B: Digital stopwatch is more accurate than mechanical stopwatch. They include date and time


Ways of reducing errors during measurement


1. Taking several readings and then find the average


2. Avoiding parallax error by positioning te instrument properly on the table with eyes perpendicular to the scale


3. Some instruments cab be adjusted to eliminate zero error


Delivered Quantities


Are the physical quantities which are expressed in terms of the fundamental quantities


Examples are area, volume, weight, pressure etc


Volume


Is the quantity of space that an object occupies.


Its SI unit is cubic meter (m3)


N.B

1L = 1000 cm3    1L = 1000 ml    1L = 1dm3


Volume of a solid regular object


Regular object is the object with known shape.


For example, cylinder, rectangular prism, cube etc.


The Volume of an object is given by: -



Whereby:


A = area of a regular object    h = height of a regular object



Volume of a Cube



Since w = h = b



  

Volume of Rectangular prism


Volume of Cylinder




Volume of Sphere (h = r)




Example


1. Calculate the volume of rectangular block of sides 15cm, 8cm and 7cm Solution:

V = 15 cm x 8 cm x 7 cm = 840 cm3


Question


Calculate the volume of cylinder whose radius and height are 5 cm and 14 cm respectively. Given that π = 3.14.    (ANS: V = 1099 cm3)


Volume of Liquid


Littre is the standard unit used for measuring the volume of liquids.


Burette, Pipette, measuring cylinder are examples of the instruments or apparatus used to measure the volume of liquids


During measurement the eye should be in the same line with the meniscus of the liquid



Volume of Gas


The volume of gas is obtained by measuring the volume of the container into which it is put


And the volume of the container can be determined from its dimensions or by filling it with water and then pouring the water into a graduated cylinder


Thus VGAS = V (CONTAINER + GAS) – V(CONTAINER)


Volume of an irregular object


Irregular object is the object with unknown shape.


For example, stone, human body etc.


The volume of irregular object is obtained by displacement method or immersion method


Displacement Method

Volume of irregular object is based on the principle that when an object is completely submerged in water it displaces a volume of water equal to its own volume.


The volume of irregular object can be measured by using:


(a). A Graduated cylinder


(b). A Eureka can or overflow can


Graduated Cylinder


Suppose you want to measure the volume of a small stone. The following steps are necessary:-


Fill a graduated cylinder to known mark (let it be 300ml)


Carefully measure the initial volume of water (V1)


Gently lower the stone into the water


Measure the final volume of water (V2)


Lastly find the difference between the final and initial volume of water.


This gives the volume of a stone.


That is VSTONE = V2 – V1


Example


1. When an irregular solid was immersed in 65cm3 of water the water level rises to 81cm3. What was the volume of the solid?


Solution:


Volume of the solid, V = V2 – V1 = 81 – 65 = 16 cm3


Using Eureka Can (Over flow can)

Consider the following steps: -


Fill the overflow can with water up to the level of the spout


 

Tie the irregular solid (stone) with a string


Gently drop the irregular solid into water using a string



The irregular solid (stone) will displace some water which will be collected in the beaker


Transfer the displaced water into a graduated cylinder


Measure the volume of water, which is the volume of irregular solid


Density


Density is the mass per unit volume of a substance.


Uses of density:


The following are uses of density;


  • Indentify materials

  • Determine the purity of a material

  • Choose light gases for filling balloons

  • Finding the volume of a substance

Measuring density


Using the formula


Measure the mass and volume then calculate the density using the formula



The table gives densities of some common substances;


SubstanceDensity
 gcm-3kgm-3
Water1.01000
Mercury13.613600
Kerosene0.8800
Hydrogen0.0000890.089
Glass2.52500
Lead11.311300
1ron7.867860
Ice0.92920
Silver10.51050


Measuring density of a liquid


b) Using a beaker:


Measure the mass m1 of a clean dry beaker using a balance.


Measure a known volume, V of the liquid using a measuring cylinder and transfer it to the beaker.


Measure the mass m2 of the beaker with the liquid.


Calculate the mass of the liquid m = m2 – m1.


Density of the liquid is then calculated as follows


 

b) Using a density bottle:


Measure the mass, m1 of a clean density bottle with its stopper.


Fill the density bottle with water and replace the stopper.


Measure the mass, m2 of the density bottle and water.


Calculate the mass of water = m2 – m1.


Determine the volume of water which is the volume of density bottle = m2 – m1 since the density of water = 1gcm-3.


Fill the density bottle with a liquid and replace the stopper.


Measure the mass, m3 of the density bottle and the liquid.


Calculate the mass of a liquid = m3 – m1 and density of a liquid,



The SI unit of density is kg/m3 or g/cm3


Density of Regular Solid Object


The density of regular object can be found easily.


For example, to measure the density of rectangular block



Procedure:

  • Measure the mass, m of the solid
  • Measure the volume, v = l x h x b
  • Calculate density, ρ

Density of irregular solid Object


The density of irregular object can be obtained by:-


Measuring its mass using a triple beam balance or digital balance


Determining the volume through the displacement (immersion) method


Dividing the mass by the volume obtained. That is


Example


1. A stone has a mass of 50 g. When it is totally immersed in water of volume 60 cm3, the final volume is read 70 cm3. Calculate the density of the stone.


Solution:



Example


1. A stone has a mass of 50 g. When it is totally immersed in water of volume 60 cm3, the final volume is read 70 cm3. Calculate the density of the stone.


The Table showing Densities of Different Substance


SubstanceDensity (g/cm3)SubstanceDensity (g/cm3)
Aluminium2.7Silver10.5
Copper8.3Steel7.9
Gold19.3Cork0.2
Iron7.8Ice0.92
Lead11.3Alcohol0.8
Glass2.5Milk1.03
Brass8.5Kerosene1.0
Mercury13.6Fresh water1.0
Sea water1.03Sand2.5


Density of Liquids


It can be determined by using burette or density bottle by the following steps


Measure the mass of an empty burette or density bottle, m1


Fill the liquid in the burette or density bottle and measure its mass, m2


Calculate the mass of liquid by, m = m2 –m1


Either by graduated cylinder or overflow can Measure volume of liquid, V


Calculate the density of liquid, ρ



Measuring volume of liquids:


Liquids have no definite shape but assume the shapes of the containers in which they are put. The following instruments are used in measuring the volume of liquids and these are measuring cylinder, pipette and burette, conical flasks, beakers, round bottom flasks e.tc.


Measuring cylinders are made of glass or transparent plastic and graduated in cm3 or ml and measuring flasks, pipettes, burettes and beakers are used to transfer known volumes of liquids.


Measuring the volume of an irregular object:


Volumes of irregular solids are measured using the displacement method.


The method works with solids that are not soluble in water i.e. do not absorb water or react with water.


1. Using a measuring cylinder



Partly fill a measuring cylinder with water and note the volume V1 of water.


Tie a stone whose mass m is known with a thread and lower it gently into the cylinder until it is wholly submerged.


Note and record the new volume V2.


Calculate the volume of the stone, V = V2 – V1.


Density can be calculated from,



2. Using density bottle:


Measure the mass, m1 of a clean dry empty density bottle.


Fill the density bottle partly with lead shot and measure the mass, m2.


Fill up the density bottle with water and measure its mass, m3.


Empty the bottle and fill it with water and measure its mass, m4.


Mass of water = (m4 – m1)g.


Mass of lead shots = (m2 – m1)g.


Mass of water added to lead shots = (m3 – m2)g.


Volume bottle = volume of water = (m4 – m1) [since density of water = 1gcm-3].


Volume of water added to lead shots = (m3 – m2).


Volume of lead shot = (m4 – m1) – (m3 – m2)



Density of Granules


It is difficult to determine the density of very small and fine particles such as sand or lead shots. Density bottle is used to determine the density of granules.


Procedures:


a. Find the mass of an empty bottle by a beam balance (m0)


b. Put some sand in the bottle (see diagram (b))


c. Record the mass of the bottle when partly filled with sand (m1)


d. Pour water into the bottle until it is full


e. Record the new mass m2 of the bottle with its contents


f. Record the mass m3 when the density bottle is filled with water only



Calculate the density of granules




Example,

1. Given that


Mass of empty density bottle = 4.0 g Mass of density bottle with sand = 94g


Mass of density bottle with sand and water = 110g Mass of density bottle full of water = 70g


Find the density of sand from above readings



Relative Density of a Substance


Relative density is the ratio of density of substance to the density of water.


It has no SI unit.


This shows that how many times a substance is denser than water



Example,


An empty density bottle weighs 20g. When full of water it weighs 70g and when full of liquid it weighs 60g. Calculate


The relative density of the liquid    (b) Its density Solution


M0 = 20 g


M1 = 70 g M2 = 60 g



Importance of Measurement


1. It is used in architecture and engineering for designing of bridges, flyovers and other structures


2. It is used in school to determine the number of students


3. Measurement for length are used for fitting clothes in the fashion industry


4. In trade – exact quantities for export or import are to be known


5. Helps to identify the space occupied by substance


6. Helps us to know the rate of working


7. Helps us to identify the size of substance


8. It helps in decision making


Assignment


Where necessary use g = 10 m/s2


1. A silver cylindrical rod has a length of 0.5 m and radius of 0.4 m, find the density of the rod if its mass is 2640 kg. (ANS: Density = 10509 kg/m3)


2. The relative density of some type of wood is 0.8. Find the density of the wood in kg/m3 (ANS: Density = 800 kg/m3)


3. A stone has a mass 112.5 g. When the stone totally immersed in water contained in measuring cylinder displaced water from 50 cm3 to 95 cm3 . Find the density of the stone. (ANS: Density = 2.5 g/cm3)


4. A piece of anthracite has a volume of 15 cm3 and a mass of 27 g. What is its density    (a) in g/cm3    (b) in kg/m3    (ANS: a. 1.8 g/cm3    b. 1800 kg/m3)


5. A 30 ml density bottle was filled with kerosene and found to weigh 86 g. If the mass of empty dry bottle was 62 g, find the density of kerosene (D = 0.8 g/cm3)


6. A solid ball has a mass of 50 g and a volume of 20 cm3. What is its density? (ANS: Density = 2.5 g/cm3)

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