CHAPTER 1: MEASUREMENT (Reference Material)
Measurement: comparing known quantities with unknown quantities
Physical quantities: quantities which can be measured in physics
SI units: Standard units of measurement: for the sake of accuracy and
uniformity
I. LENGTH: distance between two fixed points.
SI unit: m; multiples: km; submultiples: cm, mm
II. MASS: quantity of matter in a substance / object
SI unit: Kg: multiples: quintal, tonne ; submultiples: g, mg
III. VOLUME: Space occupied by a substance (usually liquids and gases)
SI unit: m3 submultiples: mm3 , cm3
IV. TIME: Interval between two instances
SI unit : seconds (s) multiples: hour(h), minutes (min)
V. TEMPERATURE: Measure of degree of hotness or coldness of an object.
SI unit : K (kelvin) Other units: °C (celsius), °F (fahrenheit)
PARALLAX ERROR :
The error which occurs due to the wrong position of the eye.
While measuring liquids eye has to be placed in the same level as the meniscus.
MENISCUS: The curved part of the liquid at the top. It can be curved or
bulged which depends on the properties of the liquid.
MEASUREMENT of AREA of Regular Shapes
Area of a rectangle of length 8cm and width 4cm
A = length x width = 8cm x 4cm =32 cm2
Area of a square of side 8cm
A = side x side = 8cm x 8cm = 64cm2
Area of a triangle of height 4cm and base 8cm
A = ½ x base x height = 1/2 (8cm x 4cm) = 32/2 = 16cm2
Area of a circle of radius 4cm
A = π x r2 = π x r x r = π x 4cm x 4cm = 16π cm2
MEASUREMENT of AREA of Irregular Shapes
Trace the shape in a graph paper
Measure the area of one square ( usually 1cm2 )
Count number of full squares
Count more than half squares as one square
Count half squares and divide by 2( because 2 halves make 1 square)
Leave out the less than half
TOTAL AREA = number of full squares + number of more than half
squares +( number of half squares)
MEASUREMENT of IRREGULAR SHAPES
Break up the
shapes into
regular
shapes.
Calculate
area of each
shape
Add area of all the shapes
Note : The area of a semicircle is ( Area of circle ) / 2
1km2 = 1km x 1km = 1000m x 1000m = (1000)2 m2 = 1 x 106 m2
1m2 = 1m x 1m = 100 cm x 100 cm = (100)2 cm2 = 10, 000 cm2
Measurement of volume of regular solids:
Volume of regular solids can be calculated using mathematical formulae.
MEASURING VOLUME of LIQUIDS
Identify the meniscus
Place eye in the same level as the meniscus
Take the reading
MEASURING VOLUME of an
IRREGULAR SOLID
Using a Measuring Cylinder
Note the initial reading
Immerse the solid in the cylinder
Take the final reading
Volume = Final reading – Initial reading (unit in ml)
Using an Overflow Jar : Measure the quantity of water
collected (ml)
EQUAL VOLUME DOES NOT MEAN EQUAL MASS
EQUAL MASS
DOES NOT MEAN EQUAL VOLUME
SOLVING PROBLEMS : AREA OF IRREGULAR SHAPES
Question 1: The pencil is divided into 3 parts.
The base is taken as a semicircle
R = 1.5 cm
A = (π x R2) / 2 = [(22/7) x (1.5) x (1.5)] /2
A = 3.54 cm2
The body is taken as a rectangle
Length = 6cm, width = 2 x 1.5 = 3cm
A = l x w = 6 x 3 = 18 cm2
Tip is taken as a triangle
Base = 3 cm, height = 3 cm
A = ½ x b x h = (3 x 3 ) / 2 = 4.5 cm2
Total Area = 3.54 + 18 + 4.5 = 26.04 cm2
Question 2:
Question 3:
Total Area = 72 + 50 = 122 cm2 or 122 sq cm
Question 4:
The figure is divided into 4 parts.
Tip is taken as a triangle
Base = 4 cm, height = 4 cm
A = ½ x b x h = (4 x 4) / 2 = 8 cm2
The body is taken as 3 rectangles
Length = 6cm + 12cm, width = 4cm
A = l x w = 18 x 4 = 72 cm2
Length = 6cm, width = 6cm
A = l x w = 6 x 6 = 36cm2
Length = 5cm, width = 6cm + 4cm = 10cm
A = l x w = 5 x 10 = 50cm2
Total Area = 8 + 72 +36 + 50 = 166 cm2
Question 5:
The figure is divided into 2 parts.
The top is taken as a semicircle
R = 4 / 2 = 2 cm (4cm is the diameter)
A = (π x R2) / 2 = [(22/7) x (2) x (2)] /2
A = 6.29 cm2
The body is taken as a square
Side = 4 cm
A = s2 = s x s = 4 x 4 = 16 cm2
Total area = 6.29 + 16 = 22.29 cm2
Question 6
The figure is divided into 3 parts.
The body is taken as 2 rectangles
Length = 3.5 units, width = 1.5 units
A = l x w = 3.5 x 1.5 = 5.25 units2
Length = 5.5 units, width = 5.5 units
A = l x w = 5.5 x 5.5 = 30.25 units2
The triangle
Base = 3.5 units, height = 4 units
A = ½ x 3.5 x 4 = (3.5 x 4) / 2 = 7 units2
Total Area = 5.25 + 30.25 + 7 = 42.5 units2
Question 7:
The figure is broken into 4 parts.
There are 2 identical rectangles: 2 x area of one rectangle
Length = 16 m; width 12 m
A = 2 x ( l x w ) = 2x (16 x 12) = 2 x (192) = 384 m2 (BODMAS)
The triangle
Base = 16 m, height = 12 m
A = ½ x 16 x 12 = (16 x 12) / 2 = 112 m2
The diameter of the semicircle is the hypotenuse of the right triangle.
(Hypotenuse)2 = (leg1)2 + (leg2)2
Hypotenuse = √ (leg1)2 + (leg2)2 = √ (12)2 + (16)2 = √ 144 + 256 = √400
Diameter = hypotenuse = 20 m; radius = 10 m
R = 10 m
A = (π x R2) / 2 = [(22/7) x (10)2 ] /2
A = 157.14 m2
Total area = 384 + 112 + 157.14 = 653.14 m2
FINDING VOLUME :
IRREGULAR SHAPE:
QUESTION 1:
Amount of water without object = 50 ml
Amount of water with object = 75 ml
Volume of the object = 75 – 50 = 25 ml
3
Volume of object is in cm
Conversion of ml to cm3 : 1ml = 1cm3
Volume of object = 25 ml = 25 cm3
QUESTION 2: A container of length 24 cm, breadth 20 cm, and height 4cm is
filled with water. Find the volume of water.
Length = 24 cm; breadth = 20 cm; height = 4 cm
Volume of the container = volume of water
Volume = 24 x 20 x 4 = 1920 cm3
Volume of liquid is in ml: 1 ml = 1 cm3
Volume of water = 1920 cm3 = 1920 ml or 1.920 litre
QUESTION 3: A room has dimensions 5m x 4m x 3m. What is the
capacity of the air in that room?
Length = 6m; breadth = 4m; height = 3m
Volume (or) capacity of the room = 6 x 4 x 3 = 72 m3
Conversion : 1m =100cm
Volume = 600 x 400 x 300 = 7,20,00,000 cm3 = 7.2 x 107 cm3
Volume : 1cm3 = 1ml
Volume = 7.2 x 107 cm3 or 7.2 x 107 ml
WHICH OBJECTS FLOAT and WHICH OBJECTS SINK
Objects which have density more than water those objects sink.
Objects which have density less than water those objects will float.
Objects which have density which is comparable will float in the
middle.
CALCULATION of DENSITY of OBJECTS
Units are : g / cm3 or kg / m3
UNDERSTANDING DENSITY:
Eg. The density of lead is 11g/cm3. This means a piece of lead of volume
1cm3 has a mass of 11g. So a piece of lead of volume 5cm3 would have a
mass of 55g.
Conversion of Units: g /cm3 to kg / m3
1g = 1/1000 kg ; 1cm = 1/100 m; 1cm3 = 1/1000000 m3
1g / cm3 = 1/1000 ÷ 1/1000000 kg / m3
1g / cm3 = 1000000 ÷ 1000 = 1000 kg / m3 (Division in fraction is
inverted multiplication)
Conversion : 1g / cm3 = 1000 kg / m3
SI units of DENSITY = kg /m3
Question 1: Find the density of water which is filled in a 250ml beaker and has
a mass of 250 g when weighed in a scale.
Solution : mass = 250g , volume = 250ml = 250 cm3
D = M / V = 250 /250 = 1g/cm3
DENSITY of WATER = 1 g / cm3 or 1000 kg / m3
Question 2: The density of copper is 9g/cm3.
a) Find the mass of 5cm3 volume of copper?
Solution: M = D x V = 9 x 5 = 45g
b) Find the volume of 63 g of copper?
Solution: V = M / D = 63 / 9 = 7cm3
Question 3: A bottle has a capacity of 20cm3 and it has a mass of 35g when it is
empty. The bottle is filled with kerosene and when measured it has a mass of
50.8g . Find the density of kerosene.
Solution: Mass of empty bottle =35g
Mass of bottle + kerosene = 50.8g
Mass of kerosene = 50.8 – 35 = 15.8g
Density of kerosene : D = M /V = 15.8 / 20 = 0.79 g / cm3
Density in SI units = 0.79 x 1000 = 790 kg / m3
Story of Archimedes:
King gave his goldsmith 1kg of gold to make a crown.
The goldsmith came back with a beautiful crown. The king
measured it and it weighed 1kg. He was happy and rewarded the
goldsmith.
But his minister Archimedes was not happy. He knew the
goldsmith had cheated. He began to think how to prove it.
When he was bathing soap fell in the tub and water spilt. He found
the answer and in joy ran across the street naked shouting
EUREKA (yeah! I found it)
What did he find?
He found that every object in water displaces some amount
of water.
Density of every element which makes an item remains
same. If we take 2 identical crown of same mass and volume
and shape but one made of gold and another made of copper.
Their densities will be different. So the water displaced will
be different.
The density of gold was known. He calculated the weight of
the displaced water when 1kg gold was dropped in water.
He measured the weight of the water displaced when the
crown was dropped. He found that the weight of displaced
water did not match. Therefore he concluded that the
goldsmith had stolen some gold and added impurities to it.
FLOATING and SINKING
An object which is heavy sinks and one which is light floats.
An object is heavy when its mass is more and the molecules which make
up the substance are closely packed.
The arrangement of molecules in a substance is a unique property of that
substance.
DENSITY :
The molecular arrangement per unit volume is called density.
Eg. Take a billiards ball, a tennis ball, and a smiley ball.
All of them are of the same size and shape.
When they are dropped in a swimming pool :
Billiard ball sinks to the floor
Tennis ball sinks halfway
Smiley ball floats
Examples of different objects floating and sinking at different levels.
Why is that so?
Though the size and shape are the same , their densities are
different : the molecular arrangement in each ball is different
because they are made of different materials.
More the density more the heaviness.
More the density > more the mass > more weight : sinks
Why does
the
smiley
ball
float ?
What are the forces acting on an object in water?
The force of gravity (the weight) pulls the object down.
An opposing upward force by the water tries to push the object up.
This force is called the BUOYANT FORCE or
UPTHRUST. This force depends on the density (molecular
arrangement) of the water.
*Buoyant force < Weight * Buoyant force > Weight
Density of different liquids is different.
Density of salt water is more than regular water because salt increases the
molecules and increases the mass and density.
An egg sinks in regular water but floats in salt water.
Dead Sea located in Jordan
bordering Israel. It is the lowest point on earth. It is very salty that the rocks and
measuring instruments under the sea get a thick salt coating. The density of the
water is very high that people float in Dead Sea.
A ship in saltwater floats easily. Sea water is salty and density is more. So
the upthrust (buoyant force) is more. But when it sails in river water it
doesn’t float easily.
Hence it is difficult to navigate a ship in rivers. It sinks more in river water.
SHIP in SEA (more red part seen) SHIP in RIVER (less red part is seen)
PLIMSOLL LINE : a line drawn at the outer surface of a ship to indicate
the depth upto which the ship can sink and still float comfortably.
RED : level ship can sink and float easily
WHITE : warning level
BLACK : sinking level
When goods are loaded onto the ship the water
level has to be in the RED level.
*Water level rises when load is more : ship sinks
Does SHAPE of the object affect floating or sinking?
An iron nail sinks in water BUT a ship made of iron floats. WHY?
*Float with a floater because the surface in contact with the water is more;
hence the more upthrust.
*Crumpled ball of foil and a flattened foil *Ball
sinks while a ball cut in half floats
*Cargo loaded to one end ship tilts