Physics and Measurement with conversion table

Chapter I

Introduction:

What is Physics?

Physics is a branch of Physical Science which deals with the study of matter, energy and their interactions.
Physics is one of the foundations of all sciences. It is classified as an Experimental Science. It is also categories as the basic of all sciences. It primarily involves Units, Physical Quantities and Vectors, Motion along Straight and Curved Path, Work, Energy, Power, Momentum and its relationship to Impulse and etc.

What are the Subdivisions of Physics?

The subdivisions of Physics are Mechanics, Heat, Light, Sound, Electricity and Nuclear Physics.

Mechanics. The branch of Physics which deals with energy and forces and their effect on
bodies.

Heat. It concerned primarily with the condition of the body at a certain high temperature
or a change in temperature.

Light. The study of electromagnetic radiation and the emission of photons from the
excited state.

Sound. It refers to the transmission of longitudinal pressure waves(sound wave)(as in air)
that is the stimulus to hearing

Electricity. The study of the movement and interaction of electrons.

Nuclear Physics. This is also called Atomic Physics. It refers to the study of the behavior of the atomic nucleus or energy derived from it.

MEASUREMENT

What is measurement?
Measurement refers to the comparison of an unknown quantity with a standard.
= it judge against a quantity with a standard to see
how many times as big as the standard the quantity is.

Background of Measurement

Unit of the quantity = standard for describing magnitudes of physical quantities.

1791 =metric system of measurement was established, Paris Academy of Sciences

o Meter was originally define as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North pole

o Second as the time for a pendulum one meter long to swing from one side to the other.

1889 the definitions of the basic units have been established by an international organization, the general Conference on weights and Measures.

1960 it has been known officially as the International System or SI (the abbriviation for the French equivalent, Syteme International)

o meter was define by an atomic standard, in terms of the wavelength of the orange- red light emitted by atoms of Krypton (86Kr) in a glow discharge tube; one meter was define as 1650763.73 of these wavelength.

o the unit of time was based on a certain fraction of the mean solar day, the average time interval between successive arrivals of the sun at its highest point in the sky.

1967 is an atomic one, based on the two lowest energy states of the cesium atom.

o One second = the time required for 9192631770 cycles of this radiation

November 1983 the standard was change again in a more radical way.

o Meter is the distance light travels in 1/299792458 second.

The common Physical Quantity

Length is a physical quantity for measuring space. The distance between two points.

Mass is a basic property of matter. The mass of an object is measure of the amount of matter it contains. The mass of an onject does not vary with the location. It remains the same even if the position of the object is changed with reference to the earth’s center.

Density is a quantity derived from mass and volume.

Time is the interval between two successive events.




PREFIX ********Abbriviation ************Power of ten
Atto ***************a******************** 10^-18
Femto *************f******************** 10^-15
Pico ***************p******************** 10^-12
Nano **************n******************** 10^-9
Micro *************u******************** 10^-6
Milli **************m******************** 10^-3
Centi **************c******************** 10^-2
Deci ***************d******************* 10^-1
Deca **************D******************* 10^1
Hecto *************H******************* 10^2
Kilo ***************K******************* 10^3
Mega *************M******************* 10^6
Giga **************G******************* 10^9
Tera **************T******************* 10^12
Peta **************P******************* 10^15
Exa ***************E******************* 10^18



References:

Beiser, Arthur. (1992). Modern Technical Physics. Singapore: Addison-Wesley
Publishing Company


Giambattista, A, Richardson, B. and Richardson, R. (2007). College Physics. 2nd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Companies, Inc.

Giancoli, D.C. (1998). Physics: Principles with Applications 5th Ed. London Prentice Hall International, Inc.

Halliday, D., Resnick, R. and Walker, J. (1997). Fundamentals of Physics. 5th Ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Urone, Paul Peter. (2004) Physics with health science application. Philippines: Golden
Gate Printer

Young, H.D. and Freedman, R. A. (2000). Unversity Physics. 10th Ed., Singapore: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.