1st Year Physics
Unit 1
Measurement
Instruments of Measurement
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Ruler/Meter stick
Stop Clock
Thermometer
Scales
Measuring Cylinder
Opisometer
Trundle wheel
Callipers
Basics Units in Physics
Length
Measuring Length.
Using a Ruler/Metre Rule
Can you spot any error being made in measuring this wire?
Task: Use a ruler/meter rule to measure the length and
breath of your copy in millimetres (mm)
Opisometer
Task: Use an Opisometer & Ruler to work out the length of
a curved line to the nearest cm
Trundle Wheel.
Task: Use a Trundle Wheel to measure the length of the
corridor to the nearest metre (m)
Vernier Calipers
Callipers
Task: Use a callipers or a vernier calipers to measure the
outside and inside diameter of a beaker in mm
Mass
Measuring Mass with a Scales
Mass is the amount of matter in a substance.
Unit: Kilogram (kg).
Task: Calculate the mass of the
liquid in a beaker in grams (g)
Temperature
To measure Temperatures.
Thermometer
Unit: Degrees Celsius (oC)
Task: Use Thermometer measure the temperature of a
beaker of fresh tap water.
Area & Volume
Area is the amount of surface
that covers an object.
52 mm
Area = Length x Breadth
A=LxB
36 mm
A = 52 mm x 36 mm
= 1,872 mm2
Task: Measure the length and breadth of your copy and
calculate its area in mm2
Volume is the amount of
space taken up by an object.
Volume = length x breadth x height.
Example to calculate the volume of a matchbox
36 mm
15 mm
52 mm
V=LxBxH
V = 36mm x 52mm x 15mm
V = 28,080 mm3
Task: Measure the dimensions of a block of wood
(or matchbox) and calculate its volume in mm3
To measure the volume of
a liquid
Measuring
Cylinder
Liquid Volume is measured in:
Litres (l) or Millilitres (ml)
Meniscus
Read from
bottom of
the
Meniscus
To measure the volume of
a small object
Finishing Volume
Starting Volume
The Increase in
Volume is 25 ml
So this must be the
Volume of the Stone
To measure the Volume of an Irregular
Object using an Overflow-Can
Overflow Can
Measuring Cylinder
Task: Use an overflow-can and measuring cylinder to
work out the volume of a stone in ml