Physics
Converting Units
Converting units is the process of changing one unit of measurement to another. In physics, it is important to convert units to ensure that calculations are accurate and meaningful. Common units that are converted in physics include distance, time, mass, and energy.
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eBook - PDF- Michael Tammaro(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
SUMMARY 1.1 Physics and Physical Laws Physics is a quantitative science. Particle physics is the study of the elementary constitu- ents of matter, like the elementary particles called quarks and leptons. Astrophysics is the study of the universe—planets and stars, solar systems, and galaxies. The study of the behavior of electrons in atoms and molecules is called atomic physics. Solids and liquids are forms of condensed matter, and their study is called condensed matter physics. I N T E R A C T I V E F E A T U R E 1.2 Units, Dimensions, and Conversion We must often convert a quantity from one set of units to another. To do so, we must multi- ply that quantity by a fraction constructed from the conversion factor, with one side of the conversion factor in the numerator and the other side in the denominator. Converting Units involves two algebraic manipulations: one for the numbers and one for the units. Units are treated as algebraic quantities that can cancel each other out. The three basic SI units you will use throughout this course are the meter (m), the second (s), and the kilogram (kg), which have dimensions of length (L), time (T), and mass (M), respectively. 1.3 Scientific Notation and Significant Figures When numbers are multiplied and divided, the number of significant figures in the result is equal to the number of significant figures in the least precisely known quantity (the one with the least number of significant figures). The right-most decimal place retained after addition or subtraction is the right-most decimal place of the least precisely known number. Very large or small numbers are more conveniently written in scientific notation. 1.4 Problem Solving in Physics To succeed in this course, you should attend course lectures and read the text. By reading the text patiently and carefully, you will learn the concepts and be able to solve problems (on which your grade likely rests).
- Cohen, Douglas L.(Authors)
- 2001(Publication Date)
Fortunately, there do exist procedures using elementary mechanical units that are analogous to what goes on when we change the kinds of units used in electromagnetic theory; we can use this analogy to in-troduce the appropriate perspective for understanding electromagnetic units. This chapter begins by presenting material with which the reader is probably already familiar—what a unit is, what a dimension is, the rules for manipulating units in-side equations—and then moves on to describe the procedures applied to standard mechanical units in quantum mechanics and relativistic physics to simplify the forms of complicated equations. It should be emphasized that all these equations are presented as “given,” with no expectation that the reader will gain or have any particular knowledge of how the equation is derived; we just show how to simplify the equation by changing the units in which it is expressed. By the end of the chap-ter the reader will have acquired the rules and terminology needed to describe how and why the equations of classical electromagnetism change form when moving from one system of units to another. 1 2 C HAPTER 1 1.1 T HE BASIC IDEA OF A UNIT Measurements create numbers, and units give meaning to numbers by connect-ing them to measurements. For example, to call a length “8.5” is completely am-biguous; but to call it “8.5 centimeters,” or “8.5 feet,” or “8.5 miles,” does have meaning—and the meaning changes when the attached unit changes. In equations, a physical quantity, such as a length L , is treated as if it were the product of a numeric or pure number, like the 8.5 in “8.5 centimeters,” and a unit, like the cen-timeters in “8.5 centimeters.” Length L is specified in centimeters (cm) using the equation L = 8 .
No longer available |Learn more- (Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Academic Studio(Publisher)
____________________ WORLD TECHNOLOGIES ____________________ Chapter-2 Conversion of Units Conversion of units refers to conversion factors between different units of meas-urement for the same quantity. Techniques Process The process of conversion depends on the specific situation and the intended purpose. This may be governed by regulation, contract, Technical specifications or other published standards. Engineering judgment may include such factors as: • The precision and accuracy of measurement and the associated uncertainty of measurement • The statistical confidence interval or tolerance interval of the initial measurement • The number of significant figures of the measurement • The intended use of the measurement including the engineering tolerances Some conversions from one system of units to another need to be exact, without increasing or decreasing the precision of the first measurement. This is sometimes called soft conversion . It does not involve changing the physical configuration of the item being measured. By contrast, a hard conversion or an adaptive conversion may not be exactly equivalent. It changes the measurement to convenient and workable numbers and units in the new system. It sometimes involves a slightly different configuration, or size substitution, of the item. Multiplication Factors Conversion between units in the metric system can be discerned by their prefixes (for example, 1 kilogram = 1000 grams, 1 milligram = 0.001 grams) and are thus not listed ____________________ WORLD TECHNOLOGIES ____________________ here. Exceptions are made if the unit is commonly known by another name (for example, 1 micron = 10 −6 metre). Table Ordering Within each table, the units are listed alphabetically, and the SI units (base or derived) are highlighted. Tables of conversion factors Here we, gives a lists of conversion factors for each of a number of physical quantities, which are listed in the index.
No longer available |Learn more- (Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- White Word Publications(Publisher)
________________________ WORLD TECHNOLOGIES ________________________ Chapter-2 Conversion of Units Conversion of units refers to conversion factors between different units of measurement for the same quantity. Techniques Process The process of conversion depends on the specific situation and the intended purpose. This may be governed by regulation, contract, Technical specifications or other published standards. Engineering judgment may include such factors as: • The precision and accuracy of measurement and the associated uncertainty of measurement • The statistical confidence interval or tolerance interval of the initial measurement • The number of significant figures of the measurement • The intended use of the measurement including the engineering tolerances Some conversions from one system of units to another need to be exact, without increasing or decreasing the precision of the first measurement. This is sometimes called soft conversion . It does not involve changing the physical configuration of the item being measured. By contrast, a hard conversion or an adaptive conversion may not be exactly equivalent. It changes the measurement to convenient and workable numbers and units in the new system. It sometimes involves a slightly different configuration, or size substitution, of the item. Multiplication Factors Conversion between units in the metric system can be discerned by their prefixes (for example, 1 kilogram = 1000 grams, 1 milligram = 0.001 grams) and are thus not listed ________________________ WORLD TECHNOLOGIES ________________________ here. Exceptions are made if the unit is commonly known by another name (for example, 1 micron = 10 −6 metre). Table Ordering Within each table, the units are listed alphabetically, and the SI units (base or derived) are highlighted. Tables of conversion factors Here we, gives a lists of conversion factors for each of a number of physical quantities, which are listed in the index.
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