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Units and measurement exercises · Physics Playground

ExercisesPhysics

Units and measurement

15 problems with worked solutions, from Physics and College Physics.

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Learn it first: Units & Powers of Ten, Measurement & Uncertainty, Best-Fit Lines & Straightening Curves

Physics1.3 The Language of Physics: Physical Quantities and Units

ExampleUnit Conversions: A Short Drive Home (part 1)Suppose that you drive the 10.0 km from your university to home in 20.0 min. Calculate your average speed (a) in kilometers per hour (km/h) and (b) in meters per second (m/s). (Note—Average speed is distance traveled…
ExampleUnit Conversions: A Short Drive Home (part 2)
ExampleCalculating Percent Uncertainty: A Bag of ApplesA grocery store sells 5-lb bags of apples. You purchase four bags over the course of a month and weigh the apples each time. You obtain the following measurements: Week 1 weight: 4.8lb Week 2 weight: 5.3lb Week 3…
ExampleApproximating Vast Numbers: a Trillion DollarsThe U.S. federal deficit in the 2008 fiscal year was a little greater than $10 trillion. Most of us do not have any concept of how much even one trillion actually is. Suppose that you were given a trillion dollars in…With a figure
ExampleMethod of Adding Percents: Shingling Your RoofA series of shingles are used to protect the roof of a home. Using a measuring tape, you measure one shingle and find its dimensions to be 44 cm by 100 cm. Knowing that your measurements are not perfect, you estimate…

College Physics1.1 Physics: An Introduction

Quick checkA friend tells you he has learned about a new law of nature. What can you know about the information even before your friend describes the law? How would the information be different if your friend told you he had…

College Physics1.2 Physical Quantities and Units

Example 1.1Unit Conversions: A Short Drive HomeSuppose that you drive the 10.0 km from your university to home in 20.0 min. Calculate your average speed (a) in kilometers per hour (km/h) and (b) in meters per second (m/s). (Note: Average speed is distance…
Quick checkSome hummingbirds beat their wings more than 50 times per second. A scientist is measuring the time it takes for a hummingbird to beat its wings once. Which fundamental unit should the scientist use to describe the…
Quick checkOne cubic centimeter is equal to one milliliter. What does this tell you about the different units in the SI metric system?

College Physics1.3 Accuracy, Precision, and Significant Figures

Quick checkA high school track coach has just purchased a new stopwatch. The stopwatch manual states that the stopwatch has an uncertainty of ±0.05 s. The team's top sprinter clocked a 100 meter sprint at 12.04 seconds last…
Quick checkDetermine the number of significant figures in the following measurements: 0.0009 15,450.0 6 × 10^3 87.990 30.42
Quick checkPerform the following calculations and express your answer using the correct number of significant digits. (a) A woman has two bags weighing 13.5 pounds and one bag with a weight of 10.2 pounds. What is the total…

College Physics1.4 Approximation

Example 1.3Approximate the Height of a BuildingCan you approximate the height of one of the buildings on your campus, or in your neighborhood? Let us make an approximation based upon the height of a person. In this example, we will calculate the height of a…
Example 1.4Approximating Vast Numbers: a Trillion DollarsFigure 1.27 A bank stack contains one-hundred $100 bills, and is worth $10,000. How many bank stacks make up a trillion dollars? (credit: Andrew Magill) The U.S. federal debt in the 2008 fiscal year was a little less…With a figure
Quick checkUsing mental math and your understanding of fundamental units, approximate the area of a regulation basketball court. Describe the process you used to arrive at your final approximation.