Measurement is a technique that is required to measure and quantify various parameters of an object.
Measurement is the essential metric to express any quantity of objects, things, and events that help us to compare that object with other similar objects.
Measurement Definition
Measurement is the process of assigning a numerical value to a physical quantity or attribute of an object or phenomenon. Measurement helps us to compare, describe, and understand the world around us. For example, we can measure the length of a pencil, the mass of an apple, or the time it takes to run a race.
Table of Contents
Measurement Unit Table
To measure different quantities, we need to use different units of measurement. A unit of measurement is a standardized quantity that can be used to express the magnitude of a physical quantity. For example, a meter is a unit of length, a kilogram is a unit of mass and a second is a unit of time.
There are different systems of units, such as the International System of Units (SI), the British Imperial System, and the US Customary System. The SI system is the most widely used and accepted system of units in the world. It consists of seven base units and several derived units. The table below shows some of the common units of measurement in the SI system and their symbols.
Quantity
Unit
Symbol
Length
meter
m
Mass
kilogram
Kg
Time
second
s
Temperature
kelvin
K
Electric current
ampere
A
Luminous intensity
candela
cd
Amount of substance
mole
mol
Types of Measurement
Basic types of measurement that we deal in several areas of mathematics and sciences are,
Time
Length
Mass
Volume
Area
Temperature
Measurement Conversion
Sometimes, we need to convert between different units of measurement to compare or calculate different quantities. For example, we may need to convert from metres to centimetres or from kilograms to pounds. To do this, we need to use conversion factors, which are ratios that relate one unit to another. For example, the conversion factor from metres to centimetres is 100, because 1 metre is equal to 100 centimetres. Similarly, the conversion factor from kilograms to pounds is 2.205, because 1 kilogram is equal to 2.205 pounds.
To convert from one unit to another, we need to multiply or divide by the appropriate conversion factor.
For example, to convert 5 metres to centimetres, we need to multiply by 100:
5 m × 100 = 500 cm
To convert 3 kilograms to pounds, we need to multiply by 2.205:
3 kg × 2.205 = 6.615 lb
To convert 10 seconds to milliseconds, we need to multiply by 1000:
10 s × 1000 = 10000 ms
To convert 25 degrees Celsius to kelvin, we need to add 273.15:
25 °C + 273.15 = 298.15 K
Measurement of Length
Length is the measure of how long or how far something is. The SI unit of length is the metre, which is defined as the distance travelled by light in a vacuum in 1/299792458 of a second. Some other common units of length are the kilometre (km), the centimetre (cm), the millimetre (mm), the micrometre (µm) and the nanometre (nm).
The table below shows some of the conversion factors between different units of length.
From
To
Conversion Factor
km
m
1000
m
cm
100
cm
mm
10
mm
µm
1000
µm
nm
1000
Measurement of Mass
Mass is the measure of how much matter an object contains. The SI unit of mass is the kilogram, which is defined as the mass of a platinum-iridium cylinder kept at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in France. Some other common units of mass are the gram (g), the milligram (mg), the microgram (µg) and the nanogram (ng).
The table below shows some of the conversion factors between different units of mass.
From
To
Conversion Factor
kg
g
1000
g
mg
1000
mg
µg
1000
µg
ng
1000
Measurement of Time
Time is the measure of how long an event or process lasts. The SI unit of time is the second, which is defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom. Some other common units of time are the minute (min), the hour (h), the day (d) and the year (y).
The table below shows some of the conversion factors between different units of time.
From
To
Conversion Factor
hr
min
60
min
s
60
day
hrs
24
year
day
365
Measurement of Area
The table below shows some of the conversion factors between different units of Area.
From
To
Conversion Factor
m2
cm2
10000
m2
feet2
10.764
m2
yd2
1.196
feet2
yd2
9
Measurement of Volume
The table below shows some of the conversion factors between different units of Volume.
From
To
Conversion Factor
l
ml
1000
m3
l
1000
cm3
ml
1
m3
cm3
1000000
Measurement of Temperature
The table below shows some of the conversion factors between different units of temperature.
From
To
Formula
°C
°F
(0°C × 9/5) + 32 = 32°F
°C
K
0°C + 273.15 = 273.15K
°F
°C
(32°F − 32) × 5/9 = 0°C
Measurement Instruments
Various Instruments that are used for measuring various physcial quantites are,
Image of various measurement instruments is added below,
Application of Measurement
Measurement is essential for many fields of science, engineering, technology, and everyday life. Measurement allows us to observe, analyse and understand natural phenomena and human activities. Measurement also enables us to design, build, and operate machines, devices, and systems that improve our quality of life.
Some examples of the application of measurement are:
Astronomy: Measurement of the distance, size, mass, temperature, brightness, and motion of celestial bodies, such as stars, planets, moons, asteroids and comets.
Biology: Measurement of the structure, function, and behaviour of living organisms, such as cells, tissues, organs and systems.
Chemistry: Measurement of the composition, properties, and reactions of matter, such as atoms, molecules, elements and compounds.
Physics: Measurement of the fundamental forces and interactions of nature, such as gravity, electromagnetism, nuclear and quantum.
Engineering: Measurement of the performance, efficiency, and reliability of machines, devices, and systems, such as bridges, cars, planes, rockets and computers.
Medicine: Measurement of the health, diagnosis, and treatment of human and animal diseases, such as blood pressure, temperature, pulse, glucose and drugs.
Economics: Measurement of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, such as GDP, inflation, unemployment and trade.
Education: Measurement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of students, teachers, and schools, such as tests, grades and rankings.
Sports: Measurement of the speed, strength, endurance, and accuracy of athletes, teams, and games, such as time, distance, score and record.
Examples on Measurement
Here are some examples of how we can use the concept of measurement to solve problems or answer questions.
Example 1: How many litres of water can a cylindrical tank with a radius of 1.5 m and a height of 2 m hold?
Solution:
To find the volume of water that the tank can hold, we need to use the formula for the volume of a cylinder:
Given,
V = πr2h
Plugging in given values, we get:
V = π(1.5)2(2)
V ≈ 14.14 m3
To convert from cubic metres to litres, we need to multiply by 1000, since 1 cubic metre is equal to 1000 litres. Therefore, the tank can hold about 14140 litres of water.
Example 2: How long does it take for light to travel from the sun to the earth?
Solution:
To find the time that light takes to travel from the sun to the earth, we need to use the formula for the speed of light:
c = d/t
Rearranging the formula, we get:
t = d/c
Distance from the sun to the earth is about 149.6 million km, and the speed of light is about 300,000 km/s. Plugging in these values, we get:
t = 300000149600000
t ≈ 498.67 s
To convert from seconds to minutes, we need to divide by 60, since 1 minute is equal to 60 seconds. Therefore, it takes about 8.31 minutes for light to travel from the sun to the earth.
Example 3: How much does a gold bar with a mass of 12.5 kg cost, if the price of gold is 50000 rupees per 10 grams?
Solution:
To find the cost of the gold bar, we need to multiply the mass of the gold bar by the price of gold per unit mass. However, before we do that, we need to convert the units of mass and price to the same unit.
Since the price of gold is given in rupees per 10 grams, we need to convert the mass of the gold bar and the price of gold to grams and rupees per gram, respectively.
To convert from kilograms to grams, we need to multiply by 1000, since 1 kilogram is equal to 1000 grams. To convert from rupees per 10 grams to rupees per gram, we need to divide by 10, since 10 grams is equal to 10 times 1 gram.
Therefore, we get:
m = 12.5 kg × 1000 = 12500 g
p = 50,000 rupees / 10 g = 5000 rupees per g
Now, we multiply mass of gold bar by price of gold per gram to get cost of gold bar:
c = m×p
c = 12500 g × 5000 rupees per g
c = 62500000 rupees
Therefore, the gold bar with a mass of 12.5 kg costs 62.5 million rupees.
Sample Questions on Measurement
What is Difference between Accuracy and Precision in Measurement?
Accuracy is the degree of closeness of a measured value to the true value of the quantity. Precision is the degree of consistency or repeatability of a measured value. For example, if you measure the length of a table several times with a ruler, your measurements may be accurate but not precise, if they are close to the actual length but vary a lot. On the other hand, your measurements may be precise but not accurate, if they are consistent but far from the actual length.
What are Sources of Error in Measurement?
There are two main types of error in measurement:
Systematic Error
Random Error
Systematic error is the error that occurs due to a flaw in the instrument, method, or procedure of measurement. It causes the measured values to be either consistently higher or lower than the true value. Random error is the error that occurs due to unpredictable factors, such as human error, environmental conditions, or noise. It causes the measured values to fluctuate around the true value.
What are Significant Figures in Measurement?
Significant figures are the digits in a measured value that are known with certainty plus one digit that is uncertain or estimated. They indicate the precision of the measurement. For example, the value 3.14 has three significant figures, while the value 3.140 has four significant figures. The rules for determining the number of significant figures in a value are:
All non-zero digits are significant. For example, 123 has three significant figures.
Zeros between non-zero digits are significant. For example, 1003 has four significant figures.
Zeros at the beginning of a value are not significant. They are only placeholders. For example, 0.0012 has two significant figures.
Zeros at the end of a value are significant if there is a decimal point in the value. For example, 12.00 has four significant figures, while 1200 has two significant figures.
Unsolved Practice Problems: Measurement
What will it cost to carpet a room with indoor/outdoor carpet if the room is 10 feet wide and 12 feet long? The carpet costs 12.51 per square yard.
If the perimeter of a rectangular house is 44 yards, and the length is 36 feet, what is the width of the house?
What is the volume of a cube whose width is 5 inches?
Sally has three pieces of material. The first piece is 1 yd. 2 ft. 6 in. long, the second piece is 2 yd. 1 ft. 5 in long, and the third piece is 4 yd. 2ft. 8in long. How much material does Sally have?
A can’s diameter is 3 inches, and its height is 8 inches. What is the volume of the can?
If the area of a square flowerbed is 16 square feet, then how many feet is the perimeter of the flowerbed?
Of the following units which would be more likely used to measure the amount of water in a bathtub?
If a match box is 0.17 feet long, what is its length in inches the most closely comparable to the following?
What is the cost in dollars to steam clean a room W yards wide and L yards long it the steam cleaners charge 10 cents per square foot?
One inch equals 2.54 cm, How many centimeters tall is a 76 inch man?
FAQs on Measurement
What Do you Mean by Measurement?
Measurement is the quantification of features of an object, that tells us about various properties of object and help usto compare various objects on various parameters.
What are 3 Types of Measurement?
The three types of measures are
Descriptive
Diagnostic
Predictive
What are 7 Main Units of Measurement?
Seven basic SI Units are,
Electric Current – ampere (A)
Amount of Substance – mole (mole)
Luminous Intensity – candela (cd)
Is Light Year Unit of Time?
No, Light Year as the name suggest is not a unit of time but is a unit of Length. It is the distance travelled by light in an year and is equal to 9.4607 × 1012 km.
Neeraj Anand, Param Anand
Er. Neeraj K.Anand is a freelance mentor and writer who specializes in Engineering & Science subjects. Neeraj Anand received a B.Tech degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from N.I.T Warangal & M.Tech Post Graduation from IETE, New Delhi. He has over 30 years of teaching experience and serves as the Head of Department of ANAND CLASSES. He concentrated all his energy and experiences in academics and subsequently grew up as one of the best mentors in the country for students aspiring for success in competitive examinations.
In parallel, he started a Technical Publication "ANAND TECHNICAL PUBLISHERS" in 2002 and Educational Newspaper "NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS" in 2014 at Jalandhar. Now he is a Director of leading publication "ANAND TECHNICAL PUBLISHERS", "ANAND CLASSES" and "NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS".
He has published more than hundred books in the field of Physics, Mathematics, Computers and Information Technology. Besides this he has written many books to help students prepare for IIT-JEE and AIPMT entrance exams. He is an executive member of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers. USA) and honorary member of many Indian scientific societies such as Institution of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineers, Aeronautical Society of India, Bioinformatics Institute of India, Institution of Engineers. He has got award from American Biographical Institute Board of International Research in the year 2005.
Below we have provided the details of the CBSE Physics topics under each unit as per the revised CBSE Class 11 Physics Syllabus for the 2023-24 academic year. Go through it to get the details of the chapters given below.
Unit-I: Physical World and Measurement
Chapter 2: Units and Measurements
Need for measurement: Units of measurement; systems of units; SI units, fundamental and derived units. Length, mass and time measurements; accuracy and precision of measuring instruments; errors in measurement; significant figures.
Dimensions of physical quantities, dimensional analysis and its applications.
Unit-II: Kinematics
Chapter 3: Motion in a Straight Line
Frame of reference, Motion in a straight line, Elementary concepts of differentiation and integration for describing motion, uniform and nonuniform motion, and instantaneous velocity, uniformly accelerated motion, velocity-time and position-time graphs. Relations for uniformly accelerated motion (graphical treatment).
Chapter 4: Motion in a Plane
Scalar and vector quantities; position and displacement vectors, general vectors and their notations; equality of vectors, multiplication of vectors by a real number; addition and subtraction of vectors, relative velocity, Unit vector; resolution of a vector in a plane, rectangular components, Scalar and Vector product of vectors.
Motion in a plane, cases of uniform velocity and uniform acceleration-projectile motion, uniform circular motion.
Unit-III: Laws of Motion
Chapter 5: Laws of Motion
Intuitive concept of force, Inertia, Newton’s first law of motion; momentum and Newton’s second law of motion; impulse; Newton’s third law of motion (recapitulation only). Law of conservation of linear momentum and its applications. Equilibrium of concurrent forces, Static and kinetic friction, laws of friction, rolling friction, lubrication.
Dynamics of uniform circular motion: Centripetal force, examples of circular motion (vehicle on a level circular road, vehicle on a banked road).
Unit-IV: Work, Energy and Power
Chapter 6: Work, Energy and Power
Work done by a constant force and a variable force; kinetic energy, work-energy theorem, power.
Notion of potential energy, potential energy of a spring, conservative forces: conservation of mechanical energy (kinetic and potential energies); non-conservative forces: motion in a vertical circle; elastic and inelastic collisions in one and two dimensions.
Unit-V: Motion of System of Particles and Rigid Body
Chapter 7: System of Particles and Rotational Motion
Centre of mass of a two-particle system, momentum conservation and centre of mass motion. Centre of mass of a rigid body; centre of mass of a uniform rod. Moment of a force, torque, angular momentum, law of conservation of angular momentum and its applications.
Equilibrium of rigid bodies, rigid body rotation and equations of rotational motion, comparison of linear and rotational motions.
Moment of inertia, radius of gyration, values of moments of inertia for simple geometrical objects (no derivation).
Unit-VI: Gravitation
Chapter 8: Gravitation
Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, universal law of gravitation. Acceleration due to gravity and its variation with altitude and depth. Gravitational potential energy and gravitational potential, escape speed, orbital velocity of a satellite.
Unit-VII: Properties of Bulk Matter
Chapter 9: Mechanical Properties of Solids
Elasticity, Stress-strain relationship, Hooke’s law, Young’s modulus, bulk modulus, shear modulus of rigidity (qualitative idea only), Poisson’s ratio; elastic energy.
Chapter 10: Mechanical Properties of Fluids
Pressure due to a fluid column; Pascal’s law and its applications (hydraulic lift and hydraulic brakes), effect of gravity on fluid pressure.
Viscosity, Stokes’ law, terminal velocity, streamline and turbulent flow, critical velocity, Bernoulli’s theorem and its applications.
Surface energy and surface tension, angle of contact, excess of pressure across a curved surface, application of surface tension ideas to drops, bubbles and capillary rise.
Chapter 11: Thermal Properties of Matter
Heat, temperature,( recapitulation only) thermal expansion; thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases, anomalous expansion of water; specific heat capacity; Cp, Cv – calorimetry; change of state – latent heat capacity.
Heat transfer-conduction, convection and radiation (recapitulation only), thermal conductivity, qualitative ideas of Blackbody radiation, Wein’s displacement Law, Stefan’s law.
Unit-VIII: Thermodynamics
Chapter 12: Thermodynamics
Thermal equilibrium and definition of temperature (zeroth law of thermodynamics), heat, work and internal energy. First law of thermodynamics, Second law of thermodynamics: gaseous state of matter, change of condition of gaseous state -isothermal, adiabatic, reversible, irreversible, and cyclic processes.
Unit-IX: Behaviour of Perfect Gases and Kinetic Theory of Gases
Chapter 13: Kinetic Theory
Equation of state of a perfect gas, work done in compressing a gas.
Kinetic theory of gases – assumptions, concept of pressure. Kinetic interpretation of temperature; rms speed of gas molecules; degrees of freedom, law of equi-partition of energy (statement only) and application to specific heat capacities of gases; concept of mean free path, Avogadro’s number.
Unit-X: Oscillations and Waves
Chapter 14: Oscillations
Periodic motion – time period, frequency, displacement as a function of time, periodic functions and their application.
Simple harmonic motion (S.H.M) and its equations of motion; phase; oscillations of a loaded spring- restoring force and force constant; energy in S.H.M. Kinetic and potential energies; simple pendulum derivation of expression for its time period.
Chapter 15: Waves
Wave motion: Transverse and longitudinal waves, speed of travelling wave, displacement relation for a progressive wave, principle of superposition of waves, reflection of waves, standing waves in strings and organ pipes, fundamental mode and harmonics, Beats.
Students can also access the syllabus for other subjects by visiting Syllabus page of CBSE Class 11.
CBSE Syllabus for Class 11 Physics Practical
Below are the list of the experiments of Physics practicals.
Evaluation Scheme for Class 11 Physics Practical 2023-24
Topic
Marks
Two experiments, one from each section
7 + 7
Practical record (experiment and activities)
5
One activity from any section
3
Investigatory Project
3
Viva on experiments, activities and project
5
Total
30
CBSE Class 11 Physics Practical Syllabus
Section – A
CBSE 11 Physics Syllabus Experiments
1. To measure the diameter of a small spherical/cylindrical body and to measure internal diameter and depth of a given beaker/calorimeter using Vernier Callipers and hence find its volume. 2. To measure the diameter of a given wire and thickness of a given sheet using screw gauge. 3. To determine the volume of an irregular lamina using the screw gauge. 4. To determine the radius of curvature of a given spherical surface by a spherometer. 5. To determine the mass of two different objects using a beam balance. 6. To find the weight of a given body using parallelogram law of vectors. 7. Using a simple pendulum, plot its L-T2 graph and use it to find the effective length of second’s pendulum. 8. To study variation of time period of a simple pendulum of a given length by taking bobs of same size but different masses and interpret the result. 9. To study the relationship between force of limiting friction and normal reaction and to find the co- efficient of friction between a block and a horizontal surface. 10. To find the downward force, along an inclined plane, acting on a roller due to gravitational pull of the earth and study its relationship with the angle of inclination θ by plotting graph between force and sin θ.
CBSE 11 Physics Syllabus Activities
1. To make a paper scale of given least count, e.g., 0.2cm, 0.5 cm. 2. To determine mass of a given body using a metre scale by principle of moments. 3. To plot a graph for a given set of data, with proper choice of scales and error bars. 4. To measure the force of limiting friction for rolling of a roller on a horizontal plane. 5. To study the variation in range of a projectile with angle of projection. 6. To study the conservation of energy of a ball rolling down on an inclined plane (using a double inclined plane). 7. To study dissipation of energy of a simple pendulum by plotting a graph between square of amplitude and time.
Section – B
CBSE 11 Physics Syllabus Experiments
1. To determine Young’s modulus of elasticity of the material of a given wire. 2. To find the force constant of a helical spring by plotting a graph between load and extension. 3. To study the variation in volume with pressure for a sample of air at constant temperature by plotting graphs between P and V, and between P and 1/V. 4. To determine the surface tension of water by capillary rise method. 5. To determine the coefficient of viscosity of a given viscous liquid by measuring terminal velocity of a given spherical body. 6. To study the relationship between the temperature of a hot body and time by plotting a cooling curve. 7. To determine specific heat capacity of a given solid by method of mixtures. 8. To study the relation between frequency and length of a given wire under constant tension using sonometer. 9. To study the relation between the length of a given wire and tension for constant frequency using sonometer. 10. To find the speed of sound in air at room temperature using a resonance tube by two resonance positions.
CBSE 11 Physics Syllabus Activities
1. To observe change of state and plot a cooling curve for molten wax. 2. To observe and explain the effect of heating on a bi-metallic strip. 3. To note the change in level of liquid in a container on heating and interpret the observations. 4. To study the effect of detergent on surface tension of water by observing capillary rise. 5. To study the factors affecting the rate of loss of heat of a liquid. 6. To study the effect of load on depression of a suitably clamped metre scale loaded at (i) its end (ii) in the middle. 7. To observe the decrease in pressure with increase in velocity of a fluid.
Practical Examination for Visually Impaired Students of Class 11 Evaluation Scheme
Time: 2 Hours Max. Marks: 30
Topic
Marks
Identification/Familiarity with the apparatus
5
Written test (based on given/prescribed practicals)
10
Practical Record
5
Viva
10
Total
30
A. Items for Identification/Familiarity of the apparatus for assessment in practicals (All experiments).
Spherical ball, Cylindrical objects, vernier calipers, beaker, calorimeter, Screw gauge, wire, Beam balance, spring balance, weight box, gram and milligram weights, forcep, Parallelogram law of vectors apparatus, pulleys and pans used in the same ‘weights’ used, Bob and string used in a simple pendulum, meter scale, split cork, suspension arrangement, stop clock/stop watch, Helical spring, suspension arrangement used, weights, arrangement used for measuring extension, Sonometer, Wedges, pan and pulley used in it, ‘weights’ Tuning Fork, Meter scale, Beam balance, Weight box, gram and milligram weights, forceps, Resonance Tube, Tuning Fork, Meter scale, Flask/Beaker used for adding water.
B. List of Practicals
1. To measure diameter of a small spherical/cylindrical body using vernier calipers. 2. To measure the internal diameter and depth of a given beaker/calorimeter using vernier calipers and hence find its volume. 3. To measure diameter of given wire using screw gauge. 4. To measure thickness of a given sheet using screw gauge. 5. To determine the mass of a given object using a beam balance. 6. To find the weight of given body using the parallelogram law of vectors. 7. Using a simple pendulum plot L-T and L-T2 graphs. Hence find the effective length of second’s pendulum using appropriate length values. 8. To find the force constant of given helical spring by plotting a graph between load and extension. 9. (i) To study the relation between frequency and length of a given wire under constant tension using a sonometer. (ii) To study the relation between the length of a given wire and tension, for constant frequency, using a sonometer. 10. To find the speed of sound in air, at room temperature, using a resonance tube, by observing the two resonance positions.
Note: The above practicals of CBSE 11 Physics Syllabus may be carried out in an experiential manner rather than recording observations.
Did you find CBSE 11 Physics Syllabus useful for your studies? Do let us know your view in the comment section. Get access to interactive lessons and videos related to CBSE Maths and Science with ANAND CLASSES (A School Of Competitions) – The Learning App.
Frequently Asked Questions on CBSE Class 11 Physics Syllabus
Q1
According to the CBSE Class 11 Physics Syllabus, which are the units of high marks weightage?
According to the CBSE Class 11 Physics Syllabus, physical world and measurement, kinematics and laws of motion are the units of high-mark weightage.
Q2
How is the practical syllabus of the CBSE Class 11 Physics divided into sections A and B?
The practical syllabus of the CBSE Class 11 Physics contains 10 experiments in section A and 10 experiments in section B with 7 physical activities mentioned for each.
Q3
Which are the basic concepts present in the CBSE Syllabus for Class 11 Physics?
The basic concepts present in the CBSE Syllabus for Class 11 Physics are Thermodynamics, Laws of Motion, Oscillations and Waves.
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