2.

0 DIMENSION & UNIT

Dimension- Any physical/measurable

quantity, such as mass(m), Length(L),
Time(t), Temperature(T) This dimension
also known as primary or fundamental
dimension, others such as velocity( ),
energy(E), volume(V) are called secondary
dimension.
Units- Arbitrary magnitudes that assigned
to the dimensions.
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ContDIMENSION & UNIT

System of Units:
Base Units: mass, length, time, temperature,
electrical current, and light intensity.
Multiple Units: minutes, hours, and
milliseconds- Define for convenient rather than
necessity: eg: It is more convenient to refer to
3years than to 94,608,000s.
Derived Units: Can be obtained by:
Multiplying or dividing base or multiple units- referred
to compound units.
As define equivalents of compound units: e.g. 1erg
1g.cm/s2, 1lbf 32.174 lbm.ft/s2.

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ContDIMENSION & UNIT

o International system (SI) - meter, kilogram, second

(MKS)
o CGS- centimeter, gram, second (CGS)
o American Engineering System (AES)- foot, pound-
mass, second (FPS)

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Conversion between system of units
Conversion factors- the equivalence between
two expressions of the same quantity.
Example:

1 cm
1. (1 centimeter per 10 millimeters)
10 mm
10 mm
2. (10 millimeter per centimeter)
1 cm

10 mm 100 mm2
3. [ ]2 =
1 cm 1 cm2

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Cont Conversion of units
To convert a quantity expressed in term
of one unit to its equivalent in terms of
another unit, multiply the given quantity
by the conversion factor (new unit/old
unit)
Example 1:
1. Convert 36 mg to its equivalent in grams?
(36 mg) x (1 g/1000 mg) = 0.036 g
Or
36 mg 1g
= 0.036 g
1000 mg
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 Conversion of units
Exercise 1:
Convert an acceleration of 1 cm/s2 to its
equivalent in km/yr2?
Solution:

1 cm 36002 s2 242 h2 3652 day2 1m 1 km

s2 12 h2 12 day2 12 yr2 102 cm 103 m

(3600 x 24 x 365)2 km
=
102 x 103 yr2

= 9.95 x 109 km/yr2

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 Exercise 2:
Convert 23 lbm.ft/min2 to its equivalent in
kg.cm/s2.
Solution:
23 lbm.ft 0.453593 kg 100 cm 12 min2

min2 1 lbm 3.281 ft (60)2 s2

(23 x 0.453593 x 100) kg.cm

=
(3.281 x 3600) s2
= 0.088 kg.cm/s2

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 Assignment 2
1. What is a conversion factor?
2. What is the conversion factor for:
i. s/min? (s = second)
ii. Min2/s2?
iii. M3/cm3?

Give the factors (numerical values and units) needed to convert:

1. Meters to millimeters?
2. Nanosecond to second?
3. Square centimeters to square meters?
4. Cubic feet to cubic meters?
5. Horsepower to British thermal unit per second?
6. What is the derived unit for velocity in:
i. SI
ii. CGS
iii. AES
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Units
We consider force to be a derived unit from
Newtons second law:
Force = mass x acceleration
F = ma

In SI system, the force unit is the newton(N):

defined as the force required to accelerate a mass of
1 kg at a rate of 1 m/s2:

1 N = 1 kg(1 m/s2)

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ContUnits

The term weight is often misused to express mass.

Weight(Wt) is a force: the gravitational force applied
to a body, and its magnitude is determined from
Newtons second law.
Wt = mg

Where;
m = mass of the body
g = local gravitational acceleration(9.807 m/s2
At sea level and 450 latitude)
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ContUnits
Specific weight(w): the weight per unit volume, can
be determine from w = g, where is density.
Newtons second law is often written as:

F = ma
gc
Where: gc = gravitational constant and is obtained
from the force definition.

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ContUnits

gc = ma = (1 kg)(1 m/s2) kg m
= 1
F 1N N s2

gc = ma = (1 lbm)(32.2 ft/s2) lbm ft

= 32.2
F 1 lbf lbf s2

gc = ma = (1 g)(1 cm/s2) g cm
= 1
F 1 dyne dyne s2
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ContUnits
Example 1.1
i. An object at sea level has a mass of 400 kg.
a. What is the weight of this object on earth.?
b. What is the weight of this object on the moon
where the local gravitational acceleration is one-
sixth that of earth?

Example 1.2
An object has a mass of 180 lbm. Find the
weight of this object at a location where the
local gravitational acceleration is 30 ft/s2.
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ContUnits
Solution for example: 1.1
i. a) Wt = mg

1N
= 400 kg ( 9.807 m/s2 )
Kgm/s2
= 3922.8 N
i. b) Wt = mg
1N
= 400 kg ( 9.807 m/s2 ) Kgm/s2
6
= 653.8 N

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ContUnits
Solution for example:1.2
Wt = mg
1 lbf
= 180 lbm ( 30 ft/s2 ) ( )
32.2 lbm ft/s2
= 167.7 lbf

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Dimensional analysis and its application
Quantities can only be added or subtracted if their
units are the same.
If the units are the same, the dimension of each
term also must be the same.
Rule: Every valid equation must be dimensionally
homogeneous:- that is, all additive terms on both
sides of the equation must have the same
dimensions.
Consider the equation below:
u(m/s) = u0(m/s) + g(m/s2)t(s)
This equation is dimensionally homogeneous or not?
Why?
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Dimensional analysis and its application
u = u0 + g This equation valid or not? Why?
If the unit are not consistent, we need to apply the
appropriate conversion factors.
For example: in the equation u = u0 + gt instead of t
measured in second, now we express in minutes.
u(m/s) = u0(m/s) + g(m/s2)t(min)(60s/min)
= u0 + 60gt

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Dimensional analysis and its application
Example 1
Given this equation:
D(ft) = 3t(s) + 4

i. If the equation is valid, what are the dimensions of the

constant 3 and 4?
ii. If the equation is consistent in its units, what are the units
of 3 and 4?
iii. Derive an equation for distance in meters in terms of time
in minutes.

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Dimensional analysis and its application
Solution:
i. Valid equation should be dimensionally homogeneous,
therefore each term must have the dimension of length.
For that reason, the constant 3 must have the dimension
Length/time , and 4 must have the dimension length

ii. For consistency, the constant must be 3 ft/s and

4 ft

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Dimensional analysis and its application
iii. We need to define new variables D(m) and t(min).
D(m) 3.2808 ft
D(ft) = = 3.28D(m)
1m

t(min) 60 s
t(s) = = 60t(min)
1 min

Substitute these expressions in the given equation

3.28D = 3(60t) + 4 Simplify, dividing by 3.28

D(m) = 55t(min) + 1.22

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 Question
Please do it questions:

1-4C to 1-6C
1-7 to 1-9
1-15C to 1-29C

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Table 1: ( SI, CGS) and AES or FPS Units

Quantity Unit Symbol

Length meter (SI) m
centimeter (CGS) cm
foot (FPS) ft
Mass kilogram (SI) kg
gram (CGS) g
Pound-mass (FPS) Ibm
Moles gram-mole mol or g-mole
Time second s
Temperature kelvin K
Electrical current ampere A
Light intensity Candela cd

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Multiple Unit Preferences for SI and CGS units

Tera (T) = 1012

Giga (G) = 109
Mega (M) = 106
Kilo (k) = 103
Centi (c ) = 10-2
Mili (m) = 10-3
Micro ( ) = 10-6
Nano (n) = 10-9
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Table 2: Derived Units

Quantity Unit Symbol Equivalent in terms of base

units
Volume liter L 0.001 m3

Force newton (SI) N 1 kg.m/s2

dyne (CGS) 1 g.cm/s2

Pressure pascal (SI) Pa 1 N/m2

Energy, Work joule (SI) J 1 N.m = 1 kg.m2/s2

erg (CGS) 1 dyne.cm = 1 g.cm2/s2
gram-calorie cal 4.184 J = 4.184 kg.m2/ss

Power watt W 1 J/s = 1 kg.m2/s3

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Table 3: Factors for unit conversions
Quantity Equivalent value
1 kg = 1000g = 0.001 metric ton = 2.20462 lbm = 35.27392 oz
Mass 1 lbm = 16 oz = 5 x 10-4 ton = 453.593 g = 0.453593 kg

1 m = 100 cm = 1000 mm = 106 micron ( m) = 1010 angstroms ()

Length = 39.37 in. = 3.2808 ft = 1.0936 yd = 0.0006214 mile
1 ft = 12 in. = 1/3 yd = 0.3048 m = 30.48 cm

1 m3 = 1000 L = 106 cm3 = 106 mL

Volume = 35.3145ft3 = 220.83 imperial gallons = 264.17 gal
= 1056.68 qt
1 ft3 = 1728 in.3 = 7.4805 gal = 0.028317 m3 = 28.317 L
= 28,317 cm3

1 N = 1 kg.m/s2 = 105 dynes = 105 g.cm/s2 = 0.22481 lbf

Force 1 lbf = 32.174 lbm.ft/s2 = 4.4482 N = 4.4482 x 105 dynes

1 atm = 1.01325 x 105 N/m2 (pa) = 101.325 kPa = 1.01325 bar

Pressure = 1.01325 x 106 dynes/cm2
= 760 mm Hg at 00C (torr) = 10.333 m H2O at 40C
= 14.696 lbf/in.2 (psi) = 33.9 ft H2O at 40C
= 29.921 in. Hg at 00C

1J = 1 N.m = 107 ergs = 107 dyne.cm

Energy = 2.778 x 10-7 kW.h = 0.23901 cal
= 0.7376 ft-lbf = 9.486 x 10-4 Btu

1 W = 1J/s = 0.23901 cal/s = 0.7376 ft.lbf/s = 9.486 x 10-4 Btu/s

Power = 1.341 x 10-3 hp

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