a. Wrap the thread on a uniform smooth rod in such a way that the coils thus formed are very close to each other. Measure the length of the thread using a metre scale. The diameter of the thread is given by the relation,
Diameter = \(\frac{\text{Length of thread}}{\text{ Number of turns}}\)
b. It is not possible to increase the accuracy of a screw gauge by increasing the number of divisions of the circular scale. Increasing the number divisions of the circular scale will increase its accuracy to a certain extent only.
c. A set of 100 measurements is more reliable than a set of 5 measurements because random errors involved in the former are very less as compared to the latter.
A rain drop of radius 2 mm falls from a height of 500 m above the ground. It falls with decreasing acceleration (due to viscous resistance of the air) until at half its original height, it attains its maximum (terminal) speed, and moves with uniform speed thereafter. What is the work done by the gravitational force on the drop in the first and second half of its journey ? What is the work done by the resistive force in the entire journey if its speed on reaching the ground is 10 m s–1 ?
a vernier calipers with 20 divisions on the sliding scale
a screw gauge of pitch 1 mm and 100 divisions on the circular scale
an optical instrument that can measure length to within a wavelength of light ?
A unit of a physical quantity is an arbitrarily chosen standard that is broadly acknowledged by the society and in terms of which other quantities of similar nature may be measured.
The process of measurement is basically a comparison process. To measure a physical quantity, we have to find out how many times a standard amount of that physical quantity is present in the quantity being measured. The number thus obtained is known as the magnitude and the standard chosen is called the unit of the physical quantity.
Read More: Fundamental and Derived Units of Measurement
The units defined for the fundamental quantities are called fundamental units.
The units of all other physical quantities which are derived from the fundamental units are called the derived units.