EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS

TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE
Murallon Boac, Marinduque

General Physics1
Quarter 1 – Module 1
Week 1 - 4
What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master the Units and
Measurements. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The
language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the
standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the
textbook you are now using.
The module has one lesson with subtopics, namely:
 Lesson 1 – Units of Measurements
 Physical Quantities
 Conversion of Units
 Scientific Notation
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. define physical quantity;
2. differentiate fundamental and derive quantity;
3. differentiate metric and British system of measurement;
4. convert units of measurement;
5. express number in scientific notation; and
6. solve measurement problems involving conversion of units and expression in scientific notation

LESSON 1 : UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

Physicists, like other scientists, make observations and ask basic questions. For example, how big is
an object? How much mass does it have? How far did it travel? To answer these questions, they make
measurements with various instruments (e.g., meter stick, balance, stopwatch, etc.).
The measurements of physical quantities are expressed in terms of units, which are standardized
values. For example, the length of a race, which is a physical quantity, can be expressed in meters (for
sprinters) or kilometers (for long distance runners). Without standardized units, it would be extremely difficult
for scientists to express and compare measured values in a meaningful way.
What’s In
How many units do we have for 1 foot or 12 inches ruler?
How many millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), inches (in), foot (ft)?
Classify the given quantities as Metric System or British System of measurement: 5 yards of cloth, 10
kg of banana, 8 hours watching TV, 8 inches shoes, 30 miles walking and 70 km/h speed of Typhoon Hanna.

What’s New
Physical Quantities
All physical quantities in the International System of Units (SI) are expressed in terms of combinations
of seven fundamental physical units, which are units for: length, mass, time, electric current, temperature,
amount of a substance, and luminous intensity.
SI Units: Fundamental and Derived Units
There are two major systems of units used in the world: SI units (acronym for the French Le Système
International d’Unités, also known as the metric system), and English units (also known as the imperial
system). English units were historically used in nations once ruled by the British Empire. Today, the United
States is the only country that still uses English units extensively. Virtually every other country in the world now
uses the metric system, which is the standard system agreed upon by scientists and mathematicians.
Some physical quantities are more fundamental than others. In physics, there are seven fundamental
physical quantities that are measured in base or physical fundamental units: length, mass, time, electric current
temperature, amount of substance, and luminous intensity. Units for other physical quantities (such as force,
speed, and electric charge) described by mathematically combining these seven base units. In this course, we
will mainly use five of these: length, mass, time, electric current and temperature. The units in which they are
measured are the meter, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela. All other units are made by
mathematically combining the fundamental units. These are called derived units.
Table 1.SI Base Units
Quantity Name Symbol
Length Meter M
Mass Kilogram Kg
Time Second S
Electric current Ampere A
Temperature Kelvin K
Amount of substance Mole Mol
Luminous intensity Candela Cd

Metric Prefixes
Physical objects or phenomena may vary widely. For example, the size of objects varies from something very
small (like an atom) to something very large (like a star). Yet the standard metric unit of length is the meter. So,
the metric system includes many prefixes that can be attached to a unit. Each prefix is based on factors of 10
(10, 100, 1,000, etc., as well as 0.1, 0.01, 0.001, etc.). 
 Table 2. Metric Prefixes and symbols used to denote the different various factors of 10 in the metric system
Example Example Example Example
Prefix Symbol Value
Name Symbol Value Description
Distance light
Exa E 1018 Exa meter Em 1018 m travels in a
century
Peta P 1015 Peta second Ps 1015 s 30 million years
Powerful laser
Tera T 1012 Terawatt TW 1012 W
output
A microwave
Giga G 109 Gigahertz GHz 109 Hz
frequency
High
Mega M 106 Mega curie MCi 106 Ci
radioactivity
Kilo K 103 Kilometer Km 103 m About 6/10 mile
hector H 102 Hectoliter hL 102 L 26 gallons
Teaspoon of
Deka Da 101 Dekagram Dag 101 g
butter
____ ____ 100 (=1)
Less than half a
Deci D 10–1 Deciliter dL 10–1 L
soda
Fingertip
Centi C 10–2 Centimeter Cm 10–2 m
thickness
Flea at its
Mili M 10–3 Millimeter Mm 10–3 m
shoulder
Detail in
Micro µ 10–6 Micrometer µm 10–6 m
microscope
Small speck of
Nano N 10–9 Nanogram Ng 10–9 g
dust
Small capacitor
Pico P 10–12 Picofarad pF 10–12 F
in radio
Femto F 10–15 Femtometer Fm 10–15 m Size of a proton
Time light takes
Atto A 10–18 Attosecond As 10–18 s to cross an
atom

The metric system is convenient because conversions between metric units can be done simply by moving the
decimal place of a number. This is because the metric prefixes are sequential powers of 10. There are 100
centimeters in a meter, 1000 meters in a kilometer, and so on. In nonmetric systems, such as U.S. customary
units, the relationships are less simple—there are 12 inches in a foot, 5,280 feet in a mile, 4 quarts in a gallon,
and so on. Another advantage of the metric system is that the same unit can be used over extremely large
ranges of values simply by switching to the most-appropriate metric prefix. For example, distances in meters
are suitable for building construction, but kilometers are used to describe road construction. Therefore, with the
metric system, there is no need to invent new units when measuring very small or very large objects—you just
have to move the decimal point (and use the appropriate prefix).

What is It
Unit Conversion and Dimensional Analysis
A conversion factor relating meters to kilometers. A conversion factor is a ratio expressing how many of
one unit are equal to another unit. A conversion factor is simply a fraction which equals 1. You can multiply any
number by 1 and get the same value. When you multiply a number by a conversion factor, you are simply
multiplying it by one. For example, the following are conversion factors:
1 foot/12 inches = 1 to convert inches to feet, 1 meter/100 centimeters
= 1 to convert centimeters to meters,
1 minute/60 seconds = 1 to convert seconds to minutes
In this case, we know that there are 1,000 meters in 1 kilometer.
Now we can set up our unit conversion. We will write the units that we have and then multiply them by the
conversion factor (1 km/1,000m) = 1, so we are simply multiplying 80m by 1:

Using Scientific Notation with Physical Measurements

Scientific notation is a way of writing numbers that are too large or small to be conveniently written as a
decimal. For example, consider the number 840,000,000,000,000. It’s a rather large number to write out. The
scientific notation for this number is 8.40 × 1014. Scientific notation follows this general format
x   ×   10y
In this format x is the value of the measurement with all placeholder zeros removed. In the example above, x is
8.4. The x is multiplied by a factor, 10y, which indicates the number of placeholder zeros in the measurement.
Placeholder zeros are those at the end of a number that is 10 or greater, and at the beginning of a decimal
number that is less than 1. In the example above, the factor is 10 14. This tells you that you should move the
decimal point 14 positions to the right, filling in placeholder zeros as you go. In this case, moving the decimal
point 14 places creates only 13 placeholder zeros, indicating that the actual measurement value is
840,000,000,000,000.
Numbers that are fractions can be indicated by scientific notation as well. Consider the number 0.0000045. Its
scientific notation is 4.5 × 10–6. Its scientific notation has the same format
x   ×   10y
Here, x is 4.5. However, the value of y in the 10y factor is negative, which indicates that the measurement is a
fraction of 1. Therefore, we move the decimal place to the left, for a negative y. In our example of 4.5 × 10–6,
the decimal point would be moved to the left six times to yield the original number, which would be 0.0000045.
What’s More
Activity 1.1 Conversion of Units
Convert the given quantities:
1. 150 cm to m 4. 1.2 GV to V
2. 360 mm to m 5. 4.6 ms to s
3. 2100 cm3 to l 6. 450 K to 0F
Activity 1.2 Scientific Notation
 Express the following numbers in scientific notation.
1. 98 6. 45800
2. 0.0026 7. 0.0068
3. 0.0000401 8. 5600
4. 643.9 9. 902
5. 816 10. 0.0045
 Transform the following scientific notation to standard notation
1. 6.455 x 104 6. 7.4 x 10-3
2. 3.1 x 10 -6
7. 9.3 x 102
-2
3. 5.00 x 10 8. 2.5 x 10-4
4. 7.2 x 10 3
9. 4.01 x 101
5. 9 x 105 10. 2.4 x 100
What I Have Learned
1. Physical quantities are unit that describes the size of the quantity. There are number that gives us the
count of times the unit is contained in the quantity being measured.
2. Physical Quantities are classified as fundamental and derived quantities. Fundamental Quantities are
the simplest form. Derived Quantities are combination of fundamental Quantities.
3. Systems of measurement are Metric System of System International (SI) and English System or British
System of measurement.
4. Conversion of unit common method used is the factor-label method.
5. Scientific Notation is a convenient way of writing very small or very large numbers. To write in
scientific notation, follow the form N x 10 a, where N is a number between 1 and 10, but not 10 itself, a
is an integer (positive or negative number)
What I Can Do
Calculate your mass in gram, kilogram and lb.
Calculate the length of your notebook in mm, cm, inches, foot and km.
Calculate your temperature in 0C, 0F and K.
Show the conversion of units and express your answer in scientific notation.
Assessment
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Covert 6 721 millimeters to meters.
A. 6.721 B. 67.21 C. 672 100 D. 6 721 000
2. If 2 mL of liquid weighs 4 g, its density is
A. 0.5 g/mL B. 1 g/mL C. 2 g/mL D. 4 g/mL
3. If the density of a substance is 8 g/mL, what volume would 40 g of the substance occupy?
A. 0.2 mL B. 5 mL C. 32 mL D. 320 mL
4. Convert 300C to 0F
A. -1.11 B. 86 C. 271.89 D. 359
5. How many cubic centimeters are there in a cubic meter?
A. 0.1 B. 1 C. 102 D. 106
 6. What is the perimeter of a rectangular room that has a length of 5.1 m and a width that is 2 m less than
the length?
A. 14.2 m B. 16.4 m C. 20.4 m D. 24.4 m
7. How much wood do you need to a form a triangular garden frame if one side of the frame has a length
of 11 ft, and the other two sides are 2 feet longer than the first side?
A. 33ft B. 35ft C. 36 ft D. 37 ft
8. How many inches is 9’10”?
A. 116” B. 118” C. 129” D. 228”
9. How many yards is 9 mi?
A. 12 672 yards B. 14 500 yards C. 15 840 yards D. 16 040 yards
10. Tessie measures her bathroom tiles to be 10 in by 8 in. What are the length and width in cm?
A. 20.32 cm by 19.6 cm C. 25.4 cm to 24.5 cm
B. 25.4 cm by 20.32 cm D. 35.4 cm by 12.32 cm
11. 1.5 x 105
A. 0.000015 B. 150 000 C. 1 500 000 D. 11 500 000
12. 27 000 written in scientific notation is
A. 27 x 10-4 B. 2.7 x 10-4 C. 2.7 x 103 D. 2.7 x 104
13. 0.000 345 written in scientific notation
A. 3.45 x 10-4 B. 3.45 C. 3.45 x 104 D. 3.45 x 105
14. Which of these values is greatest?
A. 0.0056 B. 0.56 C. 5.6 x 10-2 D. 56 x 10-2
-4
15. 10
10-2
A. 10-6 B. 10-2 C. 102 D. 106

LESSON 2 : ACCURACY AND PRECISION

Science is based on experimentation that requires good measurements. The validity of a measurement can be
described in terms of its accuracy and its precision.
What’s In
How to be accurate and precise in conversion of units and in expressing numbers in scientific notation.
A student measures a test tube, she reported 15 g in mass, but the actual mass of the test tube was 32 g. Is
the data accurate?
A student measures the following temperature 40.30C, 410C and 400C. Is the data given precise?
What’s New
Accuracy vs Precision

What is It
Accuracy 
It is how close a measurement is to the correct value for that measurement. For example, let us say that you
are measuring the length of standard piece of bond paper. The packaging in which you purchased the paper
states that it is 11 inches long, and suppose this stated value is correct. You measure the length of the paper
three times and obtain the following measurements: 11.1 inches, 11.2 inches, and 10.9 inches. These
measurements are quite accurate because they are very close to the correct value of 11.0 inches. In contrast,
if you had obtained a measurement of 12 inches, your measurement would not be very accurate. This is why
measuring instruments are calibrated based on a known measurement. If the instrument consistently returns
the correct value of the known measurement, it is safe for use in finding unknown values.
Precision 
It states how well repeated measurements of something generate the same or similar results. Therefore, the
precision of measurements refers to how close together the measurements are when you measure the same
thing several times. One way to analyze the precision of measurements would be to determine the range, or
difference between the lowest and the highest measured values. In the case of the printer paper
measurements, the lowest value was 10.9 inches and the highest value was 11.2 inches. Thus, the measured
values deviated from each other by, at most, 0.3 inches. These measurements were reasonably precise
because they varied by only a fraction of an inch. However, if the measured values had been 10.9 inches, 11.1
inches, and 11.9 inches, then the measurements would not be very precise because there is a lot of variation
from one measurement to another.
The measurements in the paper example are both accurate and precise, but in some cases, measurements
are accurate but not precise, or they are precise but not accurate. Let us consider a GPS system that is
attempting to locate the position of a restaurant in a city. Think of the restaurant location as existing at the
center of a bull’s-eye target. Then think of each GPS attempt to locate the restaurant as a black dot on the
bull’s eye.
What’s More
Activity 1.1 Accuracy vs Precision
1. Measure the length, width and height of your 60 leaves notebook to determine the volume of it using a ruler
in centimeter (cm).
2. Determine the true value of volume of notebook.
3. Make 3 trials of the said measurement.
4. Record your data table.
True value of Volume of Notebook: __________________________
Notebook Length Width Height Volume
Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average
5. What is the accurate measured volume?
6. What is the precise measure volume?
What I Have Learned
1. Accuracy refers to the closeness of a measured value to a standard value or known value.
2. Precision refers to the closeness of two or more measurements to each other.
What I Can Do
Do you experience accurateness and preciseness of data or information in your daily living?
Do you have encounter on some news in particular to the use of social media?
How accuracy and precision applicable to this situation.
Cite some ways or techniques to be utilized to get accurate and precise information.

Assessment
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. It is described as the degree of how close the measurements are to the true value.
A. accuracy B. precision C. reliability D. validity
2. It refers to the degree to which successive measurements agree with each other.
A. accuracy B. precision C. reliability D. validity
3. Which group of measurements is most precise?
A. 0.005 g, 0.0049 g, 0.0051 g C. 23.4 mm, 12.4 mm, 50.2 mm
B. 1.23 cm3, 2.21 cm3, 9.92 cm3 D. 2.3 x 10-2 kg, 2.31 x 102 kg, 2.29 x 1012 kg
4. The volume of a liquid is 20.5 ml. Which of the following sets of measurement the value with good accuracy?
A. 18.6 ml, 17.6 ml, 19.6 ml, 17.2 ml C. 19.3 ml, 19.2 ml, 18.6 ml, 18.7 ml
B. 18.8 ml, 19.0 ml, 19.2 ml, 18.8 ml. D. 20.2 ml, 20.5 ml, 20.3 ml 20.1 ml
5. The mass of unknown substance is 2.86 g. Which of the following sets of measurement represents the
value with both accuracy and precision?
A. 1.78 g, 1.80 g, 1.76 g, 1.81 g C. 2.81 g, 1.98 g, 2.40 g, 2.78 g
B. 1.95 g, 2.02 g, 1.96 g, 2.01 g D. 2.85 g, 2.86 g, 2.84 g, 2.81 g
6. The mass of a sample of a copper nitrate is 3.82 g. A student measures the mass and finds it to be 3.81 g,
3.82 g, 3.79 g and 3.80 g in the first, second, third and fourth trial, respectively. Which of the following
statements is true for his measurements?
A. They have good accuracy but poor precision. C. They are neither precise nor accurate.
B. They have poor accuracy but good precision. D. They have good accuracy and precision.
Mass Data Sample
TRIAL 1 TRIAL 2 TRIAL 3 TRIAL 4
Student A 1.43 g 1.52 g 1.47 g 1.42 g
Student B 1.43 g 1.40 g 1.46 g 1.44 g
Student C 1.54 g 1.56 g 1.58 g 1.50 g
Student D 0.86 g 1.24 g 1.52 g 1.42 g

7. Four students each measured the mass of one 1.43 g sample four times. The results in the data above
indicate that the data collected by reflect the greatest accuracy and precision.
A Student A B.Student B C.Student C D. Student D
8. The accepted value is 1.43. Which correctly describes this student’s experimental data?
Trial Measurement
1 1.29
2 1.93
3 0.88

A. Accurate but not precise C. Precise but not accurate

B. Both accurate and precise D. Neither accurate nor precise
9. What is meant by the term accuracy?
A. The extent to which the value approaches its true value.
B. The level of detail at which data is stored.
C. The lack of bias in the data.
D. The overall quality of data.
10. What is meant by the term precision?
A. The extent to which the value approaches its true value.
B. The level of detail at which data is stored.
C. The lack of bias in the data.
D. The overall quality of data.
11. The volume of a liquid is 25.5 ml. A student measures the volume and finds it to be 25.2 ml, 25.1 ml, 24.9
ml, and 25.3 ml in the first, second, third, and fourth trial, respectively. Which of the following statements is true
for his measurements?
A. They have poor precision. C. They are neither precise nor accurate.
B. They have poor accuracy. D. They have good precision.
12. The mass of an unknown substance is 2.86 g. Which of the following sets of measurement represents the
value with both accuracy and precision?
A. 1.78 g, 1.80 g, 1.76 g, 1.81 g C. 2.85 g, 2.86 g, 2.84 g, 2.81 g
B. 1.98 g, 2.02 g, 1.96 g, 2.01 g D. 2.81 g, 1.98 g, 2.40 g, 2.78 g
13. The volume of a sample of concentrated hydrochloric acid is 10.5 ml. A student measures the volume and
finds it to be 8.6 ml, 8.8 ml, 8.2 ml, and 8.6 ml in the first, second, third, and fourth trial, respectively. Which of
the following statements is true for his measurements?
A. They have poor precision. C. They are neither precise nor accurate.
B. They have poor accuracy. D. They have good precision.

14. Looking at the above rifle target, how would you describe the shooting of this contestant?
A. accurate and imprecise C. inaccurate and precise
B. accurate and precise D. inaccurate and imprecise
15. Which of the following will allow measurement of a liquid's volume with the greatest precision?
A. 50 ml cylinder graduated in 1ml increments
B. 100 ml cylinder graduated in 0.5 ml increments
C. 100 ml cylinder graduated in 1 ml increments
D. 200 ml cylinder graduated in 5 ml increments

Additional Activities
A grocery store sells 5-lb bags of mangoes. You purchase four bags over the course of a month and weigh the
mangoes each time. You obtain the following measurements:

Week 1 weight: 4.8  lb

Week 2 weight: 5.3  lb
Week 3 weight: 4.9  lb
Week 4 weight: 5.4  lb
Is the measurement accurate or precise?

LESSON 3 : RANDOM AND SYSTEMATIC ERROR

All experimental uncertainty is due to either random errors or systematic errors. Random errors are statistical
fluctuations (in either direction) in the measured data due to the precision limitations of the measurement
device.

What’s In
Differentiate the following terms:
1. fundamental and derived quantities
2. Metric and British System of Measurement
3. accuracy and precision

What’s New
Random errors
It is usually result from the experimenter’s inability to take the same measurement in exactly the same way to
get exact the same number.
Systematic errors
There are reproducible inaccuracies that are consistently in the same direction. Systematic errors are often
due to a problem which persists throughout the entire experiment. Note that systematic and random errors
refer to problems associated with making measurements. Mistakes made in the calculations or in reading the
instrument are not considered in error analysis. It is assumed that the experimenters are careful and
competent!

What is It
Definition of Random Error
The uncertain disturbances occur in the experiment is known as the random errors. Such type of errors
remains in the experiment even after the removal of the systematic error. The magnitude of error varies from
one reading to another. The random errors are inconsistent and occur in both the directions.

The presence of random errors is determined only when the different readings are obtained for the
measurement of the same quantity under the same condition.
Definition of Systematic Error
The constant error occurs in the experiment because of the imperfection of the mechanical structure of the
apparatus is known as the systematic error. The systematic errors arise because of the incorrect calibration of
the device.
The error is mainly categorized into three types.
 Instrumental Error
 Environmental Error
 Observational Error
Instrumental Error – The instrumental error occurs because of the three reasons.
1. Misuse of the apparatus.
2. Imperfection in the mechanical structure of the apparatus.
3. The error occurs because of the loading effect.

What’s More
Activity 1.1 Random and Systematic Error
1. Measure the length, width and height of your 60 leaves notebook to determine the volume of it using a ruler
in centimeter (cm).
2. Determine the true value of volume of notebook.
3. Make 3 trials of the said measurement.
4. Record your data table.
True value of Volume of Notebook: __________________________

Notebook Length Width Height Volume

Trial 1
Trial 2
Trial 3
Average

5. What is the random error?

6. What is the systematic error?

What I Have Learned

1. The random error happens because of any disturbances occurs in the surrounding like the variation in
temperature, pressure or because of the observer who takes the wrong reading.

2. The systematic error arises because of the mechanical structure of the apparatus. The complete elimination
of both the error is impossible.
What I Can Do

From time to time we check our time, do you encounter random or systematic error? How to minimize
the random or systematic error?
In using money in every transaction for transportation, buying goods and paying services, do you
encounter random or systematic error? How to overcome random or systematic error?

Assessment
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. In a zoology class, Pedro measured the length of an earthworm using a ruler for three times as part of the
data gathering procedure of his experiment. What type of measurement error might he commit?
A. calibration error B. human error C. random error D. systematic error
2. April forgot to calibrate her analytical balance before she measured the mass of her reactants in a chemistry
experiment. She committed 78% percentage error in her measurement. What type of measurement
error did she commit?
A. human error B. parallax error C. random error D. systematic error
3. The observation error of a measured quantity
A. corresponds to the random error in the measurement
B. the difference between the measured and true values and is inevitably present
C. the result of a mistake or blunder but can be reduced by taking several measurements and
averaging them
4. A group of measurements for which there is insignificant random error but significant systematic error is
A. imprecise and biased C. precise and biased
B. imprecise and unbiased D. precise and unbiased
5. Compared to the precision of individual measurements, the arithmetic mean of 150 measurements subject
to random error can be written using
A. one additional significant digit C. two additional significant digits
B. one fewer significant digit
6. Which of these is not true for systematic errors?
A. They arise due to errors in the measuring instrument used.
B. They are reproducible that are consistently in the same direction.
C. Repeating the observations or increasing the sample size can eliminate them.
D. They arise from the design of the study.
7. Which of these is not true for random errors?
A. They are difficult to detect. C. They do not arise from the design of the study.
B. They are less likely for small sizes.
8. Systematic errors lead to a lack of:
A. accuracy in measurement C. precision in measurement
B. gradation of measuring instrument D. significant digits in measurement
9. Random error lead to a lack of:
A. accuracy in measurement C. precision in measurement
B. gradation of measuring instrument D. significant digits in measurement
10. Repeated measurement of quantity can reduce the effects of
A. both random and systematic errors C. random errors
B. neither random errors nor systematic errors D. systematic errors
11. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT regarding systematic error?
A. It is the same as random error
B. it can be minimized by increasing the study samples.
C. it can be increased by increasing the study samples.
D. it occurs as a result of “the luck of the draw” an inaccurate estimate resulting from the sample that
was not representative of the population.
12. Which of the following statements is true regarding systematic error?
A. It is the same as random error
B. it can be minimized by increasing the study samples.
C. it can be increased by increasing the study samples.
D. it occurs as a result of “the luck of the draw” an inaccurate estimate resulting from the sample that
was not representative of the population.
13. In measuring the diameter circular object like coins using Vernier caliper may reduce what kind of error?
A. neither random nor systematic error C. random and systematic error
B. random error D. systematic error
14. To check the exact mass of set of weights 1kg you use the triple beam balance you need to calibrate this
measuring device, what kind of error did you try to minimize?
A. neither random nor systematic error C. random and systematic error
B. random error D. systematic error
15. In using the multi-tester to measure the resistance value of the ohmic material you need to calibrate the
device, what kind of error do want to decreased the value?
A. neither random nor systematic error C. random and systematic error
B. random error D. systematic error
Additional Activities
A grocery store sells 5-lb bags of mangoes. You purchase four bags over the course of a month and weigh the
mangoes each time. You obtain the following measurements:

Week 1 weight: 4.8  lb

Week 2 weight: 5.3  lb
Week 3 weight: 4.9  lb
Week 4 weight: 5.4  lb
Does the measurement have random error?
Does the measurement have systematic error?

LESSON 4 : LEAST CONCEPT TO ESTIMATE ERROR

It is important to be honest when reporting a measurement, so that it does not appear to be more accurate
than the equipment used to make the measurement allows. We can achieve this by controlling the number of
digits, or significant figures, used to report the measurement.
Measurement values are only as accurate as the measurement equipment used to collect them. For example,
measuring meters with a meter stick is rather accurate; measuring millimeters (1/1,000 of a meter) with a meter
stick is inaccurate. Using significant figures helps prevent the reporting of measured values that the
measurement equipment is not capable of determining. A significant figure is comprised of the fewest digits
capable of expressing a measured value without losing accuracy. As the sensitivity of the measurement
equipment increases, so does the number of significant figures. Knowing the rules for working with significant
figures can help your students. “Rounding” numbers is the usual method of achieving significant figures. Once
the appropriate number of significant figures for any measurement, calculation, or equation is determined,
students can practice rounding their answers appropriately.
What’s New
To determine the number of significant figures in a number use the following 3 rules:
1. Non-zero digits are always significant
2. Any zeros between two significant digits are significant
3. A final zero or trailing zeros in the decimal portion ONLY are significant
Example:  .500 or .632000 the zeros are significant
                 .006  or .000968 the zeros are NOT significant
For addition and subtraction use the following rules:
1. Count the number of significant figures in the decimal portion ONLY of each number in the problem
2. Add or subtract in the normal fashion
3. Your final answer may have no more significant figures to the right of the decimal than the LEAST
number of significant figures in any number in the problem.
For multiplication and division use the following rule:
1. The LEAST number of significant figures in any number of the problem determines the number of
significant figures in the answer. (You are now looking at the entire number, not just the decimal
portion)
*This means you have to be able to recognize significant figures in order to use this rule*
      Example: 5.26 has 3 significant figures
6.1 has 2 significant figures
What is It
Rules for Significant Figure
1. All non-zero numbers ARE significant. The number 33.2 has THREE significant figures because all of the
digits present are non-zero.
2. Zeros between two non-zero digits ARE significant. 2051 has FOUR significant figures. The zero is
between a 2 and a 5.
3. Leading zeros are NOT significant. They're nothing more than "place holders." The number 0.54 has only
TWO significant figures. 0.0032 also has TWO significant figures. All of the zeros are leading.
4. Trailing zeros to the right of the decimal ARE significant. There are FOUR significant figures in 92.00.
92.00 is different from 92: a scientist who measures 92.00 milliliters knows his value to the nearest 1/100th
milliliter; meanwhile his colleague who measured 92 milliliters only knows his value to the nearest 1 milliliter.
It's important to understand that "zero" does not mean "nothing." Zero denotes actual information, just like any
other number. You cannot tag on zeros that aren't certain to belong there.
5. Trailing zeros in a whole number with the decimal shown ARE significant. Placing a decimal at the end
of a number is usually not done. By convention, however, this decimal indicates a significant zero. For
example, "540." indicates that the trailing zero IS significant; there are THREE significant figures in this value.
6. Trailing zeros in a whole number with no decimal shown are NOT significant. Writing just "540"
indicates that the zero is NOT significant, and there are only TWO significant figures in this value.
7. Exact numbers have an INFINITE number of significant figures. This rule applies to numbers that are
definitions. For example, 1 meter = 1.00 meters = 1.0000 meters = 1.0000000000000000000 meters, etc.
So now back to the example posed in the Rounding Tutorial: Round 1000.3 to four significant figures. 1000.3
has five significant figures (the zeros are between non-zero digits 1 and 3, so by rule 2 above, they are
significant.) We need to drop the final 3, and since 3 < 5, we leave the last zero alone. so 1000. is our four-
significant-figure answer. (from rules 5 and 6, we see that in order for the trailing zeros to "count" as significant,
they must be followed by a decimal. Writing just "1000" would give us only one significant figure.)
8. For a number in scientific notation: N x 10x, all digits comprising N ARE significant by the first 6
rules; "10" and "x" are NOT significant. 5.02 x 104 has THREE significant figures: "5.02." "10 and "4" are not
significant.
Rule 8 provides the opportunity to change the number of significant figures in a value by manipulating its form.
For example, let's try writing 1100 with THREE significant figures. By rule 6, 1100 has TWO significant figures;
its two trailing zeros are not significant. If we add a decimal to the end, we have 1100., with FOUR significant
figures (by rule 5.) But by writing it in scientific notation: 1.10 x 103, we create a THREE-significant-figure value.
What’s More
A. How many significant figures are in each of the following numbers?
1. 1.234 6. 12340
2. 1.2340 7. 0.012340
3. 1.234 x 10-3 8. 12.34
4. 1.2340 x 10-3 9. 123.4
5. 1234 10. 1.23400 x 10-5
B. Express the following number in scientific notation with correct significant figure.
1. 900 000 (3SF) 6. 4 500 (2SF)
2. 3400 (2SF) 7. 0.00766 (1SF)
3. 45 (3SF) 8. 56 000 (2SF)
4. 0.815 (2SF) 9. 34 000 (3SF)
5. 0.00891 (2SF) 10.8930 (4SF)

What I Have Learned

1. Significant figures of a measured or calculated quantity are the meaningful digits in it.
2. Any digit that is not zero is significant.
3. Zeros between non-zeros digits are significant.
4. Zeros to the left of the first non-zero digit are not significant.
5. For numbers with decimal points, zeros to the right of a non-zero digit are significant.

What I Can Do
What are the significant things do you have in your possession?
Who are the significant people surrounds you?
Cite rules to consider significant people and things that you have.

Assessment
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Considering the correct number of significant figures, evaluate the following operation, 3.73 x 5.7 = _____.
A. 21 B. 21.00 C. 21.26 D. 21.261
2. Compute 3.24 m + 0.532 m to the correct number of significant figures.
A. 3.77 B. 3.772 C. 3.8 D. 4.00
3. The sum of 1.04 + 2.1135 + 3.1 + 3.403 is_____
A. 9.6565 B. 9.6 C. 9.66 D. 9.70
4. Solve: 7.45 x 108 + 4.97 x 10-2 – 6.67 x 105 is equal to___
A. 7443.33 x 105 B. 7.44 x 108 C. 7.44333 x 10-2 D. 7443.330000497
5. Which of the following examples illustrates a number that is correctly rounded to three significant figures?
A. 0.03954 g to 4.040 g C. 20.0332 g to 20.0 g
B. 4.05438 g to 4.054 g D. 103.692 g to 103.7 g
6. Which of the following numbers contains the designated CORRECT number of significant figures?
A. 0.00302 2 significant figures D. 3.0560 4 significant figures
B. 0.04300 5 significant figures E. 156 000 3 significant figures
C. 1.04 2 significant figures
7. A calculator answer of 423.6059 must be rounded off to three significant figures. What answer is reported?
A. 420 B. 423 C. 423.6 D. 423.7 E. 424
8. Which of the following is CORRECT?
 A. 2.450 x 107 rounded to two significant digits 2.4 x 107
B. 3.56 rounded to two significant digits is 3.6
C. 77.889 x 106 rounded to three significant digits is 77.8 x 106
D. 122.5 rounded to two significant digits is 120
9. The following observations have been made: 64.52, 3.0, 11.081. the correctly written sum is
A. 78.6 B. 78.60 C. 78.6010 D. 79
10. The quantity 0.245 x 36.74 / 200.0 = 0.045007, computed from measured values, should be written in an
engineering report as
A. 0.04500 B. 4.5 x 10-2 C. 4.50 x 10-2 D. 5 x 10-2

What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master the Vectors. The scope of
this module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the
diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course.
But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.
The module has one lesson with subtopics, namely:
 Lesson 5 – Vectors
 Components of Vectors
 Unit Vectors
After going through this module, you are expected to:
7. rewrite a vector in component form;
8. calculate directions and magnitudes of vector;
9. identify the x-component and y-component of the given vector; and
10. use component method to determine the resultant vector

What I Know
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. In a coordinate system, a vector is oriented at angle with respect to the x-axis. The x component of the
vector equals the vector’s magnitude multiplied by which trigonometric function?
a. tan  b. cos  c. cot  d. sin 
2. A particular hurricane travels 678 km, 34.60 north of west before turning into a tropical storm. Find the
northern displacement of the typhoon and the western displacement of the typhoon.
a. 558 km west, 385 km north b. 385 km west, 558 km north
c. 585 km west, 358 km north d. 468 km west, 468 km north
For numbers 3-4
3. Two forces act on an object. One force is 6.0 N horizontally towards west. The second force is 8.0 N
vertically towards south. Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant.
a. 10N 53⁰ N of E b. 10N 53⁰ S of W c. 10N 53⁰ E of N d. 10N 53⁰ W of S
4. If the object is in equilibrium, find the magnitude and direction of the force that produces equilibrium.
a. 10N, 53⁰ W of S b. 10N, 53⁰ N of E c. 10N, 53⁰ E of N d. 10N, 53⁰ S of W
5. Four members of the Main Street Bicycle Club meet at a certain intersection on Main Street. The members
then start from the same location but travel in different directions. A short time later, displacement vectors for
the four members are:
A = 2 km W B = 1.6 km N C = 2.0 km E D = 2.4 km S
What is the resultant displacement R of the members of the bicycle club: R = A + B + C + D?
a. 0.8 km S b. 0.4 km 450 SE c.3.6 km 370 NW d.4 km S
6. Given the following components for vectors A–C, find the x- and y- components for the resultant R.

a. +11, +11 b. +7, +7 c. –7, –7 d. +7, –11

7. Given the following components for vectors A–C, find the magnitude and direction for the resultant vector R.

a. 7, 320° in standard position

b. 10, 40° in standard position
c. 7, 330° in standard position
d. 10, 30° in standard position

8. Find the x- and y-components for a displacement vector that is 23.8 km and 45.0° south of east.
a. +16.8 km, +16.8 km c. +16.8 km, –16.8 km
b. –16.8 km, +16.8 km d. –16.8 km, +16.8 km
9. A particular hurricane traveled 678 mi at 34.6° north of west before turning into a tropical storm. Find the
northern displacement of the hurricane and the western displacement of the hurricane.
a. 558 mi east, 385 mi north c. 558 mi west, 358 mi north
b. 385 mi west, 558 mi north d. 468 mi west, 468 mi north
10. Find the x- and y-components to a vector that is 89.5 mm at 305° in standard position.
 a. –73.3 mm, 51.3 mm c. –51.3 mm, 73.3 mm
b. 73.3 mm, 51.3 mm d. 51.3 mm, –73.3 mm

VECTORS

In the discussion of vector addition, we saw that a number of vectors acting together can be combined
to give a single vector (the resultant). In much the same way a single vector can be broken down into a number
of vectors which when added give that original vector. These vectors which sum to the original are called
components of the original vector. The process of breaking a vector into its components is called resolving into
components.
In practice it is most useful to resolve a vector into components which are at right angles to one
another, usually horizontal and vertical. Think about all the problems we've solved so far. If we have vectors
parallel to the x- and y-axes problems are straightforward to solve.
Any vector can be resolved into a horizontal and a vertical component. If R⃗ is a vector, then the horizontal
component of R⃗ is R⃗ x and the vertical component is R⃗ y.

What’s New
Components of a Vector
In a two-dimensional coordinate system, any vector can be broken into x -component and y -component.

V = Vx , Vy
For example, in the figure shown below, the vector v⃗ v→ is broken into two components, Vx and Vy . Let the
angle between the vector and its x -component be θ.

The vector and its components form a right angled triangle as shown below

In the above figure, the components can be quickly read. The vector in the component form
is v⃗ =⟨4,5⟩v→=⟨4,5⟩ .
The trigonometric ratios give the relation between magnitude of the vector and the components of the vector.
adjacent side Vx
cos ¿ =
hypotenuse V
opposite side Vy
sin ¿ =
hypotenuse V
Vx = Vcos 
Vy = Vsin 

Using the Pythagorean Theorem in the right triangle with lengths vx and vy :
V = √ V x 2+ V y 2

What is It
Determining the Resultant and Direction of Multiple Vectors
A = 50 N 300 N of E
B = 25 N 650 S of W
C = 45 N. 200 S of E
1. Draw the vectors in the Cartesian plane.
2. Compute the x and y components of each vector. Note the sign of each component based on the location
in the Cartesian plane.
3. Add all the x-components and y-components.
4. Calculate the resultant and direction using the formula below.
R=√ x + y
2 2

y
=
x
 Vectors x- component y- component
A 50 N cos 300 = 43.3 N 50 N sin 300 = 25 N
B -25 N cos 650 = 10.6 N 25 N sin 650 = 22.7 N
C 45 N cos 200 = 42.3 N -45 N sin 200 = -15.4 N
x = 75 N y = 32.3 N

F = √ 75 N 2+32.2 N 2
F = 81.62 N
32.3
=
75
 = 23.30 N of E
F = 81.62 N 23.30 N of E
What’s More
Resultant Vector of Typhoon Yolanda
Identify the velocity of Typhoon Yolanda as it enters and exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility. Calculate
the resultant velocity.
Vector Velocity (m/s) x-component y-component
425 km E SE
64 km/h W
241 km/h W
34 km/h W
250 km/h W
314 km/h W
378 km/h W
314 km/h W
298 km/h W
x = y =
_____________ _____________
 = ____________ Vx = ____________ Vy = __________________ V = ___________

What I Have Learned

1. The components of a vector are a series of vectors that, when combined, give the original vector as their
resultant.
2. Components are usually created that align with the Cartesian coordinate axes. For a vector F⃗ that makes
an angle of θ with the positive x-axis the x-component is R⃗ x=Rcos(θ) and the y-component is R⃗ y=Rsin(θ).

What I Can Do
Determine the resultant displacement of going to school from your house using component method.
Vector Displacement (m) x – component y – component
d1
d2
d3
d4
d5
x = y =
______________ ______________
 = __________ d = _________

Assessment
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. In a coordinate system, a vector is oriented at angle with respect to the x-axis. The x component of the
vector equals the vector’s magnitude multiplied by which trigonometric function?
a. tan  b. cos  c. cot  d. sin 
2. A particular hurricane travels 678 km, 34.60 north of west before turning into a tropical storm. Find the
northern displacement of the typhoon and the western displacement of the typhoon.
a. 558 km west, 385 km north b. 385 km west, 558 km north
c. 585 km west, 358 km north d. 468 km west, 468 km north
For numbers 3-4
3. Two forces act on an object. One force is 6.0 N horizontally towards west. The second force is 8.0 N
vertically towards south. Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant.
a. 10N 53⁰ N of E c. 10N 53⁰ E of N
b. 10N 53⁰ S of W d. 10N 53⁰ W of S
4. If the object is in equilibrium, find the magnitude and direction of the force that produces equilibrium.
a. 10N, 53⁰ W of S c. 10N, 53⁰ E of N
b. 10N, 53⁰ N of E d. 10N, 53⁰ S of W
 5. Four members of the Main Street Bicycle Club meet at a certain intersection on Main Street. The
members then start from the same location but travel in different directions. A short time later, displacement
vectors for the four members are:
A = 2 km W C = 2.0 km E
B = 1.6 km N D = 2.4 km S
What is the resultant displacement R of the members of the bicycle club: R = A + B + C + D?
a. 0.8 km S b. 0.4 km 450 SE c. 3.6 km 370 NW d. 4 km S

Additional Activities
During the Enhanced Community Quarantine of COVID 19 Pandemic the mandate for the people in our
country is to stay home. Kindly identify 5 displacements as you move inside your house. Determine your
resultant displacement using component method.
Vector Magnitude dx dy
Displacement 1
Displacement 2
Displacement 3
Displacement 4
Displacement 5
dx =____________ dy = __________________

What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master the accuracy and
precision. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language
used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard
sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the textbook
you are now using.
The module has one lesson, namely:
 Lesson 6 – Contact and Noncontact Forces
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. define contact and noncontact forces
2. differentiate contact forces and noncontact forces
3. illustrate examples of contact and noncontact forces

What I Know
Read each problem or situations carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer and write it on your answer
sheet.
1. What is force?
a. pushing the object c. pushing and pulling the object
b. pulling the object d. doing nothing
2. Which of the following best describes the contact forces?
a. forces between same objects c. forces between objects that touch
b. forces between dissimilar objects d. forces between objects that do not touch
3. Which of the following best describes the non-contact forces?
a. forces between same objects c. forces between objects that touch
b. forces between dissimilar objects d. forces between objects that do not touch
4. Which of the following is the force that acts wherein two objects touch?
a. contact force b. balanced force c. non-contact force d. unbalanced force
5. Which of the following force acts on the opposite’s direction of objects in motion?
a. gravitational force b. buoyant force c. friction force d. normal force
6. Which of the following the sum of all the forces acting on an object?
a. contact force b. balanced force c. non-contact force d. net force
7. What is the unit used for force?
a. centimeter b. joule c. kilogram d. newton
8. Which of the following is a force that acts on an object without getting near to another object?
a. contact force b. non-contact force c. balanced force d. unbalanced force
9. Which of the following is an example of non-contact force?
a. Spring force b. Magnetic force c. Frictional force d. applied force
10. Which of the following forces acts perpendicularly to the surface of an object?
a. gravitational force c. normal force
b. drag force d. tension force

LESSON 5 : CONTACT AND NONCONTACT FORCES

Force in simple word is a strength use in physical action. On the other hand, force in science is simply a
push or a pull to an object. You can apply this force with or without touching each other and can cause objects
at rest to accelerate.
What’s In
How can we apply forces to massive objects like cars?
What force is present when you walk around the classroom?
Is there force present when we comb our hair with plastic comb?

What’s New
Two major types of forces
1. Contact Force 2.Noncontact Force

What is It
Contact Force
Contact force is a force that requires contact on both objects to occur. Contact forces are being
everywhere and responsible for interactions applied between small and large objects.
In Physics, contact force is the force acting at the point of contact between two objects against each
other. Contact forces is subdivided into the following components, one is the force that is perpendicular to the
surface of the object or the normal force, second is the force parallel to the surface of the object or the friction
force, and forces that opposes fluids.
Types of Contact Forces
1. Normal Force – a force exerted against the gravitational force present by the objects touching each
other.
Example of normal force
a. the book is at rest on top of the table c. the eggs on the nest
b. the box placed on the floor
2. Tensional Force- a force applied to a rope, string, or cable that makes them to be compressed or to be
stretched by pulling on each side.
Example of Tensional Force
a. the pail was tied to the well c. the star shaped Christmas lantern was hung on the ceiling
b. the cradle was tied on the rope at two ends
3. Frictional Force- a force created by both surfaces of the objects that is being rubbed against each other
resulting by moving in either same direction or different direction.
Example of Frictional Force
a. the man is walking
b. the girl slide to slides
c. the boy rides to his bicycle
4. Air Resistance Force or Drag Force – is a force in the opposite direction of the object in air or fluid.
Example of Air Resistance Force
a. the sky diver jumps with his parachute
b. dropping the paper from a 2-meter height
c. the feather was flying through the air

Noncontact Force
Action at a Distance Forces is the other termed for noncontact forces and only results when two objects
interact without any physical contact with each other. Regardless of their physical separation they can exert
push or pull to the object. There are also different types of noncontact forces.
Types of Noncontact Forces
1. Magnetic Force – attraction and repulsion resulted by putting together the end of same poles or
different poles of the magnetic object. Magnetic force also resulted impacts of action induced by the
electromagnetic materials to produced magnetic fields. Magnetic fields are surrounded and produced
by magnetized material and by shifting into electrical charges such as those used in electromagnets.
Example of Magnetic Force
a. a compass c. induction stove
b. ref magnets
2. Electrostatic Force-Just like magnetic forces, electrostatic force are either attractive or repulsive
resulted by positive and negative charges of particles. Electrostatics force are resulted by like charges
that repel like protons and unlike charges that attract like protons and electrons.
Example of Electrostatic Force
a. Combing hair with plastic comb c. wiping of cloth into glass rod
b. rubbing the balloon in fur
3. Gravitational Force-is pulling of objects with masses towards the center of the earth.
Example of Electrostatic Force
a. ball dropped to the floor
b. the boy riding his bicycle down the road
c. The girl standing in top of the hill
What’s More
Activity 1
Friction on your Palm
Objective
To understand contact force.
Materials
Your palm/hands, Answer Sheet, and Pen
Procedure
1. Grab your two palms in front of you.
2. Try to rub them against each other.
Questions:
1. What force did you apply when you rub your palms together?
____________________________________________________________________
2. What do you feel when rubbing together your palms against each other?
____________________________________________________________________
ans. it is getting warmer
3. What type of force did you apply when you rub your palms?
____________________________________________________________________
ans. frictional force / contact force

Activity 2
Attract Me Not
Objective
To understand noncontact force.
Materials
Your palm/hands, Answer Sheet, and Pen
Procedure
1. Get 2 bar magnet
2. Try to put near the end side of both magnets.
3. Observe what will happen.
4. Try again to put the other side of both magnet
5. Observe what will happen
Questions:
1. What happen when you put near two sides of magnets with the same pole?
_____________________________________________________________________
ans. will be attracted to each other
2. What happen when you put near two sides of magnets with different poles?
____________________________________________________________________
ans. will push against each other
3. What type of force did you apply when putting together the two bar magnets?
____________________________________________________________________
ans. magnetism force / Noncontact force
Conclusion
1. What is the difference of contact force to noncontact force?
_____________________________________________________________________

What I Have Learned

6. The types of contact forces are contact and noncontact forces.
7. Contact forces are forces that need to be applied directly to the objects
8. These are types of contact forces; normal force, frictional force, tension force, air resistance force.
9. Noncontact forces are also called as action at a distance force.
10. Noncontact forces can be applying to the objects without touching.
11. The types of noncontact forces are magnetism force, electrostatic force and gravitational force.

What I Can Do
1. Do you experienced applying contact forces and noncontact forces in your daily life?
2. Can you enumerate some example of contact and noncontact forces you encountered in your daily life?
3. How can you distinguish contact from noncontact forces?

Assessment
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following is a noncontact force?
a. Drag Force b. Gravitational Force c. Tension Force d. Unbalanced Force
2. Which force is acting in the opposite direction of the object in motion?
a. Tension b. Buoyant c. Friction d. Normal
3. What is the example of contact force?
a. Rubbing your hands together c. falling stone
b. picking paper clips by magnet d. putting near the two bar magnets
 4. What happen when you put near together the different poles of the two bar magnets?
a. reaction b. concentration c. repulsion d. attraction
5. Which of the following best describes the contact forces?
a. forces between same objects c. forces between objects that touch
b. forces between dissimilar objects d. forces between objects that do not touch
6. Which of the following is the force resulted by positive and negative charges of particles?
a. magnetic force c. gravitational force
b. electrostatic force d. frictional force
7. Which of the following is an example of gravitational force?
a. combing hair with plastic comb c. the cradle was tied on the rope at two ends
b. wiping of cloth into the glass rod d. ball dropped to the floor
8. Which of the following best describes the non-contact forces?
a. forces between objects that do not touch c. forces between dissimilar objects
b. forces between same objects d. forces between objects that touch
9. Which of the following is the force that pulls the objects with masses towards the center of the earth?
a. normal force b. frictional force c. gravitational force d. air resistance force
10. Which of the following force is needed to apply to a string be stretched?
a. Normal force b. frictional force c. drag force d. tensional force
11. Which of the following force the following is an example of normal force?
a. book lifted up of the table c. book sliding at the table
b. book place at rest on top of the table d. book falls at the edge of the table
12. Which of the following forces is a contact force?
a. Air resistance force c. electrostatic force
b. magnetic force d. gravitational force
13. What is another name of noncontact forces?
a. length forces c. drag forces
b. action at a distance force d. air resistance force
14. Which of the following force is parallel to the surface of the object?
a. normal force b. drag force c. friction force d. tension force
15. Which of the following describe the force between two particles with the same charge?
a. reaction b. concentration c. repulsion d. attraction

Additional Activities
Read the following situation. Write the types of forces shown and what forces is applied on the picture.
What I Need to Know
Major Types of
Situation Types of Forces
Forces
1. The book is placed at rest at the top to
the table.
2. Magnet was put near the nails
3. The boy walks at the park.
4. The sky diver dives at the helicopter and
reached his terminal velocity
5. The boy pushes the shopping cart.
6. The girl comb her hair by a plastic comb
7. The apple falls down the apple tree.
8. The mail man was riding his bicycle.
9. The girl sit on her hammock.
10. The auto mechanic compressed the
spring of the car.

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master the Vectors. The scope of
this module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the
diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course.
But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.

The module is divided into one lesson with subtopics, namely:

 Lesson 1 – Vectors
 Vectors and scalars
 Addition of Vectors
After going through this module, you are expected to:
11. define scalar and vector quantity;
12. differentiate vector and scalar quantities;
13. classify the physical quantities as scalar and vector quantity;
14. determine the magnitude and direction of a given vector; and
15. perform addition of vectors
What I Know
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following is an example of a vector quantity?
a. acceleration b. mass c. volume d. temperature
2. Displacement is a
a. base quantity b. derived quantity c. scalar quantity d. vector quantity
3. Identify the following quantities as scalar or vector: the mass of an object, the number of leaves on a tree
and wind velocity.
a. vector, scalar, scalar c. scalar, scalar, vector
b. vector, scalar, vector d. scalar, vector, vector
4. If two forces 20 N towards North and 12 N towards South are acting on an object. What will be the resultant
force?
a. 32 N North b. 20 N South c. 32 N South d. 8 N North
5. A student adds two displacement vectors with magnitudes of 3 m and 4 m respectively. Which one of the
following could not be a possible choice for the resultant?
a. 1.3 m b. 3.3 m c. 5 m d. 6.8 m
6. Find the displacement a hiker walks if he travels 9.0 km north, and then turns around and walks 3.0 km
south?
a. 0.5 km b. 3.0 km c. 6.0 km d. 12.0 km
7. A runway dog walks 0.64 km due N. He then runs due W to a hot dog stand. If the magnitude of the dog’s
total displacement vector is 0.91 km, what is the magnitude of the dog’s displacement vector in the due west
direction?
a. 0.27 km b. 0.33 km c. 0.41 km d. 0.52 km
8. An escaped convict runs 1.70 km due East of the prison. He then runs due North to a friend’s house. If the
magnitude of the convict’s total displacement vector is 2.50 km, what is the direction of his total displacement
vector with respect to due East?
a. 340 SE b. 430 SE c. 470 NE d. 560 NE
9. Two vectors A and B are added together to form a vector C. The relationship between the magnitudes of
the vectors is given by A + B = C. Which one of the following statements concerning these vectors is true?
a. A and B must be displacements c. A and B must point in opposite directions
b. A and B must have equal lengths d. A and B point in the same direction
10. Which expression is FALSE concerning the vectors are shown in the sketch?
C
B

a. C=A+B b. C + A = -Bc. A + B + C = 0 d. C  A + B

LESSON 6 : SCALAR
We come into contact with many physical quantities in the natural world on a daily basis. For example,
things like time, mass, weight, force, and electric charge, are physical quantities with which we are all familiar.
We know that time passes and physical objects have mass. Things have weight due to gravity. We exert forces
when we open doors, walk along the street and kick balls. We experience electric charge directly through static
shocks in winter and through using anything which runs on electricity.
There are many physical quantities in nature, and we can divide them up into two broad groups
called vectors and scalars.
What’s In
Which of the following contains two vectors and a scalar?
a. distance, acceleration, speed c. distance, mass, speed
b. displacement, velocity, acceleration d. displacement, speed, velocity
What’s New
Scalar
A scalar is a physical quantity that has only a magnitude (size).
For example, a person buys a tub of margarine which is labeled with a mass of 500 g. The mass of the tub of
margarine is a scalar quantity. It only needs one number to describe it, in this case, 500 g.
Vectors are different because they are physical quantities which have a size and a direction. A vector tells
you how much of something there is and which direction it is in.
Vector
A vector is a physical quantity that has both a magnitude and a direction.
For example, a car is travelling east along a freeway at 100 km/h. What we have here is a vector called the
velocity.
 The car is moving at 100 km/h (this is the magnitude) and we know where it is going – east (this is the
direction). These two quantities, the speed and direction of the car, (a magnitude and a direction) together form
a vector we call velocity.
Examples of scalar quantities:
 mass has only a value, no direction
 electric charge has only a value, no direction
Examples of vector quantities:
 force has a value and a direction. You push or pull something with some strength (magnitude) in a
particular direction
 weight has a value and a direction. Your weight is proportional to your mass (magnitude) and is always
in the direction towards the center of the earth.
What is It
Vectors are different to scalars and must have their own notation. There are many ways of writing the symbol
for a vector. In this book vectors will be shown by symbols with an arrow pointing to the right above it. For
example, F⃗, W⃗ and v⃗ represent the vectors of force, weight and velocity, meaning they have both a
magnitude and a direction.
Sometimes just the magnitude of a vector is needed. In this case, the arrow is omitted. For the case of the
force vector:
F⃗ represents the force vector
F represents the magnitude of the force vector
Graphical representation of vectors 
Vectors are drawn as arrows. An arrow has both a magnitude (how long it is) and a direction (the direction in
which it points). The starting point of a vector is known as the tail and the end point is known as the head.
Another common method of expressing directions is to use the points of a compass: North, South, East, and
West. If a vector does not point exactly in one of the compass directions, then we use an angle. For example,
we can have a vector pointing 40° North of West. Start with the vector pointing along the West direction (look
at the dashed arrow below), then rotate the vector towards the north until there is a 40° angle between the
vector and the West direction (the solid arrow below). The direction of this vector can also be described as:
W 40° N (West 40° North); or N 50° W (North 50° West).

Drawing vectors 
In order to draw a vector accurately we must represent its magnitude properly and include a reference direction
in the diagram. A scale allows us to translate the length of the arrow into the vector's magnitude. For instance,
if one chooses a scale of 1 cm = 2 N (1 cm represents 2 N), a force of 20 N towards the East would be
represented as an arrow 10 cm long pointing towards the right. The points of a compass are often used to
show direction or alternatively an arrow pointing in the reference direction.
Method: Drawing Vectors
1. Decide upon a scale and write it down.
2. Decide on a reference direction
3. Determine the length of the arrow representing the vector, by using the scale.
4. Draw the vector as an arrow. Make sure that you fill in the arrow head.
5. Fill in the magnitude of the vector.
Vector Addition
Graphical techniques involve drawing accurate scale diagrams to denote individual vectors and their
resultants. We will look at just one graphical method: the head-to-tail method.
Method: Head-to-Tail Method of Vector Addition
1. Draw a rough sketch of the situation.
2. Choose a scale and include a reference direction.
3. Choose any of the vectors and draw it as an arrow in the correct direction and of the correct length –
remember to put an arrowhead on the end to denote its direction.
4. Take the next vector and draw it as an arrow starting from the arrowhead of the first vector in the correct
direction and of the correct length.
5. Continue until you have drawn each vector – each time starting from the head of the previous vector. In this
way, the vectors to be added are drawn one after the other head-to-tail.
6. The resultant is then the vector drawn from the tail of the first vector to the head of the last. Its magnitude
can be determined from the length of its arrow using the scale. Its direction too can be determined from the
scale diagram.
What’s More
Activity 1
Categorize each quantity as being either a vector or a scalar.
1. 10 km ____________________
2. 60 km/h South ____________________
3. 40 mi downward ____________________
4. 50 calories ____________________
5. 250 bytes ____________________
6. 500 m/s NE ____________________
7. -9.8 m/s2 ____________________
8. 1000 kg ____________________
9. 1 hour ____________________
10. 120 m/s SW ____________________

Activity 2
Determine the magnitude and direction of the following vectors using a ruler and protractor. Use the scale:1 cm
= 10 m/s
1.

2.

3.

4.

Activity 3
Accurately draw scaled vector diagram to represent the magnitude and direction of the following vectors on a
graphing paper.
1. 50 m 300
Scale: 1cm = 10m
2. 60 m 1500
Scale: 1cm = 10m
3. 140 m/s 2000
Scale: 1cm = 20m
4. 120 m/s 2400
Scale: 1cm = 15m/s
5. 35 m/s 2700
Scale: 1cm = 5m/s

Activity 4
Determine the resultant of the following:
1. 30 cm W and 75 cm N

2. 2km E and 4.5 km S

What I Have Learned
1. A scalar is a physical quantity with magnitude only.
2. A vector is a physical quantity with magnitude and direction.
3. Vectors may be represented as arrows where the length of the arrow indicates the magnitude and
the arrowhead indicates the direction of the vector.
4. The resultant vector is the single vector whose effect is the same as the individual vectors acting
together.

What I Can Do
Give the magnitude and direction from your house to school. Calculate the resultant vector.

Assessment
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following is an example of a vector quantity?
a. acceleration c. volume
b. mass d. temperature
2. Displacement is a
a. base quantity c. scalar quantity
b. derived quantity d. vector quantity
3. Identify the following quantities as scalar or vector: the mass of an object, the number of leaves on a tree
and wind velocity.
a. vector, scalar, scalar c. scalar, scalar, vector
b. vector, scalar, vector d. scalar, vector, vector
4. If two forces 20 N towards North and 12 N towards South are acting on an object. What will be the resultant
force?
a. 32 N North b. 20 N South c. 32 N South d. 8 N North
5. A student adds two displacement vectors with magnitudes of 3 m and 4 m respectively. Which one of the
following could not be a possible choice for the resultant?
a. 1.3 m b. 3.3 m c. 5 m d. 6.8 m
6. Find the displacement a hiker walks if he travels 9.0 km north, and then turns around and walks 3.0 km
south?
a. 0.5 km c. 6.0 km
b. 3.0 km d. 12.0 km
7. A runway dog walks 0.64 km due N. He then runs due W to a hot dog stand. If the magnitude of the dog’s
total displacement vector is 0.91 km, what is the magnitude of the dog’s displacement vector in the due west
direction?
a. 0.27 km b. 0.33 km c. 0.41 km d. 0.52 km
8. An escaped convict runs 1.70 km due East of the prison. He then runs due North to a friend’s house. If the
magnitude of the convict’s total displacement vector is 2.50 km, what is the direction of his total displacement
vector with respect to due East?
a. 340 SE b. 430 SE c. 470 NE d. 560 NE
9. Two vectors A and B are added together to form a vector C. The relationship between the magnitudes of
the vectors is given by A + B = C. Which one of the following statements concerning these vectors is true?
a. A and B must be displacements
b. A and B must have equal lengths
c. A and B must point in opposite directions
d. A and B point in the same direction
10. Which expression is FALSE concerning the vectors are shown in the sketch?

C
B

A
 a. C = A + B b. C + A = -Bc. A + B + C = 0 d. C  A + B
11. How to add vectors graphically?
a. put them in line c. put them tip to tip
b. put them tail to tail d. put them tip to tail
12. Which of the following is the definition of vector?
a. a quantity that has only magnitude
b. a quantity that has both magnitude and direction.
c. a quantity that has only one direction
d. a quantity that has magnitude but may or may not have direction
13. Which of the following answer contains two scalar quantities and one vector quantity?
a. mass, displacement, time c. temperature, displacement, force
b. momentum, velocity, acceleration d. time, length, mass
14. A boy walks far 5km along a direction 53 0 West of North. Which of the following journeys would result in
the same displacement?
a. 4km N, 3 km W c. 3 km N, 2 km W
b. 4 km W, 3 km W d. 3 km N, 4 km W
15. Which procedure should NOT be considered in finding the resultant vector graphically?
a. use component method c. use ruler and protractor
b. use head to tail method d. use scale

Additional Activities
A. Draw each of the following vectors to scale. Indicate the scale that you have used. Use graphing paper,
pencil, pen, ruler and protractor.
1. 12 km south
2. 1.5 m N 450 W
3. 1 m/s 200 E of N
4. 50 km/h
5. 5 mm
B. Harold walks to school by walking 600 m Northeast and then 500 m N 40° W. Determine his resultant
displacement by using accurate scale drawings.
C. A frog is trying to cross a river. It swims at 3 m/s in a northerly direction towards the opposite bank. The
water is flowing in a westerly direction at 5 m/s. Find the frog's resultant velocity by using appropriate
calculations. Include a rough sketch of the situation in your answer.
D. Adrianne walks to the shop by walking 500 m Northwest and then 400 m N 30° Determine her resultant
displacement by doing appropriate calculations.

Credits to: Department of Education