Length, Mass and Time Measurements

Measurements are discovered to increase the knowledge and understanding of segregating materials. The law of physics is reflected in terms of physical quantities. The measurements should have a standardised unit that is common worldwide. Length, mass and time are the three main and basic quantities in measurement. These three units of measurement form the mks system in the metric system. Measurement of the particular material is the weight of the material. Measurements in physics are expressed in units for every specific measurement. The metric system is the same all over the globe, and every measurement has an SI unit which is accepted all over the globe. 

Mass

The fundamental property of all material things to resist any change in momentum is referred to as mass. The downward force produced when a mass is in a gravitational field is referred to as weight. The ounce, pound, and tonne are Imperial mass units. The metric units of mass are grams and kilograms, and both are mass units. A weighing scale is one type of instrument for determining weight or mass. A spring scale measures force but not mass, whereas a balance compares weight, and both operate in the presence of a gravitational field. Load cells with a digital read-out are among the most precise equipment for measuring weight or mass, but they require a gravitational field to work.

MEASUREMENT OF MASS

The fundamental feature of matter is mass. It is independent of the object’s temperature, pressure, or position in space. When stated in the unit of Js, which is equal to kg m²s^–1, it is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck Constant h to be 6.62607015 x 10^–34, where the metre and the second are specified in terms of c (speed of light) and v_Cs (caesium frequency). A kilogram is an awkward unit when working with atoms and molecules. In this situation, the unified atomic mass unit (u) has been devised for expressing the mass of atoms as 1 unified atomic mass unit = 1u = (1/12) of the mass of an atom of carbon-12 isotope (₆C¹²) including the mass of electrons = 1.66 x 10^–27 kg. A common balance, such as the one seen at a grocery store, can be used to determine the mass of widely accessible things. Large masses in the cosmos, such as planets and stars, may be measured using the gravitational technique, which is based on Newton’s law of gravitation. We utilise a mass spectrograph to measure minuscule masses of atomic/subatomic particles.

Time

Time is represented by numbers, names, or periods such as hours, weeks, days, and years. Time is a non-spatial continuum that is an abstract measurement of elemental changes. Within this non-spatial continuum, it is an irreversible chain of events. It’s also used to indicate the distance between two places on this continuum. The only thing visible to us is a watch with an arrow indicating the hours, minutes, and seconds.

MEASUREMENT OF TIME

A clock is required to measure any time. We currently employ an atomic time standard based on periodic vibrations produced in the caesium atom. This is the foundation of the caesium clock, also known as an atomic clock, which is utilised by national standards. Many laboratories have such standards on hand. The pace of this caesium atomic clock is controlled by the vibrations of the caesium atom, just as the vibrations of a balance wheel controls the rate of an ordinary wristwatch or the vibrations of a tiny quartz crystal controls the rate of a quartz wristwatch.

Length

A ruler is a tool used in areas like geometry and technical drawing to measure lengths and distances as well as create straight lines. Both the ruler and the calibrated equipment used to calculate length are referred to as rulers, while an unmarked rule is referred to as a straightedge. Only the term, tape measure, an instrument that can be used to measure but not to draw straight lines, preserves the usage of the word measure in the sense of a measuring tool. 

MEASUREMENT OF LENGTH

Some straightforward ways for measuring length are already familiar to you. For lengths ranging from 10^–3m to 10² m, for example, a metre scale is employed. For lengths with an accuracy of 10^–4 m, vernier callipers are used. Using a screw gauge and a spherometer, you may measure lengths as short as 10^–5m. We employ certain specific indirect methods to measure lengths outside of these ranges. Large distances, such as the distance between the earth and a planet or star, cannot be measured directly on a metre scale. A parallax approach is a useful tool in such situations. When you hold a pencil against a certain point on the backdrop (a wall) and look at it through your left eye A (closing the right eye) and then through your right eye B (closing the left eye), you’ll notice that the location of the pencil changes with regard to the point on the wall. This is known as parallax. The foundation is the distance between the two locations of observation. The distance between the eyes serves as the foundation in this case.

Conclusion 

Measurements are developed to inverse the knowledge and understanding of segregating materials in quantities. The measurements should have a standardised unit of measurement, which is accepted worldwide. Length, mass, and time are three basic quantities in mechanics. Mass is a fundamental quantity in physics. The greater the body mass, the fewer changes will be there when a force is applied.