Measurement - Types and Importances

In our every day practice, the measurement is one of the most useful and important process. Wherever we go and whatever we do, we need measurement. Without measurement, we cannot get exactness in any unknown quantity. When you go to a tailor to get your shirt stitched, he takes your measurement and asks you to purchase the length of cloth you need. This is concerned with the measurement of length. When you go to a shop
to purchase some rice, the shopkeeper asks for a certain quantity and he takes weight of rice. This is concerned with the measurement of mass. Similarly, when you are ready to go somewhere, you see watch or you ask time to someone. This is concerned with the measurement of time. Moreover, the measurement is essential to measure the length of shirt, to find the quantity of rice and to know the accurate time.

Therefore; measurement is a process of comparison of unknown quantity with the help of standard or known quantity.

Importance of Measurement:
As discussed earlier, measurement plays an important role to carry out our everyday activities. It means that without measurement, we cannot lead our day to day life to the right path. The points given below prove the importance of measurement.

• It is needed in selling and buying goods.

• It is needed for cooking our everyday food.

• It is needed in carrying out scientific experiments and research works.

•  It is needed to get reliable information about unknown physical quantities.

Physical Quantity: We come across large number of physical quantities in various events in our everyday life. Some of them like height, time, area, volume, velocity, acceleration, force, temperature, etc., can be measured. Those quantities which can be measured are called physical quantities.

Physical quantities are of two types. They are:

(i)                Fundamental quantities: Length, mass, time, etc., are the example of fundamental quantities as they cannot be obtained in terms of other quantities. Those quantities which are independent of one another and can be measured independently are called fundamental quantities. There are 7 fundamental quantities. They are:

·       Length

·       Mass

·       Time

·       Temperature

·       Luminous 

·       Intensity

·       Current

·       Amount of substance

            

(ii)             Derived Quantities: Velocity, force, work, etc., are some of the examples of derived quantities as they are obtained from fundamental quantities. Those quantities that can be derived or produced from fundamental quantities are called derived quantities. There are many derived quantities. Some of them are given below:

·       Force

·       Pressure

·       Work / Energy

·       Power

·       Area

·       Volume

·       Velocity

·       Density

·       Frequency

·       Moment

·       Potential difference

·       Electric charge

·       Resistance