Definition
A physical quantity is a measurable property of a physical system or phenomenon.
Physical quantities are used to describe the physical world objectively.
Physical Quantities in Physics
Physics describes nature by studying measurable properties.
These properties are called physical quantities and are used to describe physical systems, interactions and phenomena.
Examples of physical quantities include length, mass, time, temperature, force, energy, pressure and electric field strength.
Properties such as beauty, happiness and comfort cannot be measured objectively and are therefore not physical quantities.
Classification of Physical Quantities
Physical quantities can be classified according to different characteristics.
One classification divides them into base quantities and derived quantities.
Another classification divides them into scalar quantities and vector quantities.
These classifications are discussed in the following sections.
Key Points
- A physical quantity is a measurable property of a physical system or phenomenon.
- Physics uses physical quantities to describe the physical world objectively.
- Only objectively measurable properties are physical quantities.
- Physical quantities can be classified as base or derived, and as scalar or vector quantities.