What is a physical quantity?
- Speed and velocity are examples of physical quantities; both can be measured
- All physical quantities consist of a numerical magnitude and a unit
- In physics, every letter of the alphabet (and most of the Greek alphabet) is used to represent these physical quantities
- To represent a physical quantity, it must contain both a numerical value and the unit in which it was measured
- For example, the letter v can be used to represent the physical quantities of velocity, volume or potential difference (voltage)
- The units provide the context as to what v refers to:
- If v represents velocity, the unit would be m s–1
- If v represents volume, the unit would be m3
- If V represents potential difference, the unit would be V
All physical quantities must have a numerical magnitude and a unit