Question

Explain this statement clearly:

“To call a dimensional quantity ‘large’ or ‘small’ is meaningless without specifying a standard for comparison”. In view of this, reframe the following statements wherever necessary:

1. Atoms are very small objects
2. A jet plane moves with great speed
3. The mass of Jupiter is very large
4. The air inside this room contains a large number of molecules
5. A proton is much more massive than an electron
6. The speed of sound is much smaller than the speed of light.

Answer 1

The given statement is true because a dimensionless quantity may be large or small in comparison to some standard reference. For example, the coefficient of friction is dimensionless. The coefficient of sliding friction is greater than the coefficient of rolling friction, but less than static friction.

1. An atom is a very small object in comparison to a soccer ball.
2. A jet plane moves at a speed greater than that of a super fast train.
3. The mass of Jupiter is very large compared to that of the earth.
4. The air inside this room contains a large number of molecules as compared to that present in a geometry box.
5. A proton is much more massive than an electron
6. The speed of sound is much smaller than the speed of light.