U1 - Measurements and Their Errors
What are the 7 SI base units? ● Length - metres (m)
● Mass - kilograms (kg)
● Time - seconds (s)
● Current - amperes (A)
● Temperature - kelvin (K)
● Amount of substance - mole (mol)
● Luminous intensity - candela (cd)
What are the prefixes ≥ ● Kilo (K) - 103
1000? ● Mega (M) - 106
● Giga (G) - 109
● Tera (T) - 1012
What are the prefixes ≤ ● Milli (m) - 10-3
0.001? ● Micro (µ) - 10-6
● Nano (n) - 10-9
● Pico (p) - 10-12
● Femto (f) - 10-15
What are random and ● Random errors - statistical fluctuations in data due to
systematic errors? experimeter’s ability.
● Systematic errors - inaccuracies present through the whole
experiment.
What are readings and ● Readings…
measurements and the ○ Absolute uncertainty is ½ resolution.
absolute uncertainty of ○ No zero error because you’re not lining things up
both? And to what decimal
(e.g., thermometers, measuring cylinders).
place should they be?
● Measurements…
○ Absolute uncertainty is the resolution.
○ Zero error because you’re lining up with zero (e.g.,
ruler, stopwatch, micrometer, vernier callipers).
● They should be to no greater no. of decimal places than the
value it is for. E.g., if you calculate the uncertainty for
0.29mm to be 0.0081mm then it must be 0.01mm.
How would you infer the Look at the lowest number of significant figures (e.g., a reading of
uncertainty from data? e.g., 2.3 x 103 will have an uncertainty of ±0.05 x 103).
What are the 7 SI base units? ● Length - metres (m)
● Mass - kilograms (kg)
● Time - seconds (s)
● Current - amperes (A)
● Temperature - kelvin (K)
● Amount of substance - mole (mol)
● Luminous intensity - candela (cd)
What are the prefixes ≥ ● Kilo (K) - 103
1000? ● Mega (M) - 106
● Giga (G) - 109
● Tera (T) - 1012
What are the prefixes ≤ ● Milli (m) - 10-3
0.001? ● Micro (µ) - 10-6
● Nano (n) - 10-9
● Pico (p) - 10-12
● Femto (f) - 10-15
What are random and ● Random errors - statistical fluctuations in data due to
systematic errors? experimeter’s ability.
● Systematic errors - inaccuracies present through the whole
experiment.
What are readings and ● Readings…
measurements and the ○ Absolute uncertainty is ½ resolution.
absolute uncertainty of ○ No zero error because you’re not lining things up
both? And to what decimal
(e.g., thermometers, measuring cylinders).
place should they be?
● Measurements…
○ Absolute uncertainty is the resolution.
○ Zero error because you’re lining up with zero (e.g.,
ruler, stopwatch, micrometer, vernier callipers).
● They should be to no greater no. of decimal places than the
value it is for. E.g., if you calculate the uncertainty for
0.29mm to be 0.0081mm then it must be 0.01mm.
How would you infer the Look at the lowest number of significant figures (e.g., a reading of
uncertainty from data? e.g., 2.3 x 103 will have an uncertainty of ±0.05 x 103).
