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Cards (314)
Absolute
Uncertainties:
The
interval
that a value is said to lie within, with a given
level
of
confidence
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Accuracy
:
A
measure
of how
close
a
measurement
is to the
true value
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Analogue Apparatus
:
Measuring apparatus such as rulers, beakers and thermometers that rely on the experimenter reading off a scale to determine the measurement
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Anomalies
:
Data
points that don’t fit the
pattern
of the data
Repeat readings help remove
anomalies
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Control Variables:
Variables
that must
remain
the
same
throughout an
experiment
so as to not
affect
the
results
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Dependent Variables
:
The variable being measured in an experiment
It is dependent on the
independent
variable
The
dependent
variable should be plotted on the
y-axis
of a graph
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Digital Apparatus
:
Measuring apparatus
such as
ammeters
,
voltmeters
and
digital calipers
that
digitally measure and display
a
measurement
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Fiducial Marker:
A
thin marker
, such as a
splint
, that is used to ensure
readings
are taken from the
same place each time
They are used to improve the
accuracy
of
measurements
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Gradient:
The change in the
y-axis
value over the change in the
x-axis
value between two points
If the graph is curved, a
tangent
can be drawn to calculate the
gradient
at a specific point
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Independent Variables
:
The variable that is changed by the
experimenter
in an
experiment
The
independent
variable should be plotted on the
x-axis
of a graph
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Line of Best Fit:
A
line
drawn on a
graph
to demonstrate the
pattern
in the
plotted data points
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Percentage Uncertainties:
The uncertainty
of
a measurement, expressed as a
percentage
of
the recorded value
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Precision:
A measure of how
close
a measurement is to the
mean value
It only gives an indication of the
magnitude
of
random errors
, not how
close data
is to the
true value
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Prefixes:
Added to the
front
of units to represent a power of
ten
change
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Random Errors:
Unpredictable
variation between measurements that leads to a
spread
of values about the
true
value
Random error can be reduced by taking
repeat
measurements
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Repeatable
:
The same
experimenter
can
repeat
a measurement using the same
method
and
equipment
and obtain the same
value
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Reproducible:
An experiment can be
repeated
by a
different experimenter
using a
different method
and
different apparatus
, and still obtain the
same results
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Resolution:
The
smallest change
in a quantity that causes a
visible change
in the
reading
that a
measuring instrument
records
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Resolution of Forces:
The
splitting
of a force into its
horizontal
and
vertical
components
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Scalar
Quantities:
A quantity that only has a
magnitude
, without an associated
direction
Examples include
speed
,
distance
and
temperature
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SI Units:
The
standard
units used in equations
They are:
metres
,
kilograms
,
seconds
,
amps
,
Kelvin
and
moles
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Significant Figures:
A measure of a measurement’s
resolution
All numbers except
zero
are counted as a significant figure
When zeros are found immediately after a
decimal
place, they too are counted
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Systematic Errors
:
Causes all
readings
to
differ
from the true value by a
fixed
amount
Systematic error cannot be corrected by
repeat readings
, instead a different technique or
apparatus
should be used
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Triangle of Forces:
A
method
of finding the
resultant force
of
two forces
The two forces are
joined tip
to
tail
and the
result
is then the
vector
that
completes
the
triangle
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Vector
Quantities:
A quantity that has both a
magnitude
and an associated
direction
Examples include
velocity
,
displacement
and
acceleration
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Vernier Scales
:
The type of scale used on
calipers
and
micrometers
, that involve reading from a
fixed
scale and a
moving
scale to produce accurate measurements
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Zero Errors
:
A form of
systematic error
, caused when a measuring instrument doesn’t read
zero
at a value of
zero
This results in all measurements being
offset
by a
fixed
amount
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Acceleration
is the rate of change of
velocity
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Average speed
is the distance over time for the
entire region
of
interest
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Braking distance
is the distance
travelled
between the
brakes
being
applied
and the vehicle coming to a
stop
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Displacement
is the direct distance between an object's
starting
and
ending
positions, a vector quantity with both
direction
and
magnitude
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Displacement-Time
Graphs show how
displacement changes
over
time
, with the
gradient
giving the
velocity
and
curved
lines representing
acceleration
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Free-Fall
occurs when the only force acting on an object is
gravity
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Instantaneous speed
is the
exact speed
of an object at a
specific given point
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Projectile Motion
is the
motion
of an object fired from a
point
and only affected by
gravity
, often split into
horizontal
and
vertical
components for problem-solving
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Reaction Time
is the time taken to process a stimulus and trigger a response, affected by
alcohol
,
drugs
, and
tiredness
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Stopping Distance
is the sum of
thinking distance
and
braking distance
for a
driven vehicle
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Thinking Distance
is the distance travelled during the driver's
reaction
time, affected by
alcohol
,
drugs
, and
tiredness
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Velocity-Time Graphs show how
velocity changes over time
, with the
gradient
giving
acceleration
and curved lines representing
changing acceleration
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Velocity
is the rate of
change
of
displacement
, a vector quantity with both
direction
and
magnitude
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