foundations of physics

Cards (20)

  • The SI unit of force is the newton (N).
  • the prefix pico(p) is 1x10-12
  • en error is the difference between the result obtained and the true value of the quantity.
  • scalar quantities have magnitude but not direction
  • vector quantities have both magnitude and direction
  • an SI unit is a base unit of a physical quantity
  • accuracy is a measure of how close a measured value is to the true, accepted value
  • a measurement is valid if it measures what it is supposed to be measuring
  • random error is an error that occurs due to unexpected changes during an experiment that cant be predicted
  • an anomaly is a value in a set of results that does not fit the trend of the data
  • a systematic error is an error that occurs due to faulty equipment or faults in the experimental method
  • one way to reduce systematic error is to zero the balance when its empty
  • one way to reduce random error is to repeat the experiment and calculate a mean
  • precision is how close together the readings are
  • an experiment is repeatable if the original experimenter can redo the experiment with the same equipment and method and get the same results
  • to find the percentage uncertainty, divide the uncertainty by the measured value then multiply it by 100%
  • percentage uncertainty tells us how accurate our measurement was
  • the uncertainty on a measurement is calculated by adding up all the sources of errors
  • if the experiment can be redone by a different person or with a different technique and equipment and the same results are found, it is reproducible
  • resolution is the smallest change in the quantity being measured that gives a recognisable change in reading