Skills

Question 1

What does the prefix tera signify?

Answer 1

10^12

Question 2

What does the prefix giga signify?

Answer 2

10^9

Question 3

What does the prefix mega signify?

Answer 3

10^6

Question 4

What does the prefix kilo signify?

Answer 4

10^3

Question 5

What does the prefix milli signify?

Answer 5

10^-3

Question 6

What does the prefix micro signify?

Answer 6

10^-6

Question 7

What does the prefix nano signify?

Answer 7

10^-9

Question 8

What does the prefix pico signify?

Answer 8

10^-12

Question 9

What is absolute uncertainty?

Answer 9

The actual amount by which the quantity is uncertain

Question 10

What is percentage uncertainty?

Answer 10

Absolute uncertainty divided by the mean quantity given as a percentage

Question 11

What is accurate data?

Answer 11

Data that close to the true value

Question 12

What is precise data?

Answer 12

Data that has little variation from the mean

Question 13

What is repeatable data?

Answer 13

Data where the same experimenter gets the same results with the same equipment and method

Question 14

What is reproducible data?

Answer 14

Data where a different experimenter gets the same result with the same method

Question 15

What is resolution?

Answer 15

Smallest change in a quantity that can be measured by a measuring instrument

Question 16

What are the uses of graphs?

Answer 16

• Extrapolating data that could not be gathered
• Estimating unknown quantities
• Identifying anomalies
• Identifying trends

Question 17

What is an order of magnitude estimate?

Answer 17

An estimate which is in the same power of 10 as the real value

Question 18

What are the 7 SI units?

Answer 18

Mass - kg
Length - m
Time - s
Temperature - K
Amount of substance - mol
Current - A
Luminous intensity - Cd (candela)

Question 19

What are random errors?

Answer 19

Unpredictable variation between measurements that leads to a spread of values about the true value

Question 20

How could random errors be reduced?

Answer 20

• Taking at least 3 repeats and then a mean
• Use computers or data loggers to reduce human error and enable smaller intervals
• Use appropriate equipment with a high resolution

Question 21

What are systematic errors?

Answer 21

Error that causes readings to differ from the true value by a fixed amount

Question 22

How could systematic errors be reduced?

Answer 22

• Calibrate apparatus by measuring a known value to easily identify systematic errors
• Taring digital meters before use
• Read measurements at eye level to avoid parallax error

Question 23

What is the uncertainty in a reading?

Answer 23

± the smallest division

Question 24

What is the uncertainty in a measurement?

Answer 24

± the smallest division

Question 25

What is the uncertainty of a digital reading?

Answer 25

Either quoted or assumed to be ± the last significant digit

Question 26

What is the uncertainty for repeated data?

Answer 26

Half the range shown as mean ± range/2

Question 27

To how many significant figures should uncertainties be quoted as?

Answer 27

Same as the data

Question 28

How do you calculate uncertainty when you add or subtract data?

Answer 28

Add absolute uncertainties

Question 29

How do you calculate uncertainty when you multiply or divide data?

Answer 29

Add percentage uncertainties

Question 30

How do you calculate uncertainty when data is raised to the power?

Answer 30

Multiply percentage uncertainty by the power