science 1.3 Flashcards
Scientific notation
Scientific notation is a way of expressing a value as the product of a number between one and 10 and the power of 10
Why is scientific notation useful?
Scientific notation makes very large or very small numbers easier to work with
Using scientific notation
for numbers less than one using scientific notation exponent is negative
What units do scientists use for their measurements?
Scientists use a set of measuring units called SI or the international system of units which was developed in France in 1791
length
Straight line distance between two points
Mass
The quantity of matter in an object or sample
Volume
Amount of space taken out by an object
Density
Ratio of an object mass to its volume
Density
Ratio of an object mass to its volume
Conversion factor
ratio of equivalent measurements that is used to convert a quantity expressed in one unit to another
SI units of measurement
for a measurement to make sense, it requires both a number and unit. expressing measurements and numbers and units makes it clear. The metric unit for giving quality is not always a convenient one to use.
Precision
A gauge of how exact measurement is. The less precise the more spread out the data.
Significant figures
All the digits that are known in a measurement, plus the last digit estimated. Significant figure are identifying numbers that means something.
Accuracy
The closeness of a measurement to the actual value of what is being measured
How does the precision of measurements affect the position of scientific calculations?
The precision of a calculated answer is limited by the least precise measurement used in calculation
