uncertainties

Question 1

What are uncertainties in measured quantities?

Answer 1

Uncertainties are an estimate of how far measurements in an experiment are from the true value of the result

Question 2

How do you calculate scale reading uncertainty?

Answer 2

On an analogue scale, it is the value/division on the scale.

For a digital scale, it is equal to +-1 in the least significant digit.

Question 3

What are random uncertainties?

Answer 3

Uncertainties that arise from repeated measurements lead to variations in results in an experiment and are caused by factors out-with control

Question 4

How can you reduce random uncertainties?

Answer 4

by taking multiple repeated measurements and calculating an average

Question 5

How do you calculate random uncertainty?

Answer 5

max value - min value/number of readings

Question 6

What are systematic uncertainties?

Answer 6

when measurements from an experiment are consistently higher or lower than the true value

Question 7

How do systematic uncertainties arise?

Answer 7

due to poor experimental technique or badly calibrated/faulty equipment

Question 8

How do you best estimate the true value of a measured quantity?

Answer 8

obtain a mean value from repeated measurements and then calculate random uncertainty

Question 9

In an experiment with multiple physical qunatities being measured, which uncertainty should be used in the final numerical result of the experiment?

Answer 9

the quantity with the largest percentage uncertainty should be used as the final percentage uncertainty in the numerical result of the experiment.

Question 10

What is the value and symbol for nano?

Answer 10

n

1 x 10^ -9

Question 11

What is the value and symbol for kilo

Answer 11

k

1 x 10^3

Question 12

What is the value and symbol for giga?

Answer 12

G

1 x 10^9

Question 13

What is the value and symbol for micro?

Answer 13

|u

1 x 10^-6

Question 14

What is the value and symbol for milli?

Answer 14

m

1 x 10^-3