Mathematics and Measurement Flashcard

Front

What are significant figures?

Back

Significant figures are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision. This includes all non-zero digits, any zeros between significant digits, and trailing zeros in the decimal portion.

Front

How do you determine the number of significant figures in a sum?

Back

In a sum, the result should be reported with the same number of decimal places as the measurement with the least number of decimal places.

Front

What is the difference between accuracy and precision?

Back

Accuracy refers to how close a measured value is to the true value, while precision refers to how close multiple measurements are to each other.

Front

What does it mean for a set of measurements to be precise but not accurate?

Back

It means that the measurements are consistent with each other but are far from the true value.

Front

How do you convert units of measurement?

Back

To convert units, you multiply the quantity by a conversion factor that relates the two units.

Front

What is the conversion factor from bits to erms if 3 bits = 2.4 erms?

Back

The conversion factor is 2.4 erms / 3 bits.

Front

How do you convert millimeters to meters?

Back

To convert millimeters to meters, divide the number of millimeters by 1000.

Front

What is the accepted value in an experiment?

Back

The accepted value is the true or theoretical value that is widely recognized as correct.

Front

What does it mean for experimental data to be accurate but not precise?

Back

It means that the average of the measurements is close to the accepted value, but the individual measurements vary widely.

Front

How do you express a number in scientific notation?

Back

A number is expressed in scientific notation as a product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of 10.