Measurement, Significant Figures & Uncertainty

How is percent error calculated?

• Percent Error = (Measured Value - Accepted Value) / Accepted Value × 100

• Percent Error = (Accepted Value - Measured Value) / Measured Value × 100

• Percent Error = (Measured Value + Accepted Value) / Accepted Value × 100

• Percent Error = (Measured Value - Accepted Value) / (Measured Value + Accepted Value) × 100

What are significant figures (sig figs)?

• Digits that carry meaning in a measurement, including the estimated last digit.

• Any number in a measurement, regardless of its importance.

• Only whole numbers in a measurement.

• The total number of digits in a number, including zeros.

What are certain digits?

• Digits that are estimated from a measurement.

• Digits read directly from the scales or marks.

• Digits that are always whole numbers.

• Digits that represent fractions.

What is an uncertain digit?

• The last digit, which is an estimate based on the limitations of the measuring tool.

• The first digit in a measurement that is always certain.

• Any digit that is not a whole number in a measurement.

• The digit that represents the maximum value of a measurement.

What is the formula for mean?

• x = (x1 + x2 + x3) / n

• mean = (sum of values) / (number of values)

• mean = (x1 + x2 + x3 + x4) / 4

• mean = (x1 * x2 * x3) / n

What is standard deviation?

• A measure of how spread out the data is from the mean, indicating the amount of variation in repeated measurements.

• A method for calculating the average of a set of numbers.

• A technique used to find the median of a data set.

• A way to determine the mode of a distribution.

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-3

What is uncertainty in measurements?

• The exact value of a measurement without any error.

• The estimated range surrounding a measured value that reflects the limitations of the measurement instrument and the experimental technique.

• The average of multiple measurements taken under the same conditions.

• The difference between the highest and lowest values in a set of measurements.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-3

What is the key difference between uncertainty and standard deviation?

• Uncertainty is the limitation of the measuring tool or method, while standard deviation is the natural variation in repeated measurements.

• Uncertainty refers to the average of a set of measurements, while standard deviation measures the total number of measurements taken.

• Uncertainty is a fixed value, while standard deviation changes with each measurement.

• Uncertainty is only applicable in scientific measurements, while standard deviation can be used in any statistical analysis.

What is percent error?

• A measure of the accuracy of a measurement compared to a known value.

• The difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set.

• A calculation of the average of a set of measurements.

• A method to determine the validity of an experiment.

How is uncertainty determined for digital instruments?

• The uncertainty is taken as ±1 in the last displayed digit, which is equal to ±1 × resolution.

• The uncertainty is calculated based on the average of multiple readings.

• The uncertainty is fixed and does not depend on the resolution.

• The uncertainty is determined by the manufacturer specifications.