Unit 1

Scientific notation: a quantity is expressed as a product of a number between 1

and 10.

Ex:

1500 = 1.5 X 105

Powers of ten: exponent of the base of ten

If negative: move decimal to the left

If positive: move to the right

Calculations:

Addition:
 Express in the same power
 Add w/o the powers
 Bring down common power

Subtraction:
 Express in same powers of ten
 Subtract w/o powers
 Bring down common power

Multiplication:
 Multiply w/o powers
 Add the powers of ten

Division:
 Divide the numbers w/o powers
 Subtract power of ten in denominator from power of ten in numerator

UNITS AND METRIC PREFIXES:

ELECTRICAL UNITS
LETTER SYMBOLS REPRESENT QUANTITYS AND UNITS

METRIC PREFIXES
USED ONLY WITH NUMBERS THAT HAVE A UNIT OF MEASURE.
PRECEDE THE UNIT SYMBOL
METRIC UNIT CONVERSIONS:
LARGER UNIT TO SMALLER UNIT:

(MOVE DECIMAL TO THE RIGHT)

DETERMINE THE # OF
DECIMAL PLACES TO
MOVE BY
FROM SMALLER TO LARGER: SUBTRACTING THE
POWERS OF TEN OF
(MOVE DECIMAL TO THE LEFT)

ERROR, ACCURACY AND PRECISION.

ERROR: the difference

ACCURACY:the between
difference betweenthe
the true
PRECISION:the measure
measured of consistancy
and truevalues.
and measured value of a
measurement of some quanitiy
Significant Digits:

the number of significant digits should never exceed the

number in the origional measurement.

zeros to the
zeros to the left zeros between zeros to the left
nonzero digits right of the
of the first nonzero digits of a decimal
( allways decimal point
nonzero digit (always (depends on
significant) (allways
(never significant) measurement)
significant)
significant)

Rounding off numbers: dropping one or more digits to the right of the significant
digit.

if digit dropped is greater than 5 or a 5:

followed by nonzero digits increase by one

is less than 5:

do not change

is a 5 with no following digits:

increase by one if it makes it even do not decrease if it makes it odd

Electrical shock: sensation resulting from current running through the body
Body resistance: is usually between 10Ω and 50Ω