General Physics 1

Zaldy Jose M. Lazara Jr.

 Measurements,
Uncertainties and Errors
Learning Objectives
• We will be able to solve measurement problems involving
conversion of units, expression of measurements in scientific
notation.
• We will be able to differentiate accuracy from precision.
• We will be able to differentiate random errors from.
systematic errors.
• We will be able to compute for percent error.
 The nature of physics
• Physics is an experimental
science in which physicists
seek patterns that relate
the phenomena of nature.
• The patterns are called
physical theories.
• A very well established or
widely used theory is called
a physical law or principle.

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 Solving problems inphysics
• All of the Problem-Solving Strategies and Examples in this book will
follow these four steps: I SEE!
• Identify the relevant concepts, target variables, and known
quantities, as stated or implied in the problem.
• Set Up the problem: Choose the equations that you’ll use to solve the
problem, and draw a sketch of the situation.
• Execute the solution: This is where you “do the math.”
• Evaluate your answer: Compare your answer with your estimates,
and reconsider things if there’s adiscrepancy.

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 Idealized models

To simplify the analysis of

(a) a baseball in flight, we
use (b) an idealized model.

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“Match Maker”
Directions: Match column A with its descriptions in column B.
Write the letter of the correct answer in the space provided.
A B
a.It can be used to make a new unit than the base
1. Measurement
unit.
2. Fundamental Units
b. It is the technique of converting between units.
3. Derived Units
c. It is the modern form of metric system.
4. SI Units
d. It is a combination of two or more base units.
5. English System
e.A comparison of a physical quantity with the
6. Significant Figures
standard.
7. Unit Prefix
f.It is a way of expressing numbers using the power of
8. Unit Equality or Conversion
10.
Factor
g. It is a set of units of measurement where other units
9. Dimensional Analysis
are derived.
10. Scientific Notation
h.The equation that shows the equivalent amounts of
different units.
i. It comprises units such as pound, yard and ounce.
j. They are digits with known certainty.
Units andQuantities
• Length – 1 meter is defined as the distance travelled by light in
a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 second. Based on the definition
that the speed of light is exactly 299,792,458 m/s.
• Time – 1 second is defined as 9,192,631,770 cycles of the
microwave radiation due to the transition between the two
lowest energy states of the cesium atom. This is measured
from an atomic clock using this transition.
• Mass – 1 kg is defined to be the mass of a cylinder of
platinum-iridium alloy at the International Bureau of weights
and measures (Sèvres, France).
 Unit prefixes
• Prefixes can be used to create larger and smaller units for the
fundamental quantities. Some examples are:
• 1 µm = 10−6 m (size of some bacteria and living cells)
• 1 km = 103 m (a 10-minute walk)
• 1 mg = 10−6 kg (mass of a grain of salt)
• 1 g = 10−3 kg (mass of a paper clip)
• 1 ns = 10−9 s (time for light to travel 0.3 m)

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prefix symbol factor
• atto a 10-18
• femto f 10-15
• pico p 10-12
• nano n 10-9
• micro μ 10-6
• Milli m 10-3
• centi c 10-2
• deci d 10-1
• deka da 101
• hecto h 102
• kilo k 103
• mega M 1069
• giga G 10
• tera T 1012
• peta P 1015
• exa E 1018
 Unit consistency and conversions
• An equation must be dimensionally consistent. Terms to be added or
equated must always have the same units. (Be sure you’re adding
“apples to apples.”)
• Always carry units through calculations.
• Convert to standard units as necessary, by forming a ratio of the same
physical quantity in two different units, and using it as a multiplier.
• For example, to find the number of seconds in 3 min, we write:

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 Unit consistency and conversions
• few countries use the British system of units (e.g., the United States).
However, the conversion between the British system of units and SI
units have been defined exactly as follows:
• Length: 1 inch = 2.54 cm
• Force: 1 pound = 4.448221615260 newtons
• The second is exactly the same in both the British and the SI system of
units.

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Unit consistency and conversions
• A snail moves 1.0 cm every 20 seconds. What is this in inches per
second?
 Unit consistency and conversions
• Scientific notation is also called the “powers-of-ten notation”. This
allows one to write only the significant figures multiplied to 10 with
the appropriate power. As a shorthand notation, we therefore use
only one digit before the decimal point with the rest of the significant
figures written after the decimal point.
• 1.2343 x 1010
• 1.2343 x 10-10
• Diameter of the Earth: 12,742,000 m

• Mass of the Earth: 5972000000000000000000000 kg

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Activity 1
Dimensional Analysis
• Directions: Convert between the following systems of measurements. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1) 17 in into cm 4) 7 ft/sec into m/h 7) ¾ h into s
2) 420 h into weeks 5) 50 miles/h into m/s 8) 2589 g into lb
3) 48 oz into lb 6) 2.05 kg/inch into lb/cm 9) 135 km/h into ft/s
Converting Numbers to Scientific Notation
• Directions: Express the numbers in scientific notation. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.
1) 0.000006 4) 570000000 6) 0.0042 9) .05
2) 48900 5) 670400 7) .000506
3) 18900097 6) 5400000 8) .000000032456
Activity 2
1.A jeepney tried to overtake a car. The jeepney
moves at 40 km/hour: convert this to the British
system (feet per second)?
2.It takes about 8.0 minutes for light to travel
from the sun to the earth. How far is the sun from
the earth (in meters, in feet)?
Study the image below. The bull’s-eye represents the
accepted true value. Each cross represents arepeated
measurement of the same quantity. Describe each of
the figures by choosing its description inside the box.
A. Precise and Accurate C. Not accurate but precise
B. Accurate but not precise D. Not accurate and not precise
1. What is your basis for your choices in describing the
figures above?
2. What is your idea about accuracy? How about
precision?
A. Precise and Accurate C. Not accurate but precise
B. Accurate but not precise D. Not accurate and not precise
Accuracy
• Accuracy refers to the closeness of a measured
value to a standard or known value.
• For example, if on average, your measurements
for a given substance are close to the known
value, but the measurements are far from each
other, then you have accuracy without precision
Precision
• Precision is defined as 'the quality of being exact'
and refers to how close two or more measurements
are to each other, regardless of whether those
measurements are accurate or not. It is possible
for precision measurements to not be accurate.
• 1. A student measured a test tube, she reported 15 g
in mass, but the actual mass of the test tube was 32
g. Is the data accurate? Why or why not?
• 2. A student measures the following temperature
40.3 °C, 41 ° C and 40 ° C. Is the data given precise?
Why or why not?
Random Errors
• Random errors in experimental measurements
are caused by unknown and unpredictable
changes in the experiment. These changes may
occur in the measuring instruments or in the
environmental conditions
• Random errors usually result from the
experimenter’s inability to take the same
measurement in exactly the same way to get
exact the same number.
Systematic Errors
• Systematic error (also called systematic bias) is
consistent, repeatable error associated with faulty
equipment or a flawed experiment design. These
errors are usually caused by measuring
instruments that are incorrectly calibrated or are
used incorrectly
• Systematic errors are reproducible inaccuracies
that are consistently in the same direction.
Systematic errors are often due to a problem
which persists throughout the entire experiment.
• %error =|actual value − experimental value / actual value | x 100

• Working in the laboratory, a student finds the density of a piece of

pure aluminum to be 2.85 g/cm3. The accepted value for the density
of aluminum is 2.699 g/cm3. What is the student's percent error?
Activity 3
• A student experimentally determines the specific heat of water to be
4.29 J/°C/kg. He then looks up the specific heat of water on a
reference table and finds that it is 4.18 J/°C/kg . What is the
percent error?
• A student takes an object with an accepted mass of 200.00 grams
and masses on her own balance. She records the mass of the object
as 196.5 g. What is her percent error?
Learning Objectives
• We will be able to solve measurement problems involving
conversion of units, expression of measurements in scientific
notation.
• We will be able to differentiate accuracy from precision
• We will be able to differentiate random errors from.
systematic errors.
• We will be able to compute for percent error.