MEASUREMENT

Accuracy and Precision

All measurements are affected by errors. Measurements are always subjected to some uncertainty. This uncertainty can be expressed as accuracy or precision.

Reasons for Uncertainty

The limitations inherent in the construction of the measuring instrument. The conditions under which the measurement was made. The different ways in which the person uses or reads the measuring instrument.

ACCURACY
It is the closeness of a measurement to the accepted value for a specific physical quantity. It can be expressed as Absolute error or Relative error.

ACCURACY: Absolute Error

it is the actual difference between the measured value and the accepted value. EA = /O-A/
EA = Absolute error O = Measured/Observed value A = Accepted value

ACCURACY: Relative Error

it is the percentage error ER = (EA / A) * 100
ER = Relative error EA = Absolute error A = Accepted value

PRECISION
It is the agreement among several measurements that have been made in the same way. It tells how reproducible the measurements are and expressed in terms of Deviation.

PRECISION: Absolute Deviation

it is the difference between a single measured value and the average of several measurements made in the same way. DA = /O-M/
DA = Absolute deviation O = Measured/Observed value M = Mean of several readings

PRECISION: Relative Deviation

it is the percentage average deviation of a set of measurements DR = (DA average / M) * 100
DR = Relative deviation DA average = average DA of a set of measurement

Lets have a quiz

Accepted Value is 13.20 grams

Trial Mass Absolute Error (Ea) Relative Error (Er) Absolute Deviation (Da) Relative Deviation

1 2 3

13.26 13.18 12.95

MEASUREMENT
not only common in science-related fields but also in everyday lives It means comparing anything with a standard to find out the number of times that that standard is contained in the object. Ex.: the table is three meters long

Fundamental Quantities/Units
simplest quantities and units that are convenient to use as basis for explaining or defining There are seven fundamental quantities and units.

Fundamental Quantities/Units
Length Mass Time Temperature Electric current Amount of substance Luminous intensity meter kilogram second Kelvin Ampere mole Candela m kg s K A mol cd

Derived Quantities/Units
quantities and units defined in terms of the fundamental quantities and units

Derived Quantities/Units
Volume Density cubic meter or liter kilogram per cubic meter meter per liter Speed/velocity meter per second Concentration moles per cubic meter Force Newton Energy Joule Power Watt m3, L kg/m3 m/L m/s mol/m3 N J W

System of Units
As a result of scientific progress and different choices of base units, attempts have been made to create a metric system. The modern metric system (1960) is now widely used throughout the world.

System of Units
Traditionally, the English system was used (foot, gallon, and pound). In the modern days, System Internationale d Unites (Sevres, France) International System of Units (Metric System)

Metric System
system of measurement that uses the unit meter as standard for length, kilogram for mass and second for time. Advantage is it uses decimal system. Some units are just multiples or submultiples of ten.

Metric System
It has branched out to two systems:
MKS (meter-kilogram-second) CGS (centimeter-gram-second)

The metric system is easier to learn, remember and apply.

Quantity
System Length Mass Time

English fps

Foot (ft)
Centimeter (cm) Meter (m)

Pound (lb)
Gram (g) Kilogram (kg)

Second (sec)
Second (sec) Second (sec)

cgs Metric mks

Common Prefixes used in Metric System

Nano Micro Milli Centi Deci Deka Hector Kilo Mega Giga n m c d dk h M G 10-9 (billionth) 10-6 (millionth) 10-3 (thousandth) 10-2 (hundredth) 10-1 (tenth) 101 (ten) 102 (hundred) k 103 (thousand) 102 (million) 103 (billion)

Common Prefixes used in Metric System

These prefixes can be use with any of the units to expressions like: 1 nm = 10-9 m 1 Ms = 109 s

Conversion of Units
It will be helpful to know how the magnitude of the SI units compare with each other or the English system with the Metric system and vice versa. To find such, we use conversion of units.

Dimensional Analysis
Also called the factor-label method or unit-factor method It is a sequential application of conversion factors expressed as fractions

Dimensional Analysis
Given x quantity conversion factor = desired quantity

CONVERSION FACTORS
Mass

1 kg = 1000 g = 2.2 lbs 1 ounce = 28.35 g Length 1 m = 100 cm = 39.4 in = 3.28 ft 1 mi = 1.61 km = 5280 ft 1 in = 2.54 cm 1 yard = 3 ft

CONVERSION FACTORS
Volume 1 L = 1000 cm3 = 1000 ml = 1.06 qrt 1 gal = 3.79 L

For Temperature
Since the standard measuring device for temperature is thermometer, and it is never marked a Kelvin, conversion of units is applied.

For Temperature

TF = 1.8Tc + 32 TC = (TF 32)/1.8 TK = Tc + 273.15 K