MEASUREMENTS

Fundamental Quantities
QUANTITY BASE UNIT SYMBOL
Mass kilogram kg
Length meter m
Time second s
Temperature kelvin K
Electric current ampere A
Amount of substance mole mol
Luminous intensity candela cd

MEASUREMENT
- a process of comparing a known quantity like
measuring device to an unknown quantity, things, or
objects to be measured
METRIC SYSTEM
- scientific system of measurement
- International System of Units (SI)
- Universal language for measurement
Describe each of the given images
ACCURACY – refers to the closeness of
the average value of the actual or
true value, or most probable value

PRECISION – refers to how close each

measurements to one another.
 EXERCISE
Three students, each using a different balance, determined the
mass of a copper cylinder. Describe the accuracy and precision of
each student’s measurements if the correct mass of the cylinder is
47.32 g.
Mass of Cylinder (g) Average
Name of Mass of
Student Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Cylinder (g)

Mikaela 47.13 47.94 46.83 47.47 47.34

Gabriela 47.45 47.39 47.42 47.41 47.42

Rafaela 47.95 47.91 47.89 47.93 47.92

Mikaela: High accuracy, low precision

Gabriela: Low accuracy, High precision
Rafaela: Low accuracy, High precision
 RULES IN EVALUATING SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
1. Nonzero digits - all nonzero digits are significant
Examples: 1236 – 4SF 249436 – 6SF
2. Captive zeros - zeros between nonzero digits are
significant. Examples: 1005 – 4SF 10009205 – 8SF
3.Leading zeros - zeros to the left of the first nonzero digit
are not significant. They are placeholders and are used to
locate a decimal point. Examples: 0.00568 – 3SF
0.0050803 – 5 SF
4. Trailing zeros – zeros at the end of a number and to the
right of a decimal point are significant.
Examples: 105.0 – 4SF 0.00500600 – 6SF
5. Final zeros – zeros at the end of a number that lies to the
left of an understood decimal point may or may not be
significant. Examples: 500 (the zeros may or may not be
significant) 1SF/2SF/3SF
HOW MANY SIGNIFICANT FIGURES ARE IN
EACH MEASUREMENT?

1. 3.005 g - 4SF
2. 820 m - 2/3 SF
3. 0.000 670 km - 3SF
4. 0.405 021 kg - 6SF
5. 22.4 L - 3SF