MEASURING PROCESS

□It is very important that we choose an

appropriate instrument which is suitable
for measuring a physical quantity.
□Example :
a) metre rule is used to measure the
length of a book.
b) vernier callipers is used to
measured the breadth of a wooden
block.
 Measurements of physical
quantities

a) Vernier calliper
b) Micrometer screw gauge
 c) Measuring time
• Stopwatch can be used to measure short
intervals of time.
• Two types of stopwatch :
i) Digital stopwatch
ii) Analogue stopwatch
• The digital stopwatch is more accurate
than an analogue stopwatch.
 Measuring volume
• The surface of the liquid is not flat but it
curves at the inner surface of the
cylinder.
• This curved surface of liquid is called
meniscus.
• When reading is taken, the eye level
must be at the bottom of the meniscus.
 Measuring temperature
• We use mercury thermometer with range
– 10oC to 110o C.
• When we measure the water temperature
in a beaker, the water must be stirred.
• When a reading is made, the eye level
must be at the same level of the
meniscus to eliminate parallax error.
 Accuracy, Consistency and
Sensitivity in Measurement
• Accuracy how close the
measurement made is to the actual
value.

• Consistency how little deviation

there is among the measurement made
when a quantity is measured several
times.
• Sensitivity is ability to detect a
small change in the quantity to be
measured. The smaller the change,
the more sensitive the instrument is.
 GRAPH
• In an experiment, one of the paired variables
is changed and the other variable is
measured.
• The values then recorded and a graph is
drawn to analyse the relationship, if any
which exists between the two variables.
• identify all variables involved in the situation.
a) manipulated variable → the
variable that change. Is plotted on
the x- axis
 b) responding variable → the variable
that you will measure after the
manipulated variable has is plotted.
c) fixed variable

Manipulated
Variables
Responding
Variables