1. Accuracy and Precision
Unit 0.1
Accuracy and Precision

2. Accuracy and Precision
Because theories are based on observation and experiment, careful measurements are very important in physics. But in reality, no measurement is perfect.

3. Accuracy and Precision
In describing the imperfection, there are two factors to consider: a measurement’s accuracy and a measurement’s precision.

4. Accuracy and Precision
Although these terms are often used interchangeably in everyday speech, they have specific meanings in a scientific discussion.

5. Accuracy and Precision
Experimental work is never free of error, but it is important to minimize error in order to obtain accurate results.

6. Accuracy and Precision
Human error can occur. One way to avoid human error is to take repeated measurements to be certain they are consistent.

7. Accuracy and Precision
Another type of error is called method error. This occurs when some measurements are taken using one method and some are used taking another method.

8. Accuracy and Precision
The third type of error is instrumental error. This occurs when the equipment you are using is faulty or not calibrated correctly.

9. Accuracy and Precision
Poor accuracy involves errors that can be corrected. On the other hand, precision describes how exact a measurement can possibly be.

10. Accuracy and Precision
For example, the measurement of 1.325m is more precise than the measurement of 1.3m.

11. Accuracy and Precision
A lack of precision is usually due to limitations of the measuring instrument and is not the result of human error or lack of calibration.

12. Accuracy and Precision
Accuracy describes how close a measured value is to the true value of the quantity measured. Precision refers to the degree of exactness with which a measurement is made and stated.

13. Significant Figures
It is important to record the precision of your measurements so that other people can understand and interpret your results.

14. Significant Figures
A common convention used in science to indicate precision is known as significant digits.

15. Significant Figures
Significant figures are those digits in a measurement that are known with certainty plus the first digit that is uncertain.

16. Significant Figures
In calculations, the number of significant figures in your result depends on the number of significant figures in each measurement.

17. Significant Figures
Rules for calculating with significant figures when adding or subtracting * the final answer should have the same number of digits to the right of the decimal as the measurement with the smallest number of digits to the right of the decimal

18. Significant Figures
Example: 97.3 g g round off to 103.2g

19. Significant Figures
Rules for calculating with significant figures when you are multiplying or dividing: * the final answer has the same number of significant figures as the measurement having the smallest number of significant figures.

20. Significant Figures
Example: 90.3 m ÷ 5 s round off to 20 m/s

21. Rules for determining whether zeros are significant figures

22. Significant Figures
1. Zeros between other nonzero digits are significant. Example: 50.3 m – 3 significant digits

23. Significant Figures
2. Zeros in front of nonzero digits are not significant Example: kg – 1 significant digit

24. Significant Figures
3. Zeros that are at the end of a number and also to the right of the decimal are significant. Examples: 57.0 – 3 significant digits significant digits

25. Significant Figures
4. Zeros at the end of a number but to the left of a decimal are significant Example: 1000 – 1 significant digit – 4 significant digits