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Mr. Klapholz Shaker Heights High School. Physics and Measurement (1). Here we learn the language and the tools of physics. Magnitude. The mass of the universe is about 1 x 10 50 kg. Even though this is a very large mass, we have no trouble writing it in scientific notation.
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Mr. Klapholz Shaker Heights High School Physics and Measurement (1) Here we learn the language and the tools of physics.
Magnitude • The mass of the universe is about 1 x 1050 kg. Even though this is a very large mass, we have no trouble writing it in scientific notation. • The mass of an electron: 10-30 kg. • How much more massive is the universe than the electron? (Please use your calculator). • 1x1050 kg / 1x10-30 kg = 1080 • What are the units? Notice again how easily scientific notation let’s us deal with this.
Significant Figures • This is a system of honestly reporting a value, but not claiming to know more than we do know. • For example, if the edge of a cube is 1.2 cm, then what is its volume? V = L3 = (1.2)3 = 1.728 cm3. • But wait, it is not honest to start with 2 digits, and end up with 4 digits. So, V = 1.7 cm3. • The I.B.O. allows us to disagree by one significant figure without being penalized. • We will explore this more in the Problem Solving section
Uncertainty and Error • No measurement is perfect. • “Random” errors make a measurement too great as often as they make it too small. One way to cope is to repeat the measurement many times. • “Systematic” errors tend to make the measurement either always too great or too small. One way to cope is to make the same measurement using a different method.
Uncertainty and Error • If you use a ruler to measure the width of a piece of printer paper, you would notice that it is about 21.00 cm. • Often we take the uncertainty to be half of the smallest division. Since the markings on the ruler show every millimeter, (10 mm = 1 cm), it would be reasonable to say that the uncertainty (the error) in our measurement was about 0.5 mm.0.5 mm = 0.05 cm. • So the width of the paper is 21.00 ± 0.05 cm. • This means that most likely, the width of the paper is between 20.95 and 21.05 cm.
Examples of Errors • Examples of Random Errors: • Unpredictable changes in room temperature. • Variation among items that were supposed to be identical. • Examples of Systematic Errors: • Doing an experiment outdoors as the sun heats up the apparatus. • Not ‘zeroing’ a balance.
Accuracy vs. Precision (1 of 2) http://www.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/Chem105manual/Lab04/AccuracyPrecision.jpg
Accuracy vs. Precision • “Accuracy” describes how close a measurement comes to the ‘true’ value. • “Precision” describes how closely a group of measurements agree with each other.
Uncertainties in Data Tablesare often shown as column headings
Uncertainties are shown on a graph using “error bars” (or boxes). https://www.graphpad.com/faq/viewfaq.cfm?faq=106
Slope (“gradient”) and y-intercept have uncertainties. Draw the best line and the “extreme lines”. http://w3eos.whoi.edu/12.747/notes/lect03/egspan.gif
“Scalars” are quantities that do not have direction. Examples: • Time • Mass • Energy • Temperature
“Vectors” are quantities that do have direction. Examples: • Velocity • Acceleration • Force • Momentum
When we handwrite the symbol of a vector, we put an arrow over it.When we type the symbol of a vector, we use bold.
Adding Vectors: A + B = C http://img.sparknotes.com/content/testprep/bookimgs/sat2/physics/0011/parallelogram_2.gif
Components of vectors http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/PHYS1169/beilby/vectors.html
Calculating the components of vectors Use ‘sin’ for opposite Use ‘cos’ for adjacent http://www.niiler.com/phy130/vector3.png
Get magnitude from components using Pythagorean theorem: A2 = Ax2 + Ay2