Measurements in Science

1. Measurements in Science Accuracy and Precision EQ:How do you determine the accuracy and precision of your measurements? Chemistry Jacqueline P. Hancock, B.S., M.Ed

2. 1.1 Measurements • Quantity with both a number and unit • Fundamental to experimentation

3. Scientific Notation Exponential Notation • Coefficient • Power of 10 • Positive exponent > 1 • Negative exponent < 1 Example 6.02x1023 • Standard Notation 602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

4. Accuracy vs. Precision • Accuracy-how close a measurement comes to the actual value • Precision-how close a series of measurements are to each other ______________________________ How do accuracy and precision differ? How do you determine accuracy and precision of your measurements?

5. ACCURACY & PRECISION

6. Accurate vs. Inaccurate • Error • The difference between the accepted value and the experimental value • Error= (experimental value - accepted value) • Percent Error • The absolute value of the error divided by the accepted value, multiplied by 100% • Percent Error = ____|error|_ x 100% • accepted value

7. Accepted/Actual Values • Homework: Calculate Error & Percent Error • Sheet of Paper • Length 27.94 cm • Width 21.59 cm • Index Card • Length 12.7 cm • Width 7.62 cm

8. Significant Figures • All figures that are known plus a last estimated digit. • Applies only to measured quantities • Necessary for precision

9. Are Significant Figures Important? • A Fable A student once needed a cube of metal that had to have a mass of 83 grams. He knew the density of this metal was 8.67 g/mL, which told him the cube's volume. • Believing significant figures were invented just to make life difficult for chemistry students and had no practical use in the real world, he calculated the volume of the cube as 9.573 mL.

10. He thus determined that the edge of the cube had to be 2.097 cm. • He took his plans to the machine shop where his friend had the same type of work done the previous year. • The shop foreman said, "Yes, we can make this according to your specifications - but it will be expensive." "That's OK," replied the student. "It's important." He knew his friend has paid $35, and he had been given $50 out of the school's research budget to get the job done.

11. He returned the next day, expecting the job to be done. "Sorry," said the foreman. "We're still working on it. Try next week." Finally the day came, and our friend got his cube. It looked very, very smooth and shiny and beautiful in its velvet case. Seeing it, our hero had a premonition of disaster and became a bit nervous. • But he summoned up enough courage to ask for the bill. "$500, and cheap at the price. We had a terrific job getting it right -- had to make three before we got one right.“

12. "But--but--my friend paid only $35 for the same thing!" • "No. He wanted a cube 2.1 cm on an edge, and your specifications called for 2.097. We had yours roughed out to 2.1 that very afternoon, but it was the precision grinding and lapping to get it down to 2.097 which took so long and cost the big money. The first one we made was 2.089 on one edge when we got finished, so we had to scrap it. The second was closer, but still not what you specified. That's why the three tries."

13. Is the digit significant? • Every nonzero digit is assumed • Zeros between nonzero digits • Left most zeros in front of nonzero are placeholders • Zeros at end of number and to right of decimal point are always significant • Zeros at rightmost end to left of decimal are not if they are placeholders unless they are measured values

14. Questions & Discussion

15. MEASUREMENTS IN SCIENCE • SI System: • Why does the scientific community use the SI system? ~To communicate • SI system is based on 10

19. d Metric Drawing Assignment

20. ` K H D (base)

21. Complete the Chart

22. UNIT CONVERSIONS • TO CONVERT TO A LARGER NUMBER • MOVE THE DECIMAL POINT TO THE LEFT AND STOP IN FRONT OF THE DESIRED PREFIX • TO CONVERT TO A SMALLER NUMBER • MOVE THE DECIMAL POINT TO THE RIGHT AND STOP BEHIND THE DESIRED PREFIX