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Measurement and Data Processing

The document provides an overview of physics, focusing on its definition, key questions, and the use of mathematics to describe natural phenomena. It discusses measurement concepts, including scientific notation, errors, accuracy, precision, and the importance of significant figures. Additionally, it covers graphing techniques and types of graphs used in physics to analyze data and relationships between variables.

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6 views

Measurement and Data Processing

The document provides an overview of physics, focusing on its definition, key questions, and the use of mathematics to describe natural phenomena. It discusses measurement concepts, including scientific notation, errors, accuracy, precision, and the importance of significant figures. Additionally, it covers graphing techniques and types of graphs used in physics to analyze data and relationships between variables.

Uploaded by

baranjalilian0820
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Measurement and

Data Processing
11 ATAR Physics
What is Physics?
• Physics is the study of forces, motion and energy.
• It deals with these from a sub-atomic through to universal scale.
• Some of the main questions Physics answers are:
1. Where did the universe come from, and does it have an end?
2. Are we alone in the universe?
3. What is matter made of?
4. Is there a single equation or theory that can describe everything?
The language of Physics
• Physics uses maths to describe models and laws that
explain natural phenomena. Eg. Force = Mass x
Acceleration (F=MA) – Newton’s 2nd Law.
Domains of Physics
Branches of Physics
Scientific Notation.
• Provides a way of writing really big or really small
numbers that have been measured.
1. Eg. Distance from earth to sun = 1.5x10^11m
2. The size of a grain of sand = 2x10^-4m
3. The distance to the nearest star = 4x10^16m
4. The radius of the earth = 6.378x10^6m
Measurement prefixes
International system of units.
Derived units
Order of magnitude
• If you do not need to know an exact answer you can
estimate using orders of magnitude.
• For example the mass of an electron is 9.11 x 10^-31kg
≈1x10^-30 therefor the order of magnitude for the mass
of an electron is -30.
• The mass of Mars is 6.4 x 10^23 kg ≈ 10 x 10^23 so
order of magnitude is 24.
Magnitude question
• If the circumference of the earth is 4.02 x 10^4 km and
the length of a light year is 9.46 x 10^15, how many
orders of magnitude greater is this?

• 16-4=12 orders of magnitude greater.


Errors
• There are 2 main classes of errors:
• RANDOM ERRORS
• SYSTEMATIC ERRORS
• Random errors are due to variations in the performance of the
instrument and the operator.
• Systematic error causes a random set of measurements to be spread
about a value rather than being spread about the accepted value.

• Percent error = (Measured value – actual value / actual value) x 100%


RANDOM ERRORS
True Value and Accuracy
The “true value” is the value that would be
obtained with ideal measurements. A
measurement is judged to be “accurate” if it
close to that value. For example, what does this
thermometer read?
I reckon it’s 22OC

I reckon it’s 24OC


My measurement was
the most accurate as it
was closestit’s
I reckon to the true
26OC
value!
01/02/2025
SYSTEMATIC ERRORS
Accuracy and precision
• Accuracy is an indication of how
close a measurement is to the
accepted value.
• An accurate experiment has a low
systematic error.
• Precision is an indication of the
agreement among a number of
measurements made in the same way.
• A precise experiment has a low random
error.
01/02/2025
Precision
“Precise measurements” are measurements that show
very little spread around the mean average value.

Which of the following two sets of data are the most


precise?

Conc. of Time taken for magnesium to Average time/s


acid react/s
Attempt 1 Attempt 2 Attempt 3

Low 50 52 54 52
High 20 24 22 22

Notice that precision depends only on


random errors – it gives no indication of how
close results are to the true value!
01/02/2025
Systematic Errors on a Graph

x
x
Resistance of
wire/Ω

x
x
x
x
According to this graph, a
wire that’s zero cm long

x
has some resistance, which
x

can’t be right. What went


wrong?

0 Length of
wire/cm
Significant Figures
Determining uncertainty in a single
measurement.
Uncertainty in trials
+&- uncertainty

• (2.6 ± 0.5m) + (2.8 ± 0.5m) =


x&⁄ uncertainty
• (6.2 ± 0.5 cm) x (2.81 ± 0.01 cm)
• When you draw a graph, you should:
• Give the graph a title
• Label the axes with quantities and units
• Use the available space effectively
• Use sensible scales, no uneven jumps
• Plot all points correctly
• A line of best fit should be drawn smoothly. It
does not have to go through all points but should
show the overall trend
• Identify points that don’t fit the trend
Best Fit Graphs

• The best-fit line passes as near to as many of


the points as possible.
• It does not necessarily pass through any of the
points plotted.
• If the line has to be extended beyond the range
of measurements, it is called extrapolation.
• Finding a point within the data on the straight
line is called interpolation.
Graph this 
Types of graphs
• Linear y=mx + c
Parabolas/Quadratics
• Parabola y = kx2
Inverse
• Inverse y = k/x
Periodic
• Periodic (sine, cosine) y = Asin ωx
Exponential decay
• Exponential decay y = Ae-kx
Square root
• Square root y = k√x
Linearising data
Or use the guess and check method….or use excel
For each of the following dataset:
(a) Plot the graph and state the relationship between the variables.
(b) Then plot a linear graph to obtain the equation relating the variables

1.

2.

Screen clipping taken: 18/02/2014 2:02 PM


How to determine uncertainty in
graphs

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