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CH 01A Intro and Measurement Ed JR Web

Chapter 1A introduces the nature of science, emphasizing the importance of observations, theories, and predictions in scientific inquiry. It discusses the relationship of physics to other fields, the role of models, theories, and laws, and the significance of measurement and uncertainty, including concepts like significant figures and precision. The chapter highlights that no measurement is exact and outlines methods for expressing uncertainty and accuracy in scientific measurements.

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7 views10 pages

CH 01A Intro and Measurement Ed JR Web

Chapter 1A introduces the nature of science, emphasizing the importance of observations, theories, and predictions in scientific inquiry. It discusses the relationship of physics to other fields, the role of models, theories, and laws, and the significance of measurement and uncertainty, including concepts like significant figures and precision. The chapter highlights that no measurement is exact and outlines methods for expressing uncertainty and accuracy in scientific measurements.

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masononolelo
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 1A:

Introduction and Measurement


Contents of Chapter 1A
1. The Nature of Science
2. Physics and Its Relation to Other Fields
3. Models, Theories, and Laws
4. Measurement and Uncertainty; Significant Figures
5. Units, Standards, and the SI System
6. Converting Units
7. Order of Magnitude: Rapid Estimating
8. Dimensions and Dimensional Analysis
1-1 The Nature of Science
❑ Observations: important first step toward scientific
theory; requires imagination to tell what is important.
❑ Theories: created to explain observations; will make
predictions.
❑ Observations will tell if the prediction is accurate, and
the cycle goes on.
How does a new
theory get accepted?
• Predictions agree
better with data
• Explains a greater
range of phenomena
1-2 Physics and Its Relation to Other Fields
Physics is needed in both
medicine and engineering.
Other fields that use physics,
and make contributions to it: life
sciences, architecture, …
Physics answers the question
“How does it work?”
Physics is quantitative, i.e.
measures things, and uses the
“language” of mathematics.
Physics is both “theoretical” and
“experimental”.
1-3 Models, Theories, and Laws
Models are very useful during the process of understanding
phenomena. A model may be an “idealized” or “simplified”
version of reality; care must be taken to understand the
limits of the model and not always take it literally. e.g. wave
model of light, projectile motion with no air resistance,…
A theory is detailed and can give testable
predictions. e.g. kinetic theory of gases
A law is a brief description of how nature behaves in
a broad set of circumstances. e.g. Newton’s second law
A principle is similar to a law, but applies to a narrower
range of phenomena. e.g. Archimedes’ principle
1-4 Measurement and Uncertainty;
Significant Figures
No measurement is exact; there is always some uncertainty
due to limited instrument precision and difficulty reading
results (e.g. “parallax”). This is sometimes called “error”, which
is misleading, because it is not “incorrect”, rather “unknown”.
Precision refers to repeatability of measurement, i.e. getting
the same result within acceptable uncertainty.
Accuracy is closeness to an accepted or “true” value.
We may use different measuring instruments for different purposes
or required precision. [See Physics Practical course…]

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.


Measurement and Uncertainty;
Significant Figures
Estimated uncertainty is written with a ± sign, i.e.
(average) value ± uncertainty
e.g. the width of the board below is 8.8 ± 0.1 cm.
This means the actual width is between 8.7 and 8.9 cm.
Percentage uncertainty is the ratio of the uncertainty to
the measured value, multiplied by 100 ; e.g. for the
example above the percentage uncertainty is

[approximately 1 percent]

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.


Measurement and Uncertainty;
Significant Figures
The number of significant figures is the number of reliably
known digits in a number. The way a number is written
should indicate the number of significant figures; e.g.
❑ 23.21 cm has 4 significant figures
❑ 0.062 cm has 2 significant figures (the initial zeroes
don’t count)
❑ 80 km is ambiguous—it could have 1 or 2 significant
figures. If it has 3, it should be written 80.0 km.
❑ Avoid ambiguity with scientific notation; e.g. example 2
above: 6.2 × 10−2 cm has 2 significant figures,
6.200 × 10−2 cm has 4 significant figures
Measurement and Uncertainty;
Significant Figures
When multiplying or dividing numbers, the result has as
many significant figures as the number in the calculation
with the fewest (least number of) significant figures.
Example: 11.3 cm x 6.8 cm = 77 cm2
[3 sig. figs. x 2 sig. figs. → 2 sig. figs.]
When adding or subtracting, the answer is no more
accurate than the least accurate number used.
We will emphasise these points in the Physics Practicals.
Do not confuse significant figures with decimal places.
e.g. 1.234 has 4 significant figures and 3 decimal places.
Measurement and Uncertainty;
Significant Figures
Calculators will not give you the
right number of significant figures;
they usually give too many but
sometimes give too few (especially
if there are trailing zeroes after a
decimal point).
The top calculator shows the result
of 2.0 / 3.0. It should be rounded
off to 0.67 (2 significant figs).
The bottom calculator shows the
result of 2.5 × 3.2. The answer
should be written as 8.0

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