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Choose appropriate SI base and derived units for physical quantities, use prefixes like milli-, kilo-, micro-, and nano-, and convert values without changing the quantity being measured.
Read rulers, balances, timers, thermometers, and digital sensors at the correct resolution, then decide a reasonable uncertainty from the tool and the way it was used.
Distinguish accuracy from precision, recognize random error and systematic error, and reason about how calibration, zero offsets, parallax, and repeated trials affect a measurement.
Apply the previous explanations in a guided problem.
Round measured values and calculated results using significant figures, scientific notation, and the difference between exact numbers and measured quantities.
Write measurements in forms like x ± Δx with units, compare absolute, relative, and percent uncertainty, and use repeated trials to choose a best estimate and a sensible spread.
Check your understanding with a short quiz.
Carry uncertainty through addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and powers, then round the final value and uncertainty so the result does not claim more certainty than the data support.
Record raw data, units, uncertainty, instrument details, conditions, and corrections clearly enough that another person could audit or repeat the measurement.
Review this chapter with practice based on your mistakes.
