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American System Physics

A Physics Toolkit

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Representing Motion

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Accelerated Motion

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Forces in One Dimension

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Displacement and Force in Two Dimensions

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Motion in Two Dimensions

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Gravitation

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Rotational Motion

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Momentum and Its Conservation

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Energy and Its Conservation

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Thermal Energy

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

States of Matter

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Vibrations and Waves

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Sound

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Fundamentals of Light

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Reflection and Refraction

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Interference and Diffraction

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Electrostatics

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Electric Current and Circuits

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Magnetic Fields

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Electromagnetic Induction and Electromagnetism

0/9 Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material

Quantum Theory and the Atom

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Solid-State Electronics

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Nuclear and Particle Physics

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Quiz

1.2 Measurement – Quiz

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Measurement American Physics quiz: free practice for American System Physics. Work through this Measurement American Physics quiz and get instant feedback on every answer. If you get stuck, review the 1.2 Measurement — Notes lesson. More practice: American System Physics — all units. Syllabus: OpenStax free science textbooks.

  • Questions count: 50
  • Passing grade: A-
  • Time limit:
Start Quiz
1.
In physics, what is a measurement?
A comparison of an unknown quantity with an agreed standard unit, given with a number, unit and uncertainty
A guess of the size of a quantity
Any number written in scientific notation
A value that has no uncertainty
2.
A digital stopwatch displays times such as 12.47 s. What is its resolution?
0.1 s
0.01 s
1 s
0.001 s
3.
A metre rule has 1 mm divisions. What uncertainty should normally be given for a single reading on it?
± 1 cm
± 0.05 mm
± 0.5 mm
± 5 mm
4.
A metal key is placed on a millimetre ruler as shown. What is its length with a suitable uncertainty?
Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material
8.4 ± 0.05 cm
6.4 ± 0.5 cm
64 ± 0.05 cm
6.4 ± 0.05 cm
5.
The ammeter is shown with no current flowing and then connected in a circuit. What is the corrected current?
Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material
3.0 A
3.5 A
4.0 A
0.5 A
6.
Eight readings of a known voltage are shown as crosses on the target (centre = accepted value). What is the best description of the readings?
Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material
Precise and accurate
Not precise, but their mean is accurate
Precise but not accurate
Neither precise nor accurate, and the mean is far from the centre
7.
A pointer sits above a scale, and three students view it from positions P, Q and R. Which student reads the correct value, 6?
Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material
P, looking from the left
R, looking from the right
Q, looking straight down
All three read the same value
8.
A thermometer is checked against a reference thermometer, giving the calibration graph shown. What does the graph reveal?
Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material
A random error that averaging would remove
The thermometer is perfectly accurate
Readings are 2 °C too low
A systematic error: every reading is 2 °C too high
9.
Two balances each weigh the same coin five times; the readings are plotted. Which statement is correct?
Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material
Balance X is more precise because its readings are closer together
Balance Y is more precise because its readings cover a wider range
Both are equally precise
Precision cannot be judged without the accepted value
10.
The measuring cylinder is marked every 2 mL. How should the volume be recorded?
Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material
46 ± 2 mL
46 ± 1 mL
45 ± 0.1 mL
46.00 ± 1 mL
11.
A student times 20 swings of a pendulum five times. What is the mean time for 20 swings?
28.9 s
143.0 s
28.6 s
28.3 s
12.
Using half the range as the uncertainty, how should the width of the lab bench be reported from the readings in the table?
34.5 ± 0.6 cm
34.6 ± 0.2 cm
138.0 ± 0.3 cm
34.5 ± 0.3 cm
13.
A student measures her reaction time with a dropped ruler five times. What value should she report?
0.30 s
0.34 s
0.52 s
0.29 s
14.
Four groups measure the voltage of a cell labelled 1.50 V (table). Which group has readings that are precise but not accurate?
Group A
Group C
Group B
Group D
15.
Three groups measure the density of different metals (table). Which group has the smallest percentage error?
The aluminium group
The lead group
The copper group
All have the same percentage error
16.
An electronic balance reads 0.6 g with nothing on the pan. Using the table, what is the corrected mass of sample B?
25.4 g
26.0 g
24.2 g
24.8 g
17.
A trolley’s run time is measured by hand and by light gates (table). Which conclusion is best supported?
The light-gate times are more precise because they vary much less
The hand times are more precise because they are larger
Both methods are equally precise
Hand timing has no random error
18.
A student’s thermometer is compared with a calibrated one (table). What type of error does her thermometer have?
Random, because the readings are different temperatures
Systematic, because every reading is 1.5 °C too high
No error, because the readings rise together
Parallax, because the readings are too high
19.
A student measures the speed of sound as 352 m/s. The accepted value is 343 m/s. What is the percentage error?
9%
2.56 m/s
2.6%
97%
20.
Which action reduces the effect of random error on a result?
Subtracting the zero reading
Using the same faulty meter every time
Rounding the answer to 1 significant figure
Repeating the measurement and calculating a mean
21.
Which situation produces a systematic error?
A tape measure that has stretched, so every length reads too small
Small unpredictable changes in air currents around a balance
Estimating between two scale marks
Varying reaction time when using a stopwatch
22.
Which result is written correctly as value ± uncertainty?
12.43 ± 0.1 cm
12.4 ± 0.1 cm
12.4 cm ± 0.1
12 ± 0.12 cm
23.
A student wants the thickness of one page of a textbook but her ruler only has 1 mm divisions. Which method gives the most precise value?
Measure one page several times and choose the largest value
Measure one page once and round to the nearest mm
Measure the thickness of 200 pages and divide by 200
Estimate the thickness by eye
24.
Which procedure is calibration?
Repeating a reading five times
Reading a scale at eye level
Discarding an anomalous reading
Hanging known standard masses on a spring balance and adjusting it so it reads their correct weights
25.
A length is recorded as 25.0 ± 0.5 cm. What is its percentage uncertainty?
2%
0.5%
50%
20%
26.
A student always reads a liquid level while looking down from slightly above. Which statement describes the effect?
The readings scatter randomly, so averaging will fix it
Every reading is shifted the same way, so it is a systematic error that repeating will not remove
There is no effect because the scale is fixed
It improves precision
27.
A ball is dropped from the same height eight times and its bounce height is plotted for each trial. Which trial should be treated as anomalous?
Dr Dabour Hub Science Diagram and Course Material
Trial 1
Trial 4
Trial 5
Trial 8
28.
A voltmeter reads 0.3 V too high for every voltage tested. Which action would most improve the accuracy of future readings?
Take more readings and average them
Read the display from a different angle
Round every reading to 1 significant figure
Recalibrate the meter against a standard voltage source
29.
Checking an instrument against known standard values and adjusting it is called _____.
interpolation
calibration
averaging
resolution
30.
The smallest change in a quantity that an instrument can detect is its _____.
accuracy
mean
resolution
calibration
31.
The mean of 4.2 s, 4.4 s and 4.3 s is _____.
12.9 s
4.4 s
0.2 s
4.3 s
32.
A length measured as 48 cm has an accepted value of 50 cm. The percentage error is _____.
4%
2%
4.2%
96%
33.
An error caused by reading a scale from an angle is called _____ error.
zero
parallax
random
calibration
34.
Accuracy describes how close a measured value is to the true or accepted value. True or false?
True
False, that is precision
False, that is resolution
True only for digital meters
35.
Readings that are very close to each other must also be close to the true value. True or false?
True
False, because a systematic error can make precise readings inaccurate
True only if the meter is digital
False, because close readings are never accurate
36.
Repeating a measurement many times and taking the mean removes a systematic error. True or false?
True
True if more than ten readings are taken
False, because a systematic error shifts every reading the same way
False, because systematic errors do not exist
37.
A newton meter reads −0.2 N with nothing attached. A reading of 4.6 N should be corrected to 4.8 N. True or false?
False, it should be 4.4 N
False, it should stay 4.6 N
True only for small forces
True
38.
A zero error is a type of systematic error. True or false?
True
False, it is random
False, it is parallax
True only for balances
39.
A measured value of 9.5 m/s² for g (accepted 9.8 m/s²) has a percentage error of about 3%. True or false?
False, it is 0.3%
True
False, it is 30%
True only in a vacuum
40.
A digital thermometer that displays to 0.1 °C must be accurate to 0.1 °C. True or false?
True
True only indoors
False, because resolution shows precision, but an uncalibrated meter can still be inaccurate
False, because digital meters have no resolution
41.
Using a data logger instead of hand timing can reduce random error caused by reaction time. True or false?
False, it adds more random error
False, reaction time is a systematic error that cannot change
True only for times over one minute
True
42.
Parallax error is avoided by placing the eye level with and perpendicular to the scale mark. True or false?
True
False, the eye should be above the scale
False, parallax cannot be avoided
True only for rulers
43.
Readings widely spread but with a mean close to the true value are accurate on average but not precise. True or false?
False, they are precise but not accurate
True
False, they are both precise and accurate
True only if there are more than ten readings
44.
The mean of a set of repeated readings is a better estimate of the true value than any single reading. True or false?
False, the first reading is always best
False, the largest reading is best
True
True only when there are no random errors
45.
A reliable (repeatable) result gives consistent values when the same person repeats it with the same method and equipment. True or false?
False, it must use different equipment each time
True only if the result is accurate
False, only one reading is taken
True
46.
A student who gets 14.0 ± 0.1 cm and 14.3 ± 0.1 cm for the same length has results that agree within their uncertainties. True or false?
False, because the ranges 13.9–14.1 cm and 14.2–14.4 cm do not overlap
True
True only if rounded to whole centimetres
False, because uncertainties cannot be compared
47.
For a reading of 0.80 ± 0.02 A, the percentage uncertainty is 2.5%. True or false?
False, it is 0.025%
True
False, it is 40%
True only for currents
48.
The table shows that the second instrument is more precise than the first. True or false?
True
False, because both have the same range
False, because the first instrument’s readings are much closer together
True only for the last reading
49.
The results in the table suggest a random error rather than a systematic one. True or false?
True
False, because there is no error at all
True only for the lightest mass
False, because every reading is about 0.3 kg above the true mass, a systematic shift
50.
Estimating a reading that falls between two scale marks can introduce random error. True or false?
True
False, it always introduces a zero error
False, estimating is never needed
True only for digital displays
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