Topic 1- Working as a Physicist

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to its true value, influenced by the systematic and random errors of that measurement.

Base Units

The set of seven basic measures from which all other SI units can be derived.

Estimation

Making a reasonable approximation of a value in order to check a calculation or make a quick comparison to another value.

Precision

How close a set of repeated measurements are to one another but not the true value, influenced by the random errors of those measurements.

Random Error

The unpredictable variation in a measurement. These can be reduced by taking many repeated measurements and calculating their mean.

Repeatability

An experiment is said to be repeatable if the same person with the same equipment obtains the same result when doing the same experiment a number of times, over a short time period

Reproducibility

An experiment is said to be reproducible if different people with different equipment, measuring the same quantity, get a similar result.

Resolution

The smallest interval that a given measuring device can measure.

Systematic Error

A consistent shift in readings causing a deviation from the true value. This shift is due to the equipment or method being used and cannot be reduced by repeated measurements.

Uncertainty

The range of values that could reasonably contain the true value of a measurement, based on the confidence an experimenter has about their result.