UNIT 2 - Units, Measurements, Errors, and Vectors

Flashcards for reviewing physics lecture notes.

Prefix

A unit prefix is a specifier that is prepended to units of measurement to indicate multiples or submultiples of the units.

SI Base Units

The International System of Units (SI) defines base units for physical quantities like length, mass, time, etc., providing a standard for measurement.

Derived Units

are units that are derived from the base units.

Scalar

A quantity that has magnitude only.

Vector

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

Systematic Error

A consistent error in the same direction.

Random Error

Unpredictable errors that vary in each measurement.

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the true value.

Precision

The repeatability of a measurement.

Error

The difference between a measured value and the true value.

Uncertainty

The range within which the true value is likely to lie.

Resolving Vectors

Breaking down a vector into its horizontal (Fx) and vertical (Fy) components using trigonometry, where Fx = F cos θ and Fy = F sin θ.