Physics unit review

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the correct answer

Precision

How close successive measurements are to eachother

Error

Uncertainty in a measurement

Random error

Error in how YOU perform a task, like pulling a ruler to a certain tightness. Can be avoided by taking many trials

Systematic error

Error that is inherintly part of the measuring device, like a balance scale not set to zero or worn ends of a meter stick. can be avoided by adding or subtracting something to solve the problem

Parallax

Random error in how you read a measurement

Reference point

The place from which the location of an object is described, with a direction (a vector)

Position

The location of an object with a direction (a vector) represented with “d”

Distance

The total path travelled (d with an arrow) a scalar

Displacement

The change in position (delta d with an arrow) with direction

Average speed

The total distance travelled divided by the total time It took (V ave) a scalar

Average velocity.

The total displacement divided by the total time (V with an arrow) including direction. To find velocity, get the slope when given a distance over time graph