Measurements

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to measurements in laboratory settings, including definitions of measurements, temperature scales, significant figures, and conversion factors.

Measurement

A quantitative description that includes both a number and a unit.

Scientific Notation

A method of writing numbers as a product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of 10.

Significant Figures

Digits in a measurement that carry meaningful information about its precision.

SI Units

International System of Units, the standard set of units used in scientific measurements.

Mass

A measure of the quantity of matter in an object, often measured in kilograms or grams.

Weight

The force exerted by gravity on an object, dependent on mass and gravitational pull.

Volume

The amount of space an object occupies, commonly measured in liters or cubic meters.

Celsius (°C)

A temperature scale where 0°C is the freezing point of water and 100°C is its boiling point.

Fahrenheit (°F)

A temperature scale where 32°F is the freezing point of water and 212°F is its boiling point.

Kelvin (K)

The absolute temperature scale where 0 K is absolute zero, equivalent to -273.15°C.

Exact Numbers

Numbers that are counted or defined and have no uncertainty, such as the number of students in a class.

Approximate Numbers

Numbers obtained through measurement that include some level of uncertainty.

Conversion Factor

A ratio used to convert between different units of measurement.

Rounding Off Numbers

The process of reducing the number of digits to maintain a desired level of precision.

Prefix (Metric)

A modifier that specifies a power of ten that defines the scale of the unit, like kilo- for 10^3.

Metric Prefixes

Prefixes used in the metric system to represent powers of ten, such as milli- (10^-3) or centi- (10^-2).