Gen. Physics 1

What is the main difference between accuracy and precision in scientific measurements?

• Accuracy relates to how close a measurement is to the true value, while precision refers to the consistency of measurements.

• Accuracy indicates the number of significant figures in a measurement, while precision deals with units of measurement.

• Accuracy is only important in physics, while precision is vital in chemistry.

• Accuracy and precision are the same thing; they can be used interchangeably.

If you want to convert 5 kilometers to meters, how many meters is it?

• 500 meters

• 5,000 meters

• 50 meters

• 0.5 meters

Which of the following quantities is a scalar?

• Displacement

• Velocity

• Speed

• Acceleration

Express the number 0.0000256 in scientific notation.

• 2.56 x 10-5

• 25.6 x 10-6

• 0.0256 x 10-3

• 256 x 10-4

Accuracy tells us how close the measurement is to the true value of the quantity that was measured. Consider 3.7 mL to be the true value, which set of measurements below is accurate?

• 3.85 mL, 3.86 mL, 3.83 mL, 3.88 mL

• 3.25 mL, 3.42 mL, 3.35 mL, 3.20 mL

• 3.70 mL, 3.72 mL, 3.71 mL, 3.73 mL

• 3.10 mL, 3.24 mL, 3.34 mL, 3.12 mL

In a biology experiment, you are measuring the growth of a plant each week. After 4 weeks, the recorded heights are 10 cm, 11 cm, 10.5 cm, and 12 cm. What can you infer about the accuracy and precision of your measurements?

• Accurate and precise

• Accurate but not precise

• Precise but not accurate

• Neither accurate nor precise

You are a chemist measuring the density of a liquid, and your balance shows a mass of 25.674 grams. What should you report as the mass with the correct number of significant figures?

• 25.7 grams

• 25.67 grams

• 25.6740 grams

• 25.674 grams

You are reviewing for a Physics exam about the concept of vector. Which of the following examples best represents a vector quantity?

• The temperature is 30°C.

• The car is moving at 60 miles per hour.

• The weight of the object is 10 kg.

• The force applied is 5 newtons to the east.

You are explaining the difference between scalars and vectors in a navigation class. Which of the following represents a scalar quantity when navigating?

• Speed

• Wind direction

• Displacement

• Acceleration

You're conducting a chemistry experiment to determine the melting point of a substance. Your results for three trials are 100.2°C, 100.3°C, and 100.1°C. What can you conclude about the accuracy and precision of your measurements?

• Accurate and precise

• Accurate but not precise

• Precise but not accurate

• Neither accurate nor precise