Skip to main content

1. Measurement and uncertainties

1.png

Fundamental SI units

Fundamental units

Quantity SI unit Symbol
Mass Kilogram kg
Distance Meter m
Time Second s
Electric current Ampere A
Particle Mole mol
Temperature Kelvin K
Luminous intensity Candela cd

Derived units

Derived Unit Measures Derivation Formal Definition
hertz (Hz) frequency / s s^-1^
newton (N) force kg · (m/s^2^) kg·m·s^-2^
pascal (Pa) pressure N / m^2^ kg·m^-1^·s^-2^
joule (J) energy or work N · m kg·m^2^·s^-2^
watt (W) power J / s kg·m^2^·s^-3^
coulomb (C) electric charge A · s A·s
volt (V) electric potential W / A kg·m^2^·s^-3^·A^-1^
farad (F) electric capacitance C / V kg^-1^·m^-2^·s^4^·A^2^
ohm (Ω) electric resistance V / A kg·m^2^·s^-3^·A^-2^
siemens (S) electric conductance A / V kg^-1^·m^-2^·s^3^·A^2^
weber (Wb) magnetic flux V · s kg·m^2^·s^-2^·A^-1^
tesla (T) magnetic flux density Wb / m^2^ kg·s^-2^·A^-1^
henry (H) inductance Wb / A kg·m^2^·s^-2^·A^-2^
degree Celsius (°C) temperature K - 273.15 K
radian (rad) plane angle m·m^-1^
steradian (sr) solid angle m^2^·m^-2^
lumen (lm) luminous flux cd · sr cd·sr
lux (lx) illuminance lm / m^2^ cd·sr·m^-2^
becquerel (Bq) activity / s s^-1^
gray (Gy) absorbed dose J / kg m^2^·s^-2^
sievert (Sv) dose equivalent Gy · (multiplier) m^2^·s^-2^
katal (kat) catalytic activity mol / s mol·s^-1^

Scientific notation

Solar constant:

S = 1630 = 1.63 x 1000 = 1.63 x 10^3^ Wm^-2^

Three zero, ten to the third power

几个零,几次方

Permeability of free space:

μ~0~ = 0.0000004π = 4π x 0.0000001 = 4π x 10^-7^ TmA^-1^

Six zero and float begin at seven dights after point (小数点), ten to the seventh power

小数点后第几位,多少负次方

Metric multipliers

Prefix Abbreviation Value
peta P 10^15^
tera T 10^12^
giga G 10^9^
mega M 10^6^
kilo k 10^3^
hecto h 10^2^
deca da 10^1^
deci d 10^-1^
centi c 10^-2^
milli m 10^-3^
micro μ 10^-6^
nano n 10^-9^
pico p 10^-12^
femto f 10^-15^

Random and systematic errors

Random error Systematic error
Caused by fluctuations in measurements centered around the true value (spread). Caused by fixed shifts in measurements away from the true value.
Can be reduced by averaging over repeated measurements. Cannot be reduced by averaging over repeated measurements.
Not caused by bias. Caused by bias.
  • Accurate - Small Systematic error
  • Precise - Small Random error {.grid-list}

random_and_systematic_error.webp

Significant figures (digits)

All figures are significant except:

  1. Leading zeros
  2. Trailing (结尾) zeros, if this value does not have a decimal point

Calculation

Addition & Subtraction:

The answer must be equal to the least number of decimal places in the numbers added or subtracted

$$ \colorbox{#FF3B30}1\colorbox{#FFCC00}2.\colorbox{#007AFF}3\colorbox{#4CD964}6-\colorbox{#FF3B30}3.\colorbox{#FFCC00}1\colorbox{#007AFF}5\approx\colorbox{#FF3B30}9.\colorbox{#FFCC00}2\colorbox{#007AFF}1 $$

Multiplication & Division:

The answer must be equal to the least number of significant figure in the numbers multiplied or divided

$$ \colorbox{#FF3B30}3.\colorbox{#FFCC00}2\colorbox{#007AFF}1\times\colorbox{#FF3B30}4.\colorbox{#FFCC00}1\approx\colorbox{#FF3B30}1\colorbox{#FFCC00}3 $$

Uncertainties

Addition & Subtraction $y=a\pm b$ $\Delta y=\Delta a+\Delta b$ (sum of absolute uncertainties)
Multiplication & Division $y=a\times b$ $\frac{\Delta y}{y}=\frac{\Delta a}{a}+\frac{\Delta b}{b}$ (sum of fractional uncertainties)
Power $y=a^n$ $\frac{\Delta y}{y}=\lvert n\rvert\times\frac{\Delta a}{a}$ (|n| times fractional uncertainty)

Vector

A vector is an object that has both a magnitude and a direction

Scalar only has magnitude

Rule

vector_rule.webp