Physics Chapter 1 Vocab quiz

interpolation

Reading from the graph between data points

fundamental unit

one of the standard units

extrapolation

reading from the graph beyond the limits of your experimentally determined data points

derived unit

two or more standard units (ex. m^2, m^3, g/cm^3)

percent error

found by dividing the difference between the measured value and the accepted value of a quantity by the accepted value, and then multiplying this quotient by 100%

significant digits

the numbers in the given value of a physical quantity obtained by actual measurement, including the first estimated number

scientific method

a planned, orderly procedure applied to solving a problem to produce facts and accurate evidence to support a conclusion

accuracy

the degree of agreement between a measured value and the true value

theory

an explanation backed by results from repeated tests, experiments, or observation

precision

the degree of exactness with which a quantity is measured

law

a scientific rule of nature that describes the behavior of something in nature, but doesn't explain why it will happen in a given situation

scientific notation

a way to express numbers to large or small to be more conveniently written

standard

a fixed quantity to which all measurements are compared