Measurement and Physical Quantities Quiz

The time it takes for one complete back-and-forth swing of a pendulum.

The length of the string or rod that suspends the bob of a pendulum.

The strength of the gravitational force acting on the pendulum bob.

The mass of the object at the end of the pendulum.

The angle at which the pendulum is released from its resting position.

An experiment that investigates the relationship between the length of a pendulum and its period of oscillation.

The variable that is changed or manipulated in an experiment.

The variable that is measured or observed in an experiment.

A system of units that is used to measure physical quantities. The International System of Units (SI) is a standard measurement system, used worldwide. It includes the meter (m) for length, kilogram (kg) for mass, and second (s) for time.

A set of prefixes that are used to represent very large or very small quantities. They are used to simplify measurements and make them easier to read.

A process of changing a measurement from one unit to another. Examples include converting meters to kilometers, grams to kilograms, or seconds to minutes.

A method of representing very large or very small numbers in a concise form. It involves expressing the number as a product of a number between 1 and 10 and a power of 10.

For simple unit conversion, multiply or divide by the appropriate power of ten from the prefix table. For example, 4567.8 km = 4567.8 x 10^3 m = 4567800 m.

For derived unit conversion, break down the unit into its components and convert each component separately. For example, 123.4 km/h = (123.4 x 10^3 m) / (3600 s) = 34.3 m/s.

The quantity that is being measured. For example, length, mass, time, temperature, etc.

A standard of measurement against which other quantities are compared. For example, a meter stick is a standard for length, a kilogram weight is a standard for mass.

A device used to measure very small time intervals. It works by a vibrating arm making dots on a paper tape as the tape is pulled by an object, such as a trolley.

The distance between two consecutive dots on a ticker tape. This represents the time interval between the two vibrations of the ticker timer.

The speed of the object is constant.

The object is accelerating, meaning it is increasing its speed.

The object is decelerating, meaning it is decreasing its speed.

The time it takes for a pendulum to complete one full swing, from one side to the other and back again.

The length of the pendulum affects its period. Longer pendulums swing slower, so they have a longer period.

The gravitational field strength affects the period of a pendulum. A stronger gravitational field means a faster swing, and therefore a shorter period.

A vector that represents the combined effect of two or more vectors acting on the same point.

A method of finding the resultant vector by constructing a parallelogram with the original vectors as its sides. The diagonal of the parallelogram represents the resultant vector.

Breaking down a single vector into two or more component vectors that act in different directions.

The component vectors form a right triangle. You can use trigonometry (SOH CAH TOA) to calculate the magnitude of each component.

The standard system of units used internationally, based on meters, kilograms, and seconds.

Prefixes attached to SI units to indicate multiples or fractions of the base unit (like 'kilo' for 1000 or 'milli' for 1/1000).

A way to express the size of a quantity relative to a base unit, often using powers of ten.

The length of the string is the distance from the point of suspension to the center of mass of the bob.

The time taken for 20 oscillations is the total time taken for the pendulum to complete 20 full swings back and forth.

The period of oscillation is the time taken for one complete cycle of the pendulum's swing.

The period squared, T2, is the period of oscillation multiplied by itself. It is a measure of how long it takes for the pendulum to complete one cycle, squared.

The line of best fit is a straight line drawn on a graph that represents the general trend of the data points. It's a visual representation of the relationship between the manipulated and responding variables.

Improving the accuracy of an experiment involves minimizing errors and ensuring that measurements are as precise as possible. For a simple pendulum experiment, key factors include a small angle of displacement, small amplitude of oscillation, vertical oscillation, and minimal air resistance.

All the digits that are considered reliable and contribute to the precision of a measurement, excluding zeros that are only placeholders.

In a number, all non-zero digits (1-9) are always considered significant. Example: 456 has 3 significant figures.

Zeros placed between non-zero digits are significant. Example: 1.345 has 4 significant figures. The '0' between '3' and '4' matters.

Zeros before the first non-zero digit are not significant. Example: 0034 has 2 significant figures. The leading zeros are just placeholders.

In a decimal number, zeros after the last non-zero digit are significant. Example: 1.30 has 3 significant figures. The trailing zero adds to the precision.

Trailing zeros in whole numbers can be significant or not. Example: 1300 could have 2, 3, or 4 significant figures. To be sure, use scientific notation.

The smallest unit of measurement an instrument can reliably measure. It reflects the instrument's precision.

A systematic error in measurement that occurs due to the incorrect calibration or alignment of an instrument, resulting in consistent deviations from the true value.