Sensors and Instrumentations Chapter 2 Quiz

Measurement System Characteristics

• Sensitivity of a measurement system is the ability to respond to changes in the measured quantity.
• Sensitivity of digital sensors is unrelated to resolution.
• A sensor with truly linear behavior has a variable sensitivity over the entire input range.

Accuracy and Errors

• Accuracy measures how far the output reading is from the correct value.
• Bias errors are classified as random errors in measurements.
• Calibration errors are examples of precision errors in measurements.

Precision and Repeatability

• Precision implies agreement between successive readings and closeness to the true value.
• Repeatability refers to the precision of a set of measurements taken over a long time interval.
• Precision is the capacity of a measuring instrument to give different readings when repetitively measuring the same quantity under the same conditions.

Sensor Characteristics

• Resolution of a sensor is the difference between the maximum and minimum value of the sensed parameter.
• Deadband refers to the range in which the sensor performs as specified.
• Response time of a sensor is the time lag between the input and output.
• Nonlinearity in a sensor represents the percentage of deviation from the best-fit linear calibration curve.

Sensor Performance

• Operating temperature of a sensor does not affect its performance.
• Span and dynamic range of a sensor refer to the difference between the maximum and minimum value of the sensed parameter.
• Hysteresis and backlash are part of dynamic characteristics of a sensor.
• Signal-to-noise ratio of a sensor is the ratio between the magnitudes of the signal and the noise at the input.

Test your knowledge on the characteristics of sensors including static and dynamic properties such as sensitivity, offset, span, saturation, hysteresis, and nonlinearity. Explore the behavior of sensors in steady state and transient conditions.