Lab #1: Measurements
Prelab
1. Explain the difference between accuracy and precision.
2.
3. In golf, a player tries to use the fewest swings (or strokes) possible to hit a ball into a series of holes. The
player keeps score by counting the number of strokes for each hole, and the player with the lowest number of
strokes wins. Par refers to the target score for each hole, or the number of strokes a player is expected to use to
get his ball into the hole. The closer a players score is to par, the more accurate the player. A players
precision refers to the consistency of their score when compared to par. Four friends went to play mini golf.
Their scores are shown below:
Hole
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Score 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Score Total
Score
Par 5 4 4 4 3 5 4 3 4
36
4 3 5 4 4 4 3 5 4
36
72
Mary 6 6 6 6 5 6 6 5 6
52
6 6 6 6 6 6 5 6 5
52
104
Josh 8 3 7 4 2 4 8 6 3
45
7 6 4 4 7 3 5 8 3
46
92
Anna 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 3 4
36
4 4 5 4 4 4 3 5 4
37
73
Shane 3 6 3 4 2 7 3 2 8
38
3 2 4 7 3 3 2 4 6
34
72
a. Which players game is most accurate?
b. Which players overall game was both accurate and precise?
c. Would accurate or precise be the best word to describe Marys game?
d. Which player is neither accurate nor precise?
4. Percent error reflect the accuracy of measurements made in the lab. It is calculated using the following
formula:
The accepted value is the true value according to the scientific literature. The experimental value is the value
calculated in the lab. Solve the following percent error problems using the formula above:
a. While doing a lab, a student found the density of a piece of pure aluminum to be 2.85 g/cm 3. The accepted
value for the density of aluminum is 2.70g/cm3. What was the students percent error?
b. A student calculated the specific heat of water to be 4.39 J/g C. The literature value of the specific heat of
water is 4.18 J/g C. What was the students percent error?
c. A student took a calibrated 200.0 gram mass, weighed it on a balance, and found it read 196.5g. What is the
percent error?
5. Significant Figures and Rounding Practice: Indicate the number of significant figures then round each to the
number of significant figures indicated.
For example:
1.234
has ______4___ significant figures and, rounded to
b..
12,700
has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
0.000983
has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
significant figures, is ___1.2____
a.
0.6034
has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
significant figures, is __________
c.
12,700.00 has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
significant figures, is __________
e.
123342.9
significant figures, is __________
d.
f.
has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
6.023 x 1023has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
g.
.005600
has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
i.
2.0 x 10-3
has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
h.
j.
significant figures, is __________
significant figures, is __________
significant figures, is __________
significant figures, is __________
10000.5006 has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
significant figures, is __________
3.456110
significant figures, is __________
has __________ significant figures and, rounded to
significant figures, is __________
6. Significant Figures in Calculations Practice: Given calculations with the calculator answer, write the
answers with the appropriate number of significant figures.
Example:
6.00 x 3.00 = 18
The answer should be ______18.0_____
a. 23 + 46
b. 23.0 + 46.0
= 69
The answer should be _______________
= 69
The answer should be _______________
= 21
The answer should be _______________
= 552
The answer should be _______________
c. 253 + 345.8
= 598.8
e. 56.00 35.0
= 21
g. 3.24 x 5.63
= 18.2412
654 32
= 20.4375
d. 56 35
f. 46 x 12
The answer should be _______________
The answer should be _______________
The answer should be _______________
h (2.355 + 2.645) x 10.00 = 50
The answer should be _______________
j. .024 x .063
The answer should be _______________
= 1.512 x 10-03
The answer should be _______________
7. Listed below are several common phrases using measurement terms. Read each phase and in the blank
provided, replace the italicized term with a metric unit.
a. Ten gallon hat
_____________________________
c. A quarter pounder burger
_____________________________
b. Give them an inch and theyll take a mile
_____________________________
d. First down and 10 yards to go
_____________________________
8. Units of Measurement: Identify the following as units of Mass, Length, Amount of Substance, Temperature,
Volume, Area, Time, Density, Electric Current, Luminous Intensity, Energy, Concentration, Molar Mass, or
Pressure.
a.) g/cm3
b.) Pa
f.) mol/L
g.) J
h.) L
i.) kg
j.) g/mol
k.) m
l.) A
m.) mol
n.) atm
e.) cd
c.) s
d.) m2
o.) K
p.) cm3
9. Change the following to scientific notation. Remember to keep the correct number of significant figures.
a.
c.
e.
g.
i.
5.280 =
_______________
2,000 =
_______________
15 =
_______________
6,589,000 =
_______________
70,400,000,000 =_______________
b.
d.
f.
h.
j.
2,560 =
.0009 =
8,900,000 =
.0920 =
6,300 =
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
10. Arrange the units of measurement in each set from smallest to largest:
a. daM, cm, nm, Mm, Gm
b. g, dag, pg, Tg
c. hL, mL, L, kL
d. kPa, MPa, Pa, cPa
