certainty – RENAISSANCE PHYSICS

AP PHYSICS: Accuracy and Precision

Oftentimes, the terms “ accuracy “ and “ precision “ are used interchangeably, but their meanings are anything but similar. Precision references the repeatability of a desired outcome, while accuracy defines how close an outcome or measurement is in reference to a standard value. Consider the diagrams below: Low Accuracy / Low Precision The bullseyeContinue reading “AP PHYSICS: Accuracy and Precision”

AP PHYSICS: Significant Figures

Significant digits address the issue of uncertainty in measurements. When carrying out mathematical exercises, the term with the least number of significant digits will determine how many “ sig figs “ the answer must contain. A quick summary of the rules regarding significant figures follows: All non-zero digits are significant. All digits between non-zero digitsContinue reading “AP PHYSICS: Significant Figures”