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Limitation of physical measurements key terms

Study Limitation of physical measurements with curriculum-aligned Key Terms resources, practice links, and exam-focused support.

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key terms

Resource type

Topic

Limitation of physical measurements

AqaA LevelPhysicsMeasurements and their errors

Key terms

  • random error

    An error that occurs due to unpredictable fluctuations in the measurement process, leading to variations in results.

  • systematic error

    An error that consistently skews results in the same direction due to a flaw in the measurement system or procedure.

  • precision

    The degree to which repeated measurements under unchanged conditions show the same results.

  • accuracy

    Accuracy is how close a measured value is to the true or accepted value. In uncertainty, error and data quality, it is affected strongly by systematic error and calibration.

  • absolute uncertainty

    The uncertainty of a measurement expressed as a fixed quantity, indicating the range within which the true value lies.

  • percentage uncertainty

    The uncertainty of a measurement expressed as a percentage of the measured value, calculated to assess the relative size of the uncertainty.

  • absolute uncertainty

    The uncertainty of a measurement expressed as a fixed quantity, indicating the range within which the true value lies.

  • percentage uncertainty

    The uncertainty of a measurement expressed as a percentage of the measured value, calculated by dividing the absolute uncertainty by the measured value and multiplying by 100.

  • random error

    An error that occurs in a measurement due to unpredictable fluctuations in the measurement process, affecting the precision of results.

  • systematic error

    An error that consistently occurs in the same direction, often due to a flaw in the measurement system, affecting the accuracy of results.