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Chapter 1 Lesson 2

This document discusses measuring physical quantities accurately using appropriate instruments. It describes meters, meter rules, vernier callipers, and micrometer screw gauges. Meters and meter rules can measure length within 0.1 cm accuracy. Vernier callipers have a 0.1 mm scale division, allowing 0.01 cm accuracy. Micrometer screw gauges have a 0.01 mm scale division, providing the highest accuracy of 0.01 mm. The document emphasizes selecting instruments according to the magnitude and precision required, and explains how to take accurate measurements while accounting for errors.

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Mohd Adam Abdullah
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131 views

Chapter 1 Lesson 2

This document discusses measuring physical quantities accurately using appropriate instruments. It describes meters, meter rules, vernier callipers, and micrometer screw gauges. Meters and meter rules can measure length within 0.1 cm accuracy. Vernier callipers have a 0.1 mm scale division, allowing 0.01 cm accuracy. Micrometer screw gauges have a 0.01 mm scale division, providing the highest accuracy of 0.01 mm. The document emphasizes selecting instruments according to the magnitude and precision required, and explains how to take accurate measurements while accounting for errors.

Uploaded by

Mohd Adam Abdullah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson 2:

Chapter 1: Introduction to Physics

1.4 Understanding Measurements


1.4.1 Using Appropriate Instruments to Meansure
1. When measure a physical quantity, the following steps need to be considered:
 the magnitude of the quantity to be measured,
 choose a suitable instrument so that the magnitude of the quantity does not exceed the
amximum capacity of the instrument, and
 the instrument must be sensitive enough to detect and give a meaningful measurement of
the quantity.
2. Instruments used for measuring length:
Length to be measured Suitable instrument Accuracy of instruments
Several metres (m) Measuring tapes 0.1 cm
Several centimetres to 1 metre Metre or half-metre rule 0.1 cm
Between 1 cm and 10 cm Vernier calliper 0.01 cm
Less than 2 cm Micrometer screw gauge 0.01 mm or 0.001 cm

1.4.2 Accuracy, Consistency and Sensitivity in Measurement


1. Accuracy refers to the closeness of a measurement to the accepted value for a physical
quantity.
2. Consistency refers to the uniformity among several measurements that have been made in
the same way on a particular quantity.
3. Sensitivity of an instrument is the ability to detect a small change in the quantity to be
measured. The smallest scale division on the measuring instruments shows the sensitivity of
the instruments.

1.4.3 The Metre Rule


1. A metre rule is 1 meter or 100 cm long. The smallest division is 1 mm or 0.1 cm. Therefore, it
can measure length with accuracy up to 0.1 cm or 0.01 m.

2. The following diagram shows two situations that can


result in inaccurate measurement while using metre rule.

3. The diagram below shows the correct way of using metre rule for accurate measurement.
1.4.3 The Vernier Callipers

NPC/F4P/C1/L2/2020 1
1. A pair of vernier callipers consists of a main scale and a vernier scale. The main scale is
numbered in centimetres, but has milimetre divisions. The vernier scale is a milimetres scale
which is 9 mm long and is subdivided into 10 equal divisions. Therefore, each division in the
vernier scale has a length of 0.9 mm.

2. The difference between one division in the main scale and 1 division in the vernier scale is
(1.0 mm - 0.9 mm) 0.1 mm. Therefore, the vernier callipers can measure with accuracy up to
0.1 mm or 0.01 cm.
3. The following shows the steps to obtain a reading from vernier callipers.

4. Two types of zero error exist in vernier callipers.


(a) Positive zero error

Positive zero error = + 0.02 cm


The actual reading = Observed reading - zero error
= Observed reading - (+ 0.02 cm)
= Observed reading - 0.02 cm
(b) Negative zero error

NPC/F4P/C1/L2/2020 2
Negative zero error = - (0.10 - 0.07) cm
= - 0.03 cm
The actual reading = Observed reading - zero error
= Observed reading - (- 0.03 cm)
= Observed reading + 0.03 cm

1.4.5 The Micrometer Screw Gauge


1. The micrometer screw gauge also consists of two scales, the main scale on the sleeve and the
vernier scale on the thimble.

2. One complete turn on the thimble moves the spindle by 0.5 mm. There are 50 divisions on
the thimble. Hence, each division represents a distance of 0.5 mm / 50 mm = 0.01 mm.
Therefore, a micrometer screw gauge has an accuracy of 0.01 mm of length.
3. The following diagram shows the steps to obtain reading from a micrometer screw gauge.

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4. The following is an example of how reading is obtained from a micrometer screw gauge.

5. Two types of zero error exist in micrometer screw gauge:


(a) Negative zero error
If the “0” mark on the thimble scale is above the datum line on the main scale, the zero
error is negative.

Negative zero error = - 0.02 mm Observed reading = 2.68 mm


Corrected reading = 2.68 - (- 0.02)
= 2.68 + 0.02
= 2.70 mm

(b) Positive zero error


If the “0” mark on the thimble scale is below the datum line on the main scale, the zero
error is positive.

Positive zero error = + 0.01 mm Observed reading = 1.93 mm


Corrected reading = 1.93 - (+ 0.01)
= 1.93 - 0.01
= 1.92 mm

*********************************************************************************

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