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NSWMaths Standard 2Quick questions
Year 11: Measurement
Quick questions on Measurement error and accuracy for HSC Maths Standard 2
3short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is the limit of reading?Show answer
The limit of reading (or precision) is the smallest unit marked on the instrument. A cm ruler with millimetre marks has a limit of reading of mm. Kitchen scales marked every g have a limit of reading of g. A measuring jug marked every mL has a limit of reading of mL. Reading the smallest division correctly is the single most important step, because every later quantity is built from it. A slip here makes the absolute error, the bounds and the percentage error all wrong at once.
What is absolute error?Show answer
The absolute error is the largest amount the measurement could be wrong by. Because a reading is taken to the nearest division, the true value can sit up to half a division away before it would round to the next mark, so
What is percentage error?Show answer
The absolute error on its own does not tell you whether a measurement is good. An error of mm is trivial on a door frame but ruinous on a microchip. The percentage error fixes this by comparing the absolute error to the size of the thing being measured:
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