Flashcards: SI Units and Significant Figures — 39 cards

What is the International System of Units (SI system)?

A decimal measurement system established in 1960.

Which organization established the SI system in 1960?

The General Conference of Weights and Measures.

Which SI base unit measures length?

The meter.

Which SI base unit measures mass?

The kilogram.

Which SI base unit measures time?

The second.

Which SI base unit measures electric current?

The ampere.

What is a derived unit in the SI system?

A unit formed by combining SI base units in a calculated quantity.

What is the formula to calculate volume?

$V = l \times w \times h$

What is the SI unit of volume?

The cubic meter.

Which units are commonly used for solid objects' volume?

Cubic centimeters.

Which units are commonly used for liquid volumes?

Liters or milliliters.

What does scientific notation express a number as?

A number multiplied by a power of ten.

What does a positive power of ten represent in multiplication?

Repeated multiplication of 10.

How is a negative power of ten defined mathematically?

As the reciprocal of the positive power of ten.

Which metric prefix represents $10^{12}$?

Tera

Which metric prefix represents $10^{-6}$?

Micro

Which metric prefix represents the base unit $10^0$?

The base unit has no prefix and represents $10^0$.

What is the first step in converting between metric units?

Determine the starting unit.

How do you decide how many decimal places to move in metric conversions?

Count the jumps between the starting and ending units.

In which direction do you move the decimal point when converting metric units?

In the same direction as the counted jumps.

What are significant figures in a measurement?

Digits that reflect the measurement's precision.

How many certain digits should be recorded from an instrument?

All certain digits marked by the instrument.

How many estimated digits should be recorded beyond the smallest marking?

One digit beyond the smallest marking.

How do you round results in addition and subtraction with different decimal places?

Round to the fewest decimal places among the measurements.

How do you round results in multiplication and division with different significant figures?

Round to the fewest significant figures among the measurements.

How many centimeters equal one meter?

One meter equals 100 centimeters.

How many millimeters equal one meter?

One meter equals 1,000 millimeters.

How many cubic centimeters equal one milliliter?

One cubic centimeter equals one milliliter.

What device is suitable for measuring liquid volume?

A graduated cylinder.

How is 25,903,000 written in scientific notation?

$2.5903 \times 10^7$

How is 0.000045 written in scientific notation?

$4.5 \times 10^{-5}$

How many jumps are needed to convert 4 kilometers to meters?

Three jumps toward the base unit.

What is the result of converting 4 kilometers to meters?

4,000 meters.

Why does 82.63 grams have four significant figures?

Because 8, 2, and 6 are certain and 3 is estimated.

Why is the zero in 420 grams not a significant figure?

Because it is a placeholder, not marked or estimated.

How many significant figures does 7.0 × 10^3 have?

Two significant figures.

How many significant figures does 7.000 × 10^3 have?

Four significant figures.

Why is 22.75 cm + 98.457 cm + 10.1 cm reported as 131.3 cm?

Because 10.1 cm has the fewest decimal places, so the sum is rounded accordingly.

Why is 0.7 m × 98.457 m reported as 70 m² instead of 68.9199 m²?

Because 0.7 m has the fewest significant figures, so the product is rounded accordingly.