Science Skills Assessment
Directions: Complete and submit this assignment on Canvas. You may find it helpful to print the questions, but it is not required. The percent correct on this assessment will not be averaged into your grade in this course. Rather, the purpose is to allow you to assess your level of competency in these topics that are found in courses you have taken before physics.
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1. Suppose a physicist
reports the mass of an object is 0.0040 kg. Of the four zeros in this value,
which are significant digits?
A. The first three zeros are significant digits but not the last one.
B. The second and third zeros are significant digits but not the first one or
the last one.
C. The last three zeros are significant digits but not the first one.
D. Only the last zero is a significant digit.
2. Suppose a physicist
reports the speed of sound is 343 m/s. If all three of these digits are
significant digits what is the approximate amount of uncertainty in this value?
A. ±10 m/s
B. ±1 m/s
C. ±0.1 m/s
D. There is no uncertainty if all of the digits are significant.
3. Consider this addition
problem: 12.5 m + 5.1 m = ? Which of the following is the correct result based
on the rules of significant digits?
A. 20 m
B. 18 m
C. 17.6 m
D. 17.60 m
4. Consider this
multiplication problem: 12.5 m × 5.1 m = ? Which of the following is the
correct result based on the rules of significant digits?
A. 60 m2
B. 64 m2
C. 63.8 m2
D. 63.75 m2
5. Consider this division
problem: 80.0 m ÷ 16.0 s = ? Which of
the following is the correct result based on the rules of significant digits?
A. 5 m/s
B. 5.0 m/s
C. 5.00 m/s
D. 5.000 m/s
Questions 6 and 7
Two teams of astronomers measure the expansion rate of the universe. The two
teams report their best value and deviation: Team A: 75 ± 3 km/s/Mpc; Team B: 63.2 ± 0.7 km/s/Mpc.
6. Which of the following
statements correctly describes the precision of these two results?
A. Team A is more precise than Team B.
B. Team B is more precise than Team A.
C. Team A and Team B are equally precise.
D. It cannot be determined which is more precise without knowing the true
expansion rate.
7. Which of the following
statements correctly describes the accuracy of these two results?
A. Team A is more accurate than Team B.
B. Team B is more accurate than Team A.
C. Team A and Team B are equally accurate.
D. It cannot be determined which is more accurate without knowing the true
expansion rate.
8. Suppose a student makes
repeated measures of length using a wooden ruler. The student assumes that one
end of the stick is the zero mark but does not notice that the wood has worn
away and the end of the stick corresponds to 0.1 cm and not 0.0 cm. Which of
the following correctly describes the type of error and its effect on this
student’s data?
A. This is systematic error that will affect accuracy but not precision.
B. This is systematic error that will affect precision but not accuracy.
C. This is random error that will affect accuracy but not precision.
D. This is random error that will affect precision but not accuracy.
E. This is random error that will affect both precision and accuracy.
9. The accepted value for
the speed of light is 299792458 m/s. If a student performs an experiment and
determines the speed of light to be 2.20 × 108 m/s, what is the
percent error?
A. 0.27 %
B. 27%
C. 0.36%
D. 36%
10. The thickness of a piece
of paper is repeatedly measured yielding the following set of values: 83.6 μm,
85.9 μm, 85.7 μm, 84.3 μm, 89.5 μm, 87.0 μm. Find the
average absolute deviation in this set.
A. 1.5 μm
B. 2.3 μm
C. 3.5 μm
D. 5.9 μm
11. Scientists classify
error as either random error or systematic error. Which of the following best
explains what is meant by random error?
A. Random error is a “freak” occurrence – an unusual or rare event that affects
data.
B. Random error is the same thing as human misjudgment when taking a
measurement.
C. Random error is an unpredictable effect on data and causes scattering of
values.
D. Random error is a consistent and repeatable effect on all data within a set.
12. The distance 150 Gm is
equivalent to which of the following?
A. 1.5 × 106 m
B. 1.5 × 108 m
C. 1.5 × 109 m
D. 1.5 × 1011 m
13. The distance 3.2 × 10−5
m is equivalent to which of the following?
A. 0.32 μm
B. 3.2 μm
C. 32 μm
D. 320 mm
14. Convert a speed of 48.0
Mm/h (48 megameters per hour) into a number of miles per second. Note: 1 mile
equals 1.609 km (approximately).
A. 8.29 mi/s
B. 21.5 mi/s
C. 497 mi/s
D. 8290 mi/s
15. Convert an area of 32.5
ft2 into square inches. Note: 12 inches equal 1 foot.
A. 0.226 in2
B. 2.71 in2
C. 390 in2
D. 4680 in2
16. A certain sheet of metal
has mass per area equal to 8.4 g/cm2. Convert this value into kg/m2.
A. 8.4 × 10−7 kg/m2
B. 0.84 kg/m2
C. 84 kg/m2
D. 8.4 × 107 kg/m2
17. An experiment is done to
determine how temperature affects the volume of a balloon. The temperature is adjusted
to certain values and the resulting volume is measured for each temperature.
The data from this experiment is used to create a graph of Volume vs.
Temperature. Which of the following correctly describes temperature on the
graph?
A. Temperature is the independent variable and belongs on the x-axis.
B. Temperature is the independent variable and belongs on the y-axis.
C. Temperature is the dependent variable and belongs on the x-axis.
D. Temperature is the dependent variable and belongs on the y-axis.
18. Identical sets of data
are shown on the graphs below. Also shown on each graph is a line drawn to
“fit” the pattern shown by the data. Which line is the best fit with the data?
A.
B. 
C. 
D. 
19. Which of the following
statements best describes the line of best fit?
A. The line of best fit is based on the theoretical equation and not the data.
B. The line of best fit is the one that passes through the maximum number of
data points.
C. The line of best fit shows the most likely actual relation between the x
and y variables.
D. The line of best fit connects the first and last data points.
Questions 20 – 22
The graph below shows force versus acceleration for a certain object. On the
graph are experimental data collected by a student and a best fit drawn by the same
student.
20. According to Newton’s 2nd Law of
Motion, acceleration is directly proportional to force. Which of the following
statements best describes the extent to which this graph supports Newton’s 2nd Law?
A. It supports the 2nd Law because increased force results in
greater acceleration.
B. It does not support the 2nd Law because the data is clearly not
linear.
C. It does not support the 2nd Law because some data points are not
on the best fit.
D. Both A and C are true but not B.
21. Suppose the student
wishes to determine an equation that best matches the data collected. Which of
the following would be the most appropriate form of that equation?
A. y = mx + b
B. y = ax2 + bx + c
C. 
D. 
22. Which of the following
best assesses the error that is apparent in the experiment?
A. The data is quite precise but there is significant systematic.
B. The data is quite precise but there is significant random error.
C. The data is quite accurate but there is significant systematic error.
D. The data is quite accurate but there is significant random error.