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  1.  A researcher in Sweden finds the average size of a species of Rana (frogs). The same species is studied in northern Russia. To compare the studies, the researchers must:
  1. Study the same number of frogs
  2. Use the same calipers
  3. Use precise methods x
  4. Spend the same time on the study
  1. The precision needed for a length measurement depends on:
  1. The gradations on the tool
  2. The question being investigated  x
  3. The time involved in the measurement
  4. The standard used for length
  1. The number of decimals (significant figures) that are justified in a measurement depends upon the:
  1. Standard
  2. Measuring tool  x
  3. Number of measurements
  4. What is being measured
  1. A chemist makes two solutions of a molecular compound. She dissolves one mole of one compound in a two-liter container of water and one mole of the other compound in a two-liter container of water. What is the same in both containers?
  1. The temperature
  2. The number of solute particles  x 
  3. The volume of solute
  4. The temperature of the solution
  1. Which of the choices below must be supported by high precision?
  1. Coordinating international manufacturing  x
  2. Mixing a recipe for meatloaf
  3. Fertilizing a flower garden
  4. Sewing aprons for a big restaurant
  1. A bicycle odometer must be calibrated with a tape measure (marked in centimeters) and a yardstick (marked in millimeters). What is the highest precision that could be achieved?
  1. Centimeters
  2. Half centimeters  x
  3. Millimeters
  4. Meters
  1. Boltzmann’s constant is used to set the value for measures of:
  1. Distance
  2. Current
  3. Light
  4. Temperature  x
  1. What is the value in Kelvin where the “triple point” where ice, water, and vapor exist at the same time?
  1. 100.00
  2. 273.16   x
  3. 0.00
  4. 212.00
  1. The radioactivity of Cesium-133 is used to define the standard for:
  1. Second (time)  x
  2. Ampere (current)
  3. Meter (distance)
  4. Kelvin (temperature)
  1. Distance is sometimes measured using sound, sometimes by light. Light is more precise because:
  1. It is more consistent
  2. It is more common
  3. Its wavelength is smaller  x
  4. It’s found in more areas
  1. Which phrase is the best definition of precision?
  1. How finely an instrument can measure
  2. How well a measurement instrument performs
  3. How close a measured value is to the true value
  4. How close a series of measured values are to each other  x
  1. A ruler measures length to the nearest millimeter. A caliper measures length to the nearest 0.01 millimeter. These statements compare the ___ of the instruments.
  1. Error
  2. Accuracy
  3. Precision  x
  4. Uncertainty
  1.  The mole is a measure of:
  1. Energy
  2. Temperature
  3. Concentration
  4. Number of particles  x
  1. The Boltzmann constant relates temperature to:
  1. Mass
  2. Energy  x
  3. Absolute zero
  4. Triple point of water
  1. An instrument measures mass of a medicinal substance. A very small amount of the medicinal substance is the standard dose added to each pill. Why does this instrument require high precision?
  1. The amount measured is very small  x
  2. The substance is a medicine
  3. Mass determines the required dose
  4. The instrument may not be accurate

 

  1. A scientist makes a series of measurements of the same object using an established measurement protocol for a specific instrument. How close the measurements are one another is a measure of the precision of the:
  1. Object
  2. Scientist
  3. Instrument  x
  4. Measurements
  1.  Scientists in Mongolia and Minneapolis are comparing the albedo of snow-covered fields. They use meters that record reflected light in candela. How would they assure that their results are reliable?
  1. Use different instruments
  2. Calibrate the instruments to a standard
  3. Exchange samples of the snow  x
  4. Photograph the snow
  1. Civil engineers are developing the procedures for using faster-curing concrete to be used in construction around the world. Which of these procedures would be most important in their study?
  1. Calibrating thermometers to a standard  x
  2. Testing existing concrete
  3. Describing thermometer function
  4. Changing engineering designs
  1.  When California researchers published a study showing a weed killer was highly toxic, a small lab in Asia challenged their results. They claimed that their smaller study showed the chemical was harmless. What key question should be asked about the studies?
  1. Are they responsible?
  2. Are they reproducible?  x
  3. Are they publishable?
  4. Were they challenged?
  1. A prosthetics technician in California uses 3D printing to make artificial limbs for children in underdeveloped countries. The needed dimensions are sent to the laboratory for manufacturing. What factor would be most important in this process?
  1. Language facilitation
  2. Speed of fabrication
  3. Precision of measurements  x
  4. Mass of the material