TYPES OF

ERRORS IN
MEASUREMEN
T
 Reliablemeasurements are an important
part of physics. But there will always be
an uncertainty associated with the result of
every measurement using any measuring
instrument. Among the sources of
uncertainty are random and systematic
errors.
RANDOM ERRORS
 Random error (also called unsystematic error,
system noise or random variation) has no
pattern. One minute your readings might be too
small. The next they might be too large. You
can’t predict random error and these errors are
usually unavoidable.
SYSTEMATIC ERROR
Systematic errors are usually caused
by measuring instruments that
are incorrectly calibrated or
are used incorrectly. 
SYSTEMATIC ERROR VS RANDOM
ERROR
 The main differences between these two error types are:
 Random errors are (like the name suggests) completely
random. They are unpredictable and can’t be
replicated by repeating the experiment again.
 Systematic Errors produce consistent errors, either a
fixed amount (like 1 lb) or a proportion (like 105% of
the true value). If you repeat the experiment, you’ll get
the same error.
ACCURACY AND
PRECISION
ACCURACY
 Accuracy – is the nearness or exactness of
the actual measurement done or the
experimental value to the true value being
measured.
PRECISION
Precision- is the closeness of
agreement among the different
measurement result when measuring
the same quantity.
PRECISION IS INDEPENDENT OF
ACCURACY
You can be very precise but
inaccurate, you can also be accurate
but not precise
THE NATURE OF PHYSICAL
QUANTITIES:

SCALARS AND VECTORS

11
SCALAR AND VECTOR
QUANTITIES
SCALAR QUANTITIES- are quantities
that can be expressed completely by a
single number with appropriate units.
This can be simply called scalars.

12
Examples of Scalar Quantities

1. Length- distance between any two points.

2. Speed- distance traveled per unit of time.

3. Mass- amount of matter that a body contains.

4. Time- interval separating two points on the continuum

in which event occur irreversibly from the past through
the present to the future.

5. Temperature- hotness or coldness of a body.

6. Energy- capacity to do work.

13
VECTOR QUANTITIES- are quantities
which required both magnitude and
direction for their complete description.

Magnitude- numerical value of

corresponding unit.

14
 EXAMPLES OF VECTOR QUANTITIES

1. Displacement- is the straight line between

starting and end point.

2. Velocity- is the rate of change in displacement.

3. Acceleration- is the rate of change in velocity.

4. Force- is the product of mass and acceleration.

VECTOR REPRESENTATION

A vector quantity is represented by an arrow

called vector ( )

PARTS OF A VECTOR

1. Arrowhead- Indicates direction.

2. Length of the arrow- indicates

magnitude.

3. Tail- represents origin.

REFERENCE FRAME

REFERENCE FRAME- used to show direction of

vectors. It may also refer to coordinate system or set
of axes within which to measure the position, orientation
and other properties of object in it.
Four cardinal directions/ points: north (N),
east (E), south (S), and west (W). East and
west are perpendicular (at right angles) to north
and south, with east being in the clockwise
direction of rotation from north and west being
directly opposite east.

Four ordinal directions: northeast (NE),

southeast (SE), southwest (SW), and northwest
(NW).
CARTESIAN COORDINATE PLANE
 Parallelogram
Graphical
Method
Addition
Vector Polygon
Analytical
Method Component
Method
 ADDITION OF VECTORS

 The sum of a given set of vectors maybe

determined using graphical method and
analytical method.

 Vectors that add together are called component

vectors, while the sum of component vectors is
called the resultant (R).
 Graphical Method

The graphical method of adding vectors A and B

involves drawing vectors on a graph and adding
them using the head-to-tail method. The resultant
vector R is defined such that A + B = R. ... The
resultant vector is then drawn from the tail of the
first vector to the head of the final vector.
Graphical Method
1. Parallelogram method- the resultant of two
vector quantities represented in magnitude,
direction, and sense by two adjacent sides of
a parallelogram both of which are directed
toward or away from their point of intersection
is the diagonal of the parallelogram through
that point.
 R

B
Graphical Method

2. Polygon method- this method of finding the

resultant consist in beginning at any convenient
point and drawing to scale with proper orientation.
The resultant is obtained by connecting the
tail of the first and the arrowhead of the last
vector.
 SAMPLE PROBLEM (PARALLELOGRAM)
Klay walks 500 m, East and then turns North and walks 300 m.
Find the resultant vector.

NOTE: you cannot draw the graph in your notebook

using the actual magnitude of the vectors: 500 m and
300 m. So we can use the given scale of 1 cm = 100 m

Step 1. Draw the first vector which is 500 m from the

origin going to east

500 m (5cm)
Step 2. Draw the second vector which is 300 m from
the origin going north.

300 m
(3cm)

500 m (5cm)
Step 3. Draw a parallel line opposite of each
vector; make sure that they are equal in length with
the two vectors.

-----------
---------
300 m

500 m
Step 4. Draw the resultant vector from the origin,
to the point where the parallel sides of the two
vectors meet.

-----------
---------
300 m

500 m
Step 5. Measure the resultant vector (this includes the magnitude
of the length, angle and direction).

IMPORANT NOTICE: You can start measuring the angle either

from the x-axis or from the y-axis to the resultant vector

Θ (from x-axis) = 31º North of East (from y-axis) = 59º East of North

----------- --------- -----------

---------
300 m 300 m

500 m 500 m
Step 6. Convert the magnitude using the same scale that
you used for the given vectors.

5.8 𝑐𝑚 x 100 𝑚
= 580 m
1 cm
Step 7. Write the resultant vector represented by
dt :
Notice that we use dt as the symbol for resultant
vector because the given vectors are displacements
which can be represented as 𝑑 , while the subscript
“t” means “total”. Therefore 𝑑𝑡 means total
displacement (resultant vector).

dt = 580 𝑚, 31° 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡

or
dt = 580 𝑚, 59° 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ
 SAMPLE PROBLEM (POLYGON)

An ant crawls on a table top. It moves 2 cm East, turns 3 cm

40° North of East and finally moves 2.5 cm North. What is the
ant’s total displacement?
Step 1. Draw the first vector (2 cm) from the origin (0, 0)
going east

2cm
 SAMPLE PROBLEM (POLYGON)

Step 2. Draw broken lines to represent the new x and y-

axis, using the tip of the head of the first vector as the new
origin.

------

2cm
 SAMPLE PROBLEM (POLYGON)

Step 3. Since the second given vector has an angle, use a

protractor to measure the angle. Then draw the second
vector from the new origin (head of the first vector).

------

3 cm, 40º North of East

2cm
 SAMPLE PROBLEM (POLYGON)

Step 4. Draw broken lines to represent the new x and y-

axis, using the tip of the head of the second vector as the
new origin. Then draw the third starting from the head of
the second vector (new origin).

2.5 cm
--------
------

3 cm, 40º North of East

2cm
 SAMPLE PROBLEM (POLYGON)

Step 5. Draw the resultant vector from the origin (0, 0), to
the tip of the head of the last given vector.

2.5 cm
--------
------

3 cm, 40º North of East

2cm
 SAMPLE PROBLEM (POLYGON)

Step 6. Measure the resultant vector (this includes the

magnitude of the length, angle and direction)

Θ (from x-axis) = 46º North of East

2.5 cm
--------
------

3 cm, 40º North of East

2cm
 SAMPLE PROBLEM (POLYGON)

Step 6. Measure the resultant vector (this includes the

magnitude of the length, angle and direction)

Θ (from y-axis) = 44º East of North

2.5 cm
--------
------

3 cm, 40º North of East

2cm
 SAMPLE PROBLEM (POLYGON)

If you measure the magnitude (length) of the resultant vector

using a ruler, you will get 6.2 cm. Since the given scale is 1
cm = 1 cm, no need to convert, the magnitude of the vector
is already as it is. That means you can skip Step 7 (for this
example ONLY).

Step 8. Write the resultant vector represented by dt :

dt = 6.2 𝑐𝑚, 46° 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡

OR
dt = 6.2 𝑐𝑚, 44° 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ
LET’S TRY!
GIVEN:

Vector A = 6 cm, S

Vector B = 8 cm, E
 8 cm
---------

6 cm R

----------- R= 10 cm 35° ES
 8 cm
---------

6 cm R

----------- R= 10 cm 55° SE
GIVEN:
Vector A = 600 m, 35º N of W

Vector B = 800 m, NE

Vector C = 500 m, E
 500 (5cm) E

NE
)
cm
(8
0 m
80
RR= 10.3 cm (100m)
= 1,030 m 40° EN
1 cm
600m
(6 c m )3
5° N
W
 500 (5cm) E

NE
)
cm
(8
0 m
80
R= 10.3 cm (100m)
= 1,030 m 50° NE
1 cm
600m (6cm)35° NW
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING! 