Measurement Precision and Uncertainty
Did you know that mass and weight are not the same thing? Mass measures an object's resistance to changes in motion and remains constant regardless of location. Weight, however, is the force of gravity acting on an object and varies depending on gravitational field strength.
Every measurement contains some degree of uncertainty. When recording measurements, scientists include all certain digits plus the first uncertain digit. This practice reflects the reality that no measurement is absolutely perfect.
Scientists distinguish between accuracy (how close a measurement is to the true value) and precision (how close repeated measurements are to each other). You can think of accuracy as hitting the bullseye, while precision is hitting the same spot consistently—even if it's not the bullseye.
Significant figures help communicate measurement precision. Remember these key rules: non-zero digits are always significant; zeros between non-zero digits (captive zeros) count as significant; and zeros before non-zero digits (leading zeros) don't count. Trailing zeros after the decimal point are significant.
🔍 Study tip: When doing chemistry calculations, your final answer can't be more precise than your least precise measurement. Always check your significant figures!