Prealgebra: Measurements
Terms
Conversion Factor
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A clever way of writing 1 as a fraction in which
the numerator is equal to the denominator but the
numerator and the denominator have different
units. For example, (1,000 m)/(1 km) is a conversion factor because 1,000 m = 1
km. (1 ft)/(12 in) is a conversion factor because 1 ft = 12 in.
Precise
-
A term used to connote how accurate a measurement is. The more significant
digits in a measurement, the more precise that measurement is.
Scientific Notation
-
A number written as a product of a single digit and a power of 10.
Significant Digits
-
The number of digits after the given number has been put into scientific
notation. The number of digits that are known in a measurement, plus one digit
that is estimated.
