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๐ŸŽกAP Physics 1 Review

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Measurement & Error Analysis

๐ŸŽกAP Physics 1
Review

Measurement & Error Analysis

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโ€ขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025

Resources

Overview of measurement & error analysis in physics. Topics discussed:

  • dimensions vs units
  • scalars vs vectors
  • definition of error
  • why error analysis is important
  • precision vs accuracy
  • indeterminate vs systematic error
  • when/how to calculate percent error & percent difference
  • reporting absolute vs relative error
  • example of why analyzing error matters