2 Learning Materials
Physics in Songs: The Scientific Method
Textbook Material to Read
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.2 Physical Quantities and Units
1.3 Accuracy, Precision, and Significant Figures
About the International System of Measurements (SI)
The International Standards Organization recommends using seven base quantities, which form the International System of Quantities (ISQ). These are the base quantities used to define the SI base units.
Source of image: University Physics. (2022). openstax. https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/1-2-units-and-standards
Metric Prefixes
Image credit: Ian “Mister” Guch. (2014). Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metric_Prefixes_We_Sort_Of_Care_About.jpeg
Significant Figures in Calculations
- Multiplication/division: the result should have the same number of significant figures as the quantity with the least number of significant figures entering into the calculation.
- Addition/Subtraction: the answer can contain no more decimal places than the least-precise measurement.
- Zeros: pay attention to zeros when counting significant figures:
o The zeros in 0.078 are not significant; two significant figures.
o The zeros in 12.0056 are significant; six significant figures.
Practical Skills for Scientific Investigations
Scientific investigations have several stages – planning, collecting data, analyzing data and evaluation. It is important to understand how to carry out each stage of the investigation.
Review the skills necessary for conducting successful scientific investigations with BBC Bitesize.
Additional Resources
To learn more about units visit
- The NIST reference on Constants, Units, and Uncertainty. (2019). https://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/units.html
To review and practice visit
