A report on a linear-expansion experiment states: "We measured the length of the…
PHYSICS · Subjective · Fermi University Physics · Scientific Practice & Experimental Methods · Quantities, units and the practice of measurement · Quantities, units and the practice of measurement
Measurement and Method, Ch What a measured value is: quantities, units and the SI
Problem
A report on a linear-expansion experiment states: "We measured the length of the brass rod." The rod's ends are not perfectly flat and it was handled at room temperature, which was not recorded. Explain what is missing from this statement as a measurand, and rewrite it as a specification precise enough that another laboratory, given the same rod, would measure the same quantity. You may assume a steel ruler reading to 1mm is available and that three repeat measurements are practical.