Chapter 1, Problem 92A

To determine

To Explain:The improvement in the precision of time measurement leads to a more accurate prediction regarding the fall of any object.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

The two most important aspects involved in the measurement of any quantity are precision and accuracy. Precision is the degree of exactness of measurement whereas the accuracy of the measurement represents the extent to which the observed value matches the true value of the measurement.

For a falling object, the important aspect is to determine the different positions of the object in space at different time. The time taken for the fall of an object can be found out using devices of less precise (such as stopwatch, digital watch) to more precise devices (such as an atomic watch). A watch with higher precision can measure even a very minute fraction of time say $\left(\frac{1}{1000}\mathrm{s}\right)$ .

Consider an object is falling from a height. The use of a more precise timer for the determination of the time corresponding to different positions of the falling object will lead to the determination of the exact position of the falling object at different time-space. This makes the calculation involving the position-time data more accurate.

Hence, the improvement in the precision of time measurement led to a more accurate prediction about the fall of an object.

Conclusion:

Thus, the improvement in the precision of time measurement will lead to a more accurate prediction aboutthe fall of an object as the use of a more precise timer in measurement will lead to the exact determination of the position of the object at different time-space.