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IGCSE ICT - Measurement-Applications

The student would use a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the liquid. The analogue data from the sensor would be converted to digital values by an ADC (analogue to digital converter) and sent to the connected computer. The computer would log the digital temperature readings into a spreadsheet at regular time intervals. The student could then generate a graph of Temperature vs Time from the spreadsheet data to analyse how quickly the liquid cooled over time.

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Blessing Malunga
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205 views10 pages

IGCSE ICT - Measurement-Applications

The student would use a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the liquid. The analogue data from the sensor would be converted to digital values by an ADC (analogue to digital converter) and sent to the connected computer. The computer would log the digital temperature readings into a spreadsheet at regular time intervals. The student could then generate a graph of Temperature vs Time from the spreadsheet data to analyse how quickly the liquid cooled over time.

Uploaded by

Blessing Malunga
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Measurement Applications

Define sensor.

Explain how sensors can be used to gather measurable data.

Discus why computers can log and measure data more effectively than humans.

Key Words: Sensors, Data logging , Automatic, Measure.


Sensors

Presentation Questions
 
1) Define the term sensor [2]

2) List 6 examples of sensors explaining how they are used [6]

3) Discuss why use a computer to measure sensor data instead of a person [8]
Data logging

Computers are sometimes used alongside sensors to measure quantities


such as pressure, temperature, radiation etc. This is known as 'data
logging’.

Real-life examples that we will discuss include:

1. Scientific Experiments
2. Electronic Timing
3. Environmental Monitoring
Sensor & Data logging
What are sensors used for?

 Sensors are used to automatically detect and measure physical quantities.


 If the sensor is connected to a computer, the computer can read the data coming
from the sensor and log it at pre-set time intervals (hourly for example). This is
sometimes called 'data logging'.
 This allows us to see changes in the quantities (temperature increasing or
decreasing for example)
Why use a computer to measure sensor data instead of a person?
 Computers are much better at reading and measuring quantity data taken from
sensors for the following reasons:
Scientific Experiments
 Data logging can be setup to automatically monitor and record data generated by
scientific experiments.

Water Temperature Example:


 Imagine you are conducting an experiment that records the temperature of water
as it transforms from solid ice into hot steam.

 Thermostat -> to measure the temperature of the water


 ADC -> to convert the analogue temperature data into digital
 Computer -> to receive and log the digital temperature data
 Software -> to analyse the received data
Electronic Timing
Electronic Timing

Olympic 100 Metres Race Example:


In sprinting, generating accurate race times is important as, sometimes, first and second
place can be separated by 1000's of a second. To accurately measure athlete's race times
you would need:

Sound Sensor -> to record when the race is started


Infrared Sensor -> to record when the athlete crosses the finish line
ADC -> to convert the analogue data from the sensors into digital
Computer and Software -> to receive and log the digital data and calculate race time.
Exam Techniques

Using Key Words to Answer Exam Questions.

A chemistry student wants to measure how quickly a liquid cools after it has boiled.
She will use a sensor connected to a computer to do this.
Describe how the computer would process the data into a form the student could
use to analyse the results. (5 Marks)

Key words Sensor ADC Spreadsheet Graph Time

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