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