# A student uses both an analogue stopwatch and a digital stopwatch to time the same event. Explain one advantage of using a digital device rather than an analogue device for measuring a time interval.

> Cambridge International IGCSE Physics (0625) — 1.1 Physical quantities and measurement techniques · Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. A digital device displays the measurement directly (on a display) / does not require the user to read from a scale
2. This removes / reduces the possibility of (parallax / human) reading error when taking the measurement
3. A digital device typically has a smaller scale division / greater precision than an analogue device (e.g. reads to 0.01 s compared to 0.1 s for analogue)
4. Therefore the measurement obtained from the digital device has a smaller (percentage) uncertainty / is more reliable

## Key terms

- [analogue device](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/analogue-device)
- [digital device](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/digital-device)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Cambridge International IGCSE Physics (0625)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-student-uses-both-an-analogue-6427bc5b) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.