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3questions Measurements and Uncertainty

The document discusses measurement, uncertainty, and resolution in scientific experiments. It provides examples of measuring height, defining resolution, and identifying sources of uncertainty. The key points are: 1) The most appropriate way to measure height in a physics classroom is with a measuring tape, and the resolution of a device is the interval between its smallest divisions. 2) If a thermometer has a resolution of 10°F, its uncertainty is ±5°F. 3) An electron microscope would produce results with the lowest uncertainty compared to other measurement tools like feet or optical microscopes. 4) Sources of uncertainty can include the slight differences in properties like the shape or mass of objects being measured.

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Leanne Derige
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260 views2 pages

3questions Measurements and Uncertainty

The document discusses measurement, uncertainty, and resolution in scientific experiments. It provides examples of measuring height, defining resolution, and identifying sources of uncertainty. The key points are: 1) The most appropriate way to measure height in a physics classroom is with a measuring tape, and the resolution of a device is the interval between its smallest divisions. 2) If a thermometer has a resolution of 10°F, its uncertainty is ±5°F. 3) An electron microscope would produce results with the lowest uncertainty compared to other measurement tools like feet or optical microscopes. 4) Sources of uncertainty can include the slight differences in properties like the shape or mass of objects being measured.

Uploaded by

Leanne Derige
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Measurements and Uncertainty

Question 1: In a high school physics classroom, what do you think is the most appropriate way to
measure someone's height?
✓ Measuring Tape
– Human Feet
– Optical Microscope
– Electron Microscope

Question 2: How is the resolution of a device defined?


✓ The interval between the smallest divisions of a device
– ± the uncertainty
– The range either side of an estimate
– ± half the uncertainty

Question 3: Thermometers produce readings. If the resolution of a thermometer is 10 °F, what is


the uncertainty associated with using it?
✓ ± 5 °F
– ± 0 °F
– ± 20 °F
– ± 10 °F

Question 4: Based on what you have learned about resolution, readings, and measurements so far,
which tool would produce results with the lowest uncertainty?
✓ Electron Microscope
– Human Feet
– Optical Microscope
– Tape Measure

Question 5: In the real world no experiment is perfect, and there are always sources of uncertainty
beyond the resolution of the tools we use. Every bean is unique, and has a slightly different size
and shape, causing them to stack in the jars slightly differently each time.

Considering the counting method we just used, which bean property could cause affect the number
of beans each small jar can hold?
✓ Shape
– Temperature
– Charge
– Mass

Question 6: How do we combine the uncertainties on values that must be added together?
✓ Addition
– Division
– Multiplication
– Subtraction

Question 7: We plan to work out how many beans there are by weighing them. In any experiment
uncertainty can arise from the slight difference between the assumptions we make and reality. Can
you identify something that might lead to uncertainty in our experiment?
✓ Each bean has a slightly different mass
– The jar is too big
– The beans have slightly different volumes
– There are too many beans

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Question 8: So, the plan is to work out the volume of the jar and the volume of a single bean by
modelling them as cylinders. Sometimes uncertainty can arise from assumptions we make in our
methods. Where could uncertainty come from in this experiment?
✓ The jar and beans aren't perfect cylinders
– We can't calculate the volume of cylinders accurately
– The jar is too large for this type of calculation
– There are too many beans for this to work

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