Precision Measurement Experiment

I. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Accuracy, Precision and Uncertainity of a Measurement

Science is based on observation and experiment that is, on measurements. Accuracy is

how close a measurement is to the correct value for that measurement. For example, let
us say that you are measuring your length. You measure your length three times and
obtain the following measurements: 160 cm, 161 cm, and 159 cm. These measurements
are quite accurate because they are very close to the correct value of 160 cm. In contrast,
if you had obtained a measurement of 168 cm, your measurement would not be very
accurate.
In measurement of a set, accuracy is closeness of the measurements to a specific value,
while precision is the closeness of the measurements to each other.
Accuracy has two definitions:
1 More commonly, it is a description of systematic errors, a measure of statistical
bias; low accuracy causes a difference between a result and a "true" value.
2 Alternatively, accuracy as describing a combination of both types of observational
error above (random and systematic), so high accuracy requires both high precision and
high trueness.
The uncertainty estimate associated with a measurement should account for both the
accuracy and precision of the measurement.
1.2. Types of Errors

Measurement errors may be classified as either random or systematic, depending on

how the measurement was obtained (an instrument could cause a random error in one
situation and a systematic error in another).

Random errors are statistical fluctuations (in either direction) in the measured data due to
the precision limitations of the measurement device. Random errors can be evaluated
through statistical analysis and can be reduced by averaging over a large number of
observations (see standard error).

Systematic errors are reproducible inaccuracies that are consistently in the same
direction. These errors are difficult to detect and cannot be analyzed statistically. If a
systematic error is identified when calibrating against a standard, applying a correction or
correction factor to compensate for the effect can reduce the bias. Unlike random errors,
systematic errors cannot be detected or reduced by increasing the number of
observations.

Measurement = (measured value ± standard uncertainty) unit of measurement

1.2.1. Estimating Uncertainity

Suppose you time the period of oscillation of a pendulum using a digital instrument (that
you assume is measuring accurately) and find: T = 0.44 seconds. This single
measurement of the period suggests a precision of ±0.005 s, but this instrument precision
may not give a complete sense of the uncertainty. If you repeat the measurement several
times and examine the variation among the measured values, you can get a better idea of
the uncertainty in the period. For example, here are the results of 5 measurements, in
seconds: 0.46, 0.44, 0.45, 0.44, 0.41.
Consider, as another example, the measurement of the width of a piece of paper using a
meter stick. Being careful to keep the meter stick parallel to the edge of the paper (to avoid
a systematic error which would cause the measured value to be consistently higher than
the correct value), the width of the paper is measured at a number of points on the sheet,
and the values obtained are entered in a data table. Note that the last digit is only a rough
estimate, since it is difficult to read a meter stick to the nearest tenth of a millimeter (0.01
cm).

One way to express the variation among the measurements is to use the average
deviation. This statistic tells us on average (with 50% confidence) how much the
individual measurements vary from the mean.However, the standard deviation is the
most common way to characterize the spread of a data set. The standard deviation is
always slightly greater than the average deviation, and is used because of its association
with the normal distribution that is frequently encountered in statistical analyses.

1.2.2. Standard Deviation

Experimental error is defined as the difference between an experimental value and the
actual value of a quantity. This difference indicates the accuracy of the measurement. The
accuracy is a measure of the degree of closeness of a measured or calculated value to its
actual value. The percent error is the ratio of the error to the actual value multiplied by 100.

II. APPARATUS
Ruler, vernier caliper, micrometer, solid cylinder, steel ball

Vernier caliper, instrument for making very accurate linear measurements introduced in
1631 by Pierre Vernier of France. It utilizes two graduated scales: a main scale similar to
that on a ruler and an especially graduated auxiliary scale, the vernier, that slides parallel
to the main scale and enables readings to be made to a fraction of a division on the main
scale. Vernier calipers are widely used in scientific laboratories and in manufacturing for
quality control measurements.In the figure, the vernier scale has 25 divisions, whereas the
main scale has 24 divisions in the same length. This means that the divisions on the
vernier scale are shorter than those on the main scale by 1/25 of a division on the main
scale. In the figure, line 8 on the vernier coincides with line x on the main scale. To align
lines 7 and y the vernier would have to be moved to the left by 1/25 of a main-scale
division; to align lines 6 and 40, the movement would be 2/25, and so on. By similar
reasoning, the 0 line on the vernier would have to be moved a distance equal to 8/25 of a
main-scale division to align it with the 8.50 line on the main scale. This means that in the
position shown in the figure the 0 line is 8/25 of a main-scale division to the right of the 8.50
line. The reading of the vernier is therefore 30 + 8.50 + 0.08 = 38.58.
Micrometer, in full micrometer caliper, instrument for making precise linear
measurements of dimensions such as diameters, thicknesses, and lengths of solid bodies;
it consists of a C-shaped frame with a movable jaw operated by an integral screw. The
fineness of the measurement that can be made depends on the lead of the screw—i.e.,
the amount the spindle moves toward or away from the anvil in one revolution and the
means provided for indicating fractional parts of a revolution. The accuracy of the
measurements depends on the accuracy of the screw-nut combination.

III. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1. Measure the length of the solid cylinder ,which is given to you ,10 times with a ruler and
Vernier caliper, and fill the table.
Table1

Observation Ruler Vernier caliper

Li(cm) ai = Li - Lavg(cm) Li(cm) ai = Li - Lavg(cm)

10

2. Measure the diameter of the steel ball 20 times with a micrometer and fill in the table.

Table2

Observation Ruler
di(mm) ai = di - davg(mm)

20

Ref.

1) https://www.webassign.net/question_assets/unccolphysmechl1/measurements/
manual.html (12th of May 2020)
2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accuracy_and_precision (12th of May 2020)
3) https://phys.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/College_Physics/Boo
%3A_College_Physics_(OpenStax)/01%3A_The_Nature_of_Science_and_Physics/
1.04%3A_Accuracy%2C_Precision%2C_and_Significant_Figures (12th of May 2020)
4) https://www.britannica.com/technology/micrometer(12th of May 2020)
5) https://www.britannica.com/technology/vernier-caliper(12th of May 2020).