Scribd
Upload
101 views9 pages

2.02 Measurements and Uncertainties

This document defines key terms related to measurement uncertainties: - Precision refers to how close repeated measurements are to each other, not the true value, with a smaller spread indicating higher precision. - Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true value. - Systematic errors are caused by instruments or methods and result in all measurements being off by a fixed amount. They do not affect precision. - Random errors are unpredictable and cause scattered results above and below the true value. Taking the mean improves accuracy. - Absolute uncertainty is the smallest instrument division written to 1 significant figure. For multiple readings it is the range divided by 2.

Uploaded by

Parveen Jones
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
101 views9 pages

2.02 Measurements and Uncertainties

This document defines key terms related to measurement uncertainties: - Precision refers to how close repeated measurements are to each other, not the true value, with a smaller spread indicating higher precision. - Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true value. - Systematic errors are caused by instruments or methods and result in all measurements being off by a fixed amount. They do not affect precision. - Random errors are unpredictable and cause scattered results above and below the true value. Taking the mean improves accuracy. - Absolute uncertainty is the smallest instrument division written to 1 significant figure. For multiple readings it is the range divided by 2.

Uploaded by

Parveen Jones
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

2.

02 Measurements and Uncertainties


Notes

Precision - A measure of how close a measurement is to the


mean value.
- It only gives an indication of the magnitude of
random errors, not how close data is to the true
value.
- If the spread is smaller the data is more precise.
- It can also be used to mean resolution - how many
decimal places an instrument can read to.
Accuracy - A measure of how close a measurement is to the
true value.

Systemati - Caused by the instruments used or the way in which they are used.
c Errors - Causes all readings to differ from the true value by a fixed amount.
- Systematic error cannot be corrected by repeat readings, instead a
different technique or apparatus should be used.
- Systematic errors will affect accuracy if not corrected. It will not affect the
precision as all values changed by same amount.
Zero - A form of systematic error, caused when a measuring instrument doesn’t
Errors read zero at a value of zero.
- This results in all measurements being offset by a fixed amount.
Random - Caused by unknown and unpredictable changes during the experiment
Errors - Caused by factors such as humidity and temperature changes or human
error.
- Random errors will give results scattered above and below the correct
value, therefore calculating the mean will provide a better result.

Absolute uncertainty is ± the smallest division on the measuring instrument, written to 1s.f.
For multiple readings:
Absolute uncertainty = range / 2
Absolute uncertainties have the same units as the quantity.
Percentage uncertainty:
In one value-

percentage uncertainty =  100

In repeat readings-
percentage uncertainty = ½ x range  100
mean

Combining uncertainties:

What happens in the formula What to do to calculate uncertainties

A+B or A-B Add absolute uncertainties

AxB or A÷B Add percentage uncertainties

An Multiply the percentage uncertainty by n

2.02 Measurements and Uncertainties


Worked Examples

I Do You Do
I Do You Do

2.02 Measurements and Uncertainties


Practice
1 Write down these measurements with their absolute uncertainty.
a 6.0 cm length measured with a ruler marked in mm
b 0.642 mm diameter measured with a digital micrometer
c 36.9 °C temperature measured with a thermometer which has a quoted accuracy of: ‘±
0.1 °C (34 to 42 °C), rest of range ± 0.2 °C’.

2 Calculate the percentage uncertainty in these measurements.


a 5.7 ± 0.1 cm
b 2.0 ± 0.1 A
c 450 ± 2 kg
d 10.60 ± 0.05 s

3 Calculate the absolute uncertainty in these measurements.


a 1200 W ± 10%
b 34.1 m ± 1%
c 330 000 Ω ± 0.5%
d 0.008 00 m ± 1%

4 Calculate the absolute and percentage uncertainty in the total mass of suitcases of masses
x, y, and z.
x = 23.3 ( 0.1) kg, y = 18 ( 1) kg, z = 14.7 ( 0.5) kg

5 A piece of string 1.000 ( 0.002) m is cut from a ball of string of length 100.000 (
0.002) m. Calculate the length of the remaining string and the uncertainty in this length.

6 A runner completes 100 ( 0.02) m in 18.6 ( 0.2) s. Calculate his average speed and the
uncertainty in this value.

7 A car accelerates, with constant acceleration, from 24 ( 1) m s–1 to 31( 2) m s–1 in 9.5 (
0.1) s. Calculate the acceleration. State your answer with its absolute uncertainty.

8 A cube has a mass of 7.870 ( 0.001) kg and sides of length 10.0 ( 0.1) cm. Give the
value of the density of the cube.

9 Calculate the uncertainty in the resistance of a bulb. The equation is R=V/I and the
following measurements were taken:
Potential Difference = 1.1 V
Current = 0.4 A

10 Calculate the uncertainty in the velocity of a football. The equation is v = s/t and the
following measurements were taken:
Displacement = 26.5 ± 0.5 m
Time = 0.6 s
2.02 Measurements and Uncertainties Exam
Questions
H156/01 2021
H156/01 2020
H156/02 2019
H156/01 2018
H156/01 2017

H556/01 2019

H556/01 2021
H556/01 2020

You might also like