Worksheet Title: P02 – Measurement Techniques

Exercise 1

1.6 cm
diameter d1 of mass = …………………….
(Remember to state units!)

0.1 cm
uncertainty in d1 = ……………………
(Remember to 1 s.f. only and units!)
(If not stated, uncertainty here would refer to
absolute uncertainty.)

0.1 Show working for

 100% = 6% percentage uncertainty
1.6
5 %
percentage uncertainty in d1 = …………………………
(Remember to 1 or 2 s.f.)
Exercise 2

l = r2 – r1 = ________
39.35 – 31.40 = __________
- ________ 7.95 cm l = ________________
0.05 + 0.05 = 0.1 cm

1
d2 = l = __________
0.02 cm
5

Show working for l = 39.35 – 31.40 = 7.95 cm

subtraction and division d2 = 7.95 / 5 = 1.59 cm
1.59 cm
average diameter d2 of one mass = …………………………..
(Remember to state units!)
0.02 cm
(absolute) uncertainty in d2 = …………………………
(Remember to 1 s.f. only and units!)

Show working for 0.02

 100% = 1%
percentage uncertainty 1.59
1%
percentage uncertainty in d2 = …………………………
(Remember to 1 or 2 s.f.!)
Exercise 3

Zero reading with uncertainty = (0.00  0.05) mm

d1 + d2 + d3
d=
3
d1 / mm d2 / mm d3 / mm d / mm
47.5 47.8 48.0 47.8
47.8 mm
d = …………………………………..
(It is possible that the depth h varies and measurements should be repeated.)

h1 / mm h2 / mm h3 / mm h / mm

71.2 70.8 71.1 71.0

71.0 mm
h = ………………………………….. h1 h2 h3
0.2
 100% = 0.3%
71.0
Note that the uncertainty of depth in this case is derived from the variation in depth of the
beaker.
0.3 %
percentage uncertainty in h = ………………………………….

Exercise 4
Zero reading with uncertainty = (0.000  0.005) mm

d1 + d2 + d3
d=
3
d1 / mm d2 / mm d3 / mm d / mm

0.53 0.52 0.52 0.52

0.52 mm
d = …………………………………..

Exercise 5
(a)

67.63 g
mass = …………………………….

2
(b)
40.5
volume of water, V1 = ______________  0.5 cm3

48.0
volume of water & pendulum bob, V2 = ______________  0.5 cm3

8
volume of pendulum bob = V2 – V1 = ______________  1 cm3

Note: need to add uncertainties for change in volume.

8 cm3
volume = …………………………….

(c)

8 g cm–3
density = …………………………….

(d)
mass
density =
volume
density mass volume 0.01 1
= + = + = 0.13 = 13%
density mass volume 67.63 8
Note: the larger uncertainty comes from the measurement of volume. Hence, an
experimenter, while looking to improve the experiment, would target efforts at
reducing the uncertainty in volume measurement.

13 %
percentage uncertainty in density = ……………………………..

Exercise 6
split
cork

time for n oscillations nT1 + nT2

T=
2n string L
(Remember  20 s!)

L / cm n number of oscillations nT1 / s nT2 / s T/s

30.0 20 22.12 22.04 1.104 bob

nT1 + nT2 22.12 + 22.04 pendulum

T = = = 1.104 s (follow s.f. of raw times)
2n 2(20)
1.104 s
T = ……………………………..

3
Working from basic principles:
 ( nT1 ) +  ( nT2 ) 0.3 + 0.3
T = = = 0.015 s
2n 2 ( 20 )
T 0.015
 100% =  100% = 1.4%
T 1.104

2 %
percentage uncertainty in T = ……………………………
ALTERNATIVELY:
22.12 + 22.04
Let t = nT ; hence average t = = 22.08 s
2
t 0.3
 100% =  100% = 1.4%
t 22.08

4
Exercise 7
(a)

29.5 C
TAP = ……………………………

(b)

49.0 C
HOT = ……………………………

(c)

38.5 C
MIX = ……………………………

(d)

10 C
 = ……………………………

Exercise 8

(a)
Assume head is spherical, body is cuboid, arms and legs are cylindrical.
Rough Measurements: diameter of head = 20 cm, diameter of arms = 10 cm, length of
arms = 80 cm, diameter of legs = 15 cm, length of legs = 90 cm, body dimensions = 70
cm x 50 cm x 15 cm
Area = area of head (4r2) + surface area of body + area of arms + area of legs (2rh +
2r2)
= [4  (0.1)2] + 2[0.7 x 0.5 + 0.5 x 0.15 + 0.15 x 0.7] + 2 [(0.05)(0.8) + (0.05)2] + 2 [(0.075)
(0.9) + (0.075)2] = 1.9 m2

(b) mass ~ 5 kg, volume ~ 0.005 m3

Assume head is spherical. Rough measurement of diameter of head = 20 cm.
4
Volume of head =  (0.1)3 = 0.004 m3
3
Since 90% of human body is made up of water, assume that density of head is similar
to water which is 1000 kg m−3,
mass of head = volume of head x density of water = 0.004 x 1000 = 4 kg

Assume uniform density throughout body, (wrong assumption)

density of head = density of body

5
 mass of head mass of body
=
volume of head volume of body

 mass of body   volume of head 

mass of head = volume of head  =  mass of body
 volume of body   volume of body 
= 2.4 kg