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Errors and Uncertainties: Physics Laboratory

This document discusses various concepts related to errors and uncertainties in physics experiments. It defines different types of errors like random errors and systematic errors. It also defines concepts like accuracy, precision, and absolute and percentage uncertainties. It provides examples and rules for combining uncertainties from multiple measurements. The document also discusses significant figures and how to report results in scientific notation.

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Rana
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34 views

Errors and Uncertainties: Physics Laboratory

This document discusses various concepts related to errors and uncertainties in physics experiments. It defines different types of errors like random errors and systematic errors. It also defines concepts like accuracy, precision, and absolute and percentage uncertainties. It provides examples and rules for combining uncertainties from multiple measurements. The document also discusses significant figures and how to report results in scientific notation.

Uploaded by

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

Physics laboratory
Objectives
• Understand the difference between mistakes and errors
• Understand measurement errors
• Understand random errors
• Understand systematic errors
• Understand accuracy
• Understand precision
• Understand absolute uncertainty
• Understand percentage uncertainty
• Learn how to combine uncertainties
• Learn how to round an empirical result to significant figures
• Learn how to report an empirical result in scientific notation

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 2


Errors and Mistakes
Mistakes: suppose you are measuring the period of a pendulum, and
you forgot to close the window while the weather is windy outside. The
latter will hinder your experiment, ergo you’ll make a mistake
• They stem from the experimenter
• Mistakes can be avoided or rectified by repeating the experiment

Error = real value − experimental value


• They stem from faulty devices and flawed designs of the experiments
• They are inevitable
• They can only be minimized

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 3


Measurement errors
True or real value = value that can be obtained from a data book or
from an experiment in ideal conditions

Measurement error = true value − measured value

2 types of measurement errors: random errors and systematic errors

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 4


Random errors
• They occur when measurements are being made
• Example: A resistor is said to have a resistance of 12.
When measured by a multimeter, it shows values such as 12.5, 13, 13.7, or
even 14.
The latter variation in measurements is random error.
It maybe due to the change in temperature due to the current or to the
difficulty in taking the measurement from the multimeter.
Both factors are beyond the experimenter.
• Random errors cannot be corrected
• To remedy, make more measurements and report the mean value
Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 5
Systematic error
• They occur when measurements are being made and the error values
may be consistent during the experiment.
• Example: A thermometer placed inside a hole of warming iron block
may not record the correct temperature due to the following:
• Poor contact with the surface of iron
• A fault in the scale of the thermometer
• Systematic errors can be corrected

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 6


Accuracy and precision
• Accuracy = closeness of the measured value to the true value
• Precision = the closeness of the measured values to each other; the
closer they are, the more precise they are

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 7


Uncertainty in measurement
Uncertainty = interval in which true value lies

• Repeated measurements: mean value  absolute uncertainty


• Repeated measurements: absolute uncertainty = range/2

Example: A resistor is said to have a resistance of 12.


When measured by a multimeter, it shows values such as 12.5, 13, 13.7, or even 14.
Mean value = (12.5 + 13 + 13.7 + 14)/4 = 13.3 
Absolute uncertainty = (13.7 − 12.5)/2 = 0.6 
13.3  0.6 

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 8


Percentage uncertainty
Percentage uncertainty = (Absolute uncertainty/mean value)×100

Exceptions!
• sometimes the repeated measurements could be the same  range = 0 
absolute uncertainty = 0
• Single measurement  range = 0  absolute uncertainty = 0
• the resolution of the device (the smallest measurement possible) is taken as absolute
uncertainty, e.g. for a meter rule the resolution 1mm is the absolute uncertainty

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 9


Combining uncertainties (1)
Rule: Add or subtract quantities in an equation  absolute
uncertainties of each value are added

The length of a copper wire at 30C is 18.2 mm ± 0.04 mm and at 60C 19.7 mm


± 0.02 mm.
Extension of the wire = 19.7 − 18.2 = 1.5 mm
Absolute uncertainty = 0.04 + 0.02 = 0.06 mm
Extension of the wire = 1.5 ± 0.06 mm

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 10


Combining uncertainties (2)
Rule: Multiply or divide quantities in an equation  percentage uncertainties of
each value are added

The weight of an iron block is 8.0 ± 0.3 N and is placed on a wooden base of area 3.5 ± 0.2 m2
Pressure = 8/3.5 = 2.3 Pa
Percentage uncertainty in the Weight = (0.3/8) × 100 = 3.75
Percentage uncertainty in the Area = (0.2/3.5) × 100 = 5.71
% uncertainty in the Pressure= 3.75 + 5.71 = 9.46
Absolute uncertainty in the pressure = (9.46 × 2.3)/100 = 0.22
Since both the weight and the area have been approximated to two significant figures, the
final answer must take the same form:
Pressure = 2.3 ± 0.22 Pa

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 11


Combining uncertainties (3)
Rule: When you raise a measurement to the power n, the percentage
uncertainty is multiplied by n

Suppose the length of a cube is given as 5.7 ± 0.2 cm and you want to find the
absolute uncertainty in the volume.
Volume = 5.73 = 190 cm3
Since V = L3, Percentage uncertainty = 3 x (0.2/5.7) × 100 = 10.5
Absolute uncertainty in the volume = (10.5 × 190)/100=19.9
Result: 190  19.9 cm3

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 12


Rule for significant figures in a number (1)
• Non-zero digits are always significant
• Any zeros between two significant digits are significant
• LEADING zeros are not significant
• A final zero or trailing zeros in the decimal portion ONLY are significant
Examples:
• 0.500 0.500 (3 significant figures)
• 0.632000 0.632000 (6 significant figures)
• 0.006 0.006 (1 significant figure)
• 0.00968 0.00968 (3 significant figures)
• 0.507 0.507 (3 significant figures)
• 10.0 10.0 (measured to the nearest tenth)
• 705.001 705.001 (6 significant figures)
• 37000 37000 (ambiguous, measured to the nearest thousand)
• 370. 370. (measured to the exact one)
• 560000 are both measured to the nearest thousand or write it in scientific notation 5.60×105

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 13


Rule for significant figures in a number (2)
• When calculating a value, round your significant figures ONLY in your final answer
• For addition or subtraction
• Count the number of significant figures in the decimal portion ONLY of each number in the problem
• Add or subtract in normal fashion
• Your final answer may have no more significant figures to the right of the decimal than the LEAST
number of significant figures in any number in the problem
• Example: 1.26 + 2.3 = 3.56 or 3.6
1.26 + 102.3 = 103.56 or 103.6
• For multiplication and division
• The LEAST number of significant figures in any number of the problem determines the number of
significant figures in the answer. (you are looking at the entire number, not just the decimal portion)
• Example: 1.691 × 2.09 = 3.53419 or 3.53
121.907 ÷ 1.07 = 113.9317757 or 114

Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 14


Scientific notation
• When performing an experiment, one can obtain either very large
numbers or very small numbers
• Example: Avogadro’s number 602200000000000000000000
• Scientific notation represents a better way to report those numbers

• Example: 6.022×1023
0.0008 = 8×10−4
Adel F. Al Alam, PhD 15

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