DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Name: Damon Du

Tutors name: Darrell Patterson

Coursework Title: Excel spreadsheet, Integration and Fundamentals of Statistics

This is all my own work except where I have indicated otherwise via references or other forms of
acknowledgement.
Signature:

..

16 October 2013
Coursework:

Question 1

a)

r= =-kC,

=-kdt,

-kt,

X=e-kt, X=1-e-kt
The graph also shows the relationship between X and time meets exponential
form.
b)

K=ln2/half time
According to the graph, when X halves, t is equal to about 5000s.
So k=ln2/5000=1.38x10-4 s-1

Question 2
a)
=712.86
According to Trapezium rule, I=

b=5, a=2,
x
f(x)

2
4.3944

8
24.3562

14
48.9511

20
76.1332

b)

exact value=712.86
approximate value=(20-2)/3[(4.3944+76.1332)/2+24.3562+48.9511]=681.4266

c)

Error= 712.86-681.4266=31.4334

d)

The numerical solution will be more accurate with increasing numbers of strips.

Question 3
Systematic error was coming from the reaction time of athlete and trainer. When the
starting bistro was shot, the trainer started the stopwatch simultaneously, however
the athlete needed time to react, so the measuring value should be a little greater
than true value.
Random error also existed. When the athlete was getting through the finishing line,
the trainer pressed the stop button. The trainer could stop timing a little bit earlier or
later. It was random.
Question 4
The standard errors in the measured parameters k:
=

=0.1926,

=0.0236
The standard errors in the measured parameters a:
=

=2.56

=0.0624
The standard errors in the measured parameters a2:

The error in the estimate of the derived quantity D: