Physics 2BL Homework Set 01

Taylor Problems: 3.10, 3.28, 3.36, 3.41

3.10: 1 Deck = 52 Cards
Thickness of one deck is measured to be: T = 0.590 0.005 inches
(A) Thickness of one card = t = (1/52) T t = 0.0113 0.0001 inches
(B) N = Number of cards measured to obtain desired uncertainty
T=Nt
0.005inches
= N = 250 Cards
T = N t N = T/ t =
0.00002inches
This is 4 decks and 42 cards or about 5 decks.

3.28: T = 2 L / g
L = 1.40 0.01m ,

g = 9.81msec-2

(A) T = 2 (1.40m) /(9.81m s 2 ) = 2.37sec

T =

dT
1
L = 2 (L / g )1 / 2 (1 / g ) L
dL
2

= ( / g ) g / L L

) (9.81m s )/(1.40m) (0.01m)

= / 9.81m s 2
T = 0.01sec

T = 2.37 0.01 sec

(B) TMeasured = 2.39 0.01 sec

so, 2.36 sec TPredicted 2.38 sec
and 2.38 sec TMeasured 2.40 sec
These ranges just barely overlap since both share the endpoint at 2.38 seconds.
Thus, the predicted and measured values of the pendulum are consistent with
one another.
3.36: (A)

(12 1) [(25 3) (10 1)]

= (12 1) (15 3 2 + 12 ) = (12 1) (15 3)
2
2
= 180 180 (3 / 15) + (1 / 12 )
= 180 40

(B)

16 4 + (3.0 0.1) (2.0 0.1)

q
1 4
11 1
1
q1 = 16 4 , 1 =
= = q1 =
4
2 16 2 4 8
2
0.1
3 q
q 2 = (3.0 0.1) , 2 = 3
q2 = 2.7 , round to 3
3.0
27
q3
2
0.1 2
q3 = (27 3)(2.0 0.1) ,
= ( 273 ) + ( 2.0
) q3 = 6.6 , round to 7
54
3

q 4 = (4.0 0.5) + (54 7 ) = 58

(0.5)2 + (7 )2

= 58 7
(C)

(20 2) exp[ (1.0 0.1)]

q1 = exp[ (1.0 0.1)] , q1 = exp[ (1.0 )] (0.1) q1 = 0.37 0.04
q 2 = (20 2 )(0.37 0.04 ) = 7.4

( 71.4 )q2 = ( 202 )2 + ( 00..3704 )2

= 0.15 q 2 = 1.1

= 7.4 1.1
3.41:
i (deg)
All 1

r (deg)
All 1

sin(i)

10
20
30
50
70

7
13
20
29
38

0.174
0.342
0.5
0.766
0.940

sin(r)
0.122
0.225
0.342
0.485
0.616

n=

sin i
sin r

1.42
1.52
1.46
1.58
1.53

sin i

sin r

sin i

sin r

10%
5%
3%
1%
1%

14%
8%
5%
3%
2%

17%
9%
6%
3%
2%

n
0.2
0.14
0.09
0.05
0.03

If we are told by the manufacturer that n = 1.50, we may check this against our
measured data. We check that n-n 1.50 n+n. This is true for each case
except i = 50. Still, the lower bound is close to 1.50 (differing by 0.03). The
results are fairly consistent with the manufacturer's reported value. As the
angles increase, the uncertainties in the angles are constant so their fractional
uncertainties decrease. Thus, the fractional uncertainties in n also decrease as i
increases.