Title: UNCERTAINTY IN MEASUREMENTS Guide Questions:

1. If several persons measured the thickness of the same coin with the same micrometer, there would still be a small spread in values measured. Give two reasons why this would be so. - The measurement of any physical quantity such as the coin used in the experiment is always subject to some degree of uncertainty for some inevitable reasons. First, is due to the limitations inherent in the construction of the measuring instrument or device (the micrometer in the given question). The second factor is the conditions under which the measurement is made. Lastly, uncertainty may result from the many different ways in which each person uses or reads the instrument. 2. Define a) precision b.) accuracy PRECISION is the agreement among several measurements that have been made in the same way. It tells how reproducible the measurements are and is expressed in terms of absolute deviation, relative deviation or tolerance. ACCURACY refers to the closeness of a measurement to the accepted value for a specific physical quantity. It is expressed as either an absolute or a relative error. 3. Does percent error pertain to accuracy or precision? Explain - The percent error pertains to accuracy. Since accuracy is the experimental value and in any way it cannot be as exact as the actual (true) value for the given object, it only shows that the error is the main determinant of accuracy. 4. How could the error be improved in this experiment? - The error in the experiment can be improved by having the instruments inspected for some damage before using, for it may affect the value that will be obtain. Careful measurement through allotting enough time and concentration can also be helpful in getting more accurate results. 5. Why are several observations better than one in an experiment? - Several observations are better than one because of the inevitable uncertainty in measurements. Comparison of those different obtained values can help in determining how high or low the precision is, and of how accurate is the measurement. Submitted by: Anna Vanezza D. Dee

BSN III-2