Physics SL/HL

Uncertainties and error

Practice

A student measures a line to be 3.8 cm  0.1 cm.

1. Find the absolute uncertainty in the measurement. 0.1 mm

1. _________________
Absolute uncertainty is the  number.

2. Find the fractional uncertainty in the measurement. 0.03

2. _________________
Fractional uncertainty is raw uncertainty / measurement = 0.1 / 3.8 = 0.026.
3. Find the percentage uncertainty in the measurement. 3%
3. _________________
Percentage uncertainty is fractional uncertainty  100% = (0.1 / 3.8)100% = 2.6%.

4. A flagpole is placed on the roof of a house. A student measures the flagpole to be 4.25 m  0.05 m.
The same student measures the height from the ground to the base of the flagpole to be 6.40 m 
0.15 m. If the flagpole is mounted vertically upward (straight up), how far is the tip of the flagpole
above the ground. Be sure to use significant figures and include a raw uncertainty with your answer.
10.7 m4. 0.2 m
If a = b + c then a = b + c.
_________________
Given: a = 4.25 m, a = 0.05 m, b = 6.40 m, b = 0.15 m. Then
a = b + c = 4.25 + 6.40 = 10.65 m (10.7 m to 3 sf) and
a = b + c = 0.05 + 0.15 = 0.20 m (0.2 to 1 sf).

5. A car travels 250 m  15 m in 12.2 s  0.2 s. Calculate its speed. Be sure to use significant figures and
include a raw uncertainty with your answer. 21 ms-1  2 ms-1
5. ________________
If a = b / c then a/a = b/b + c/c.
Given: a = 250 m, a = 15 m, b = 12.2 s, b = 0.2 s. Then
a = b / c = 250 / 12.2 = 20.491 ms-1 (21 ms-1 to 2 sf) and
a/a = b/b + c/c = 15/250 + 0.2/12.2  a/20.491 = 0.7639  a = 1.565 (2 ms-1 to 1 sf).
A table of data was created by a student during an experiment in which a paper helicopter was dropped
from various heights.
Volume Mass of the liquid Average mass Range
V / ml m/g m/g
V = 0.1 ml m = 0.2 g 0.3 s
m = ______ 0.3 / 2
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 1.6 0.4 / 2
2.0 0.3 / 2
1.0 1.4 1.7 1.6 0.6 / 2
2.6
1.5 2.0 2.2 1.8 0.4 / 2
3.4
2.0 2.4 2.7 2.7
2.5 3.1 3.7 3.4 4.0
3.0 3.9 3.8 4.2

6. Complete the last column of the table.

7. Does it appear that the student has done the right number of trials and variations to satisfy the
internal assessment requirements of the IBO? Be sure to explain very clearly your reasoning.
. Yes. There are 5 variations and 3 trials for each variation.

8. Create a graph which plots Mass vs. Volume. Be sure to label the graph properly.
____See graph____

9. On the same graph sketch the vertical error bars on each point. ____See graph____

10. On the same graph sketch in your line of best fit. ____See graph____
1.1 g ml-1
11. Calculate the slope of the line of best fit. Be -1sure to include the units. 11. ________________
Slope = Rise / Run = 4.2 s / 4.0 m = 1.05 s m
12. From your graph, determine the intercept. Include its units. 12. 0.6 g
________________
The y-intercept is at about 0.6 s.
13. On the same graph sketch in the maximum and minimum slopes, using the first and last error bars as
your guide. 13. ____See graph____
-1
14. Calculate the minimum and maximum slopes. Be sure to include the units. 14. 1.7 g ml
________________
Max slope = 5.2 s / 3.0 m = 1.7 s m-1. 0.90 g ml-1
Min slope = 3.6 s / 4.0 m = 0.90 s m-1.
________________
0.4 g ml-1
15. Calculate the uncertainty of the slope. 15. _______________
Slope uncertainty is (Max slope – Min slope) / 2 = (1.7 – 0.9) / 2 = 0.4 g ml -1
16. What are the intercepts of the lines representing the minimum and maximum slopes?
Max intercept = -0.2 g. -0.2 g
16. ________________
Min intercept = 1.0 g. 1.0 g
________________
The slope of the graph is 1.1 gml  0.4 gml . This means that for every ml added to the liquid, 1.1
-1 -1

17. Calculate the isuncertainty of mass.

the intercept. 0.6 g
17. ________________
 0.4 grams
Intercept added to
uncertainty its
is (Max int –This
Minisint)
the/ density
2 = (1.0of the liquid
– -0.2) / 2 = 0.6 g
18. State, in words, the slope (and uncertainty) of your graph and its physical meaning.

19. State, in words, the intercept (and uncertainty) of your graph and its physical meaning.
The intercept of the graph is 0.6 g  0.6 g. This means that 0 ml of the liquid would have a mass of
0.6  0.6 grams. The fact that the intercept is not 0 indicates that a systematic error might be
present. Maybe the scale that was used to measure the mass was not tared.
Topic 1.2 – Uncertainties and errors Formative Assessment
NAME: _________________________________ TEAM:__