University of Latvia

Faculty of Medicine
Miko Hietala (mh19037) and Kati Monthan (kh19013)
23.02.2020.

Laboratory Report Nr. 1/2

Direct and indirect measurement.

Goals: Learn to use simple physical instruments. Determine physical quantities by direct and
indirect measurements. Apply a simple analysis of measurement data. Calculate and
analyze measurement uncertainty.

Tasks: 1. Measure the length and diameter of a given cylinder by a digital calliper.
2. Measure the mass of the cylinder.
3. Determine the density of an unknown material.

Equipment used:
 Digital scale (to measure the weight)
 Caliper (to measure the length and diameter).
 Calculator
 Computer
Theoretical introduction:

Before coming to the lab, first, read the corresponding lab manual “1/2 Direct and indirect measurement
and its uncertainty”.
Then write down in this section answers to the following questions:

1. We divide measurements uncertainties into 3 main groups. Name them.

2. Explain the difference between absolute un relative measurement uncertainty.
3. How many significant digits should be used when writing down the final answer for uncertainty and
measured values?

You may need to look for the answers outside the lab manual, for example on internet. Do not cheat and do
not copy the answers from the lab protocols of your friends.
Before coming to the lab next lesson print this template with your names, answers to these questions and
bring the template with answers to the laboratory.

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Measurement data:
(Do not use a pencil or corrector for measurement data! Do not forget to write down units everywhere!)

i Cylinder Deviation from Square deviation Average length of the cylinder:

length average length from average
l i ± θl , mm Δli, mm (Δli)2, mm2 41,21mm
ĺ=¿
41,20 -0.01 0.0001
1.
41,10 -0.11 0.0121
2.
Calculation of standard deviation of mean
41,90 0.69 0.4761
3.
0.229 mm
40,99 -0.22 0.0484 S ( ĺ )=¿
4.
40,86 -0.35 0.1225
5.
41,89 -0.32 0.1024 Random absolute uncertainty of
6.
measurement:
41,33 0.12 0.0144
7.
ϵ l=S ( ĺ ) t γ ,n =¿
41,14 -0.07 0.0049
8.
40,85 -0.36 0.1296
9.

41,13 -0.08 0.064

10.
Total absolute uncertainty: =
0.13 0.0169 Δl=√ ϵ 2l +θ2l
41,34
11.

41,18 -0.03 0.0009

12.

41,01 -0.20 0.04

13.

41,30 0.09 0.0081

14.

41,10 -0.11 0.0121

15.

41,07 -0.14 0.0196

16.

41,34 0.13 0.0169

17.

41,15 -0.06 0.36

18.

41,24 0.03 0.0009

19.

20. 41,08 -0.13 0.0169

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 Δl
Total relative uncertainty: r l = ×100 %=
ĺ

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i Cylinder Deviation from Square deviation Average diameter of the cylinder:
diameter average from average
d i ±θ d , mm Δdi, mm (Δdi)2, mm2 d́=¿
1.

2.
Calculation of standard deviation of mean
3.

4. S ( d́ )=¿
5.

6.
Random absolute uncertainty of
7.
measurement:
8.
ϵ d=S ( d́ ) t γ ,n=¿

Total absolute uncertainty: Δ d=√ ϵ 2d + θ2d =¿

Δd
Total relative uncertainty: r d = × 100 %=
d́

Miko Hietala, Kati Monthan 24.02.2020 Page 4

i Cylinder Deviation from Square deviation Average mass of the cylinder:
mass average mass from average
m i ± θm , g Δmi, g (Δmi)2, g2 ḿ=¿
1.

2.
Calculation of standard deviation of mean
3.

4. S ( m )=¿
5.

6.
Random absolute uncertainty of
7.
measurement:
8.
ϵ m=S ( ḿ ) t γ ,n=¿

Total absolute uncertainty:

Δ m=√ ϵ 2m +θ2m =¿

Δm
Total relative uncertainty: r m = ×100 %=
ḿ

Cylinder density and uncertainty of calculated density:

ḿ ḿ 4 ḿ
ρ≡ = = =¿
V π d́ 2
π d́ 2 ĺ
ĺ
4

r ρ=¿

Δ ρ=r ρ ρ=¿

Results (correctly rounding all uncertainties to 1 significant (nonzero) digit and matching the last digit of
average quantity to the last digit of absolute uncertainty; do not forget units):

ĺ± Δl= (± ) , r l=% , γ =95 %

d́ ± Δd=( ± ) , r d =% , γ=95 %

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 ḿ ± Δ m=( ± ) ,r m=% , γ =95 %

ρ ± Δ ρ= (± ) , r ρ=% , γ=95 %

Conclusions (discuss main points):

 Experimentally obtained value of cylinder density is …

 The calculated absolute and relative uncertainty of cylinder density is …

 The predicted material of the cylinder is …

 The theoretical density found in literature of the predicted material is …

 The agreement between measured and theoretical value is (discuss quality of agreement) …

 According to the error analysis, the main source of measurement uncertainty is measurement of
cylinder length/diameter/mass. For the measurement of this quantity, the measurement uncertainty is
dominated by random/systematic/gross error, therefore in order to decrease uncertainty of obtained
density value, I have to ...

 I think that a better way to measure density of an object would be …

because it would …

 I have additional observations/suggestions in order to improve experiment …

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