PHY 2141 – Error analysis worksheet (online)

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Step 1
What is the smallest marking on your ruler or other measuring instrument?

If you were measuring the length of an object and it was between two markings on your ruler, describe
how you would estimate the length of the object. What would be the uncertainty in your
measurement? (There is not a “correct” answer here, but your answer should be reasonable.)

Step 2 – Step 5
Table 1
2 2
Trial Length ℓ (ℓ − ℓ̅) Width 𝑤 ̅)2
(𝑤 − 𝑤 Height ℎ (ℎ − ℎ̅)
1
2

3
4

Mean ℓ̅ = 𝑤
̅= ℎ̅ =
Standard
𝜎ℓ = 𝜎𝑤 = 𝜎ℎ =
deviation
Measurement uncertainty 𝜖=
Uncertainty 𝛿ℓ = 𝛿𝑤 = 𝛿ℎ =
Uncertainty
𝛿ℓ̅ = 𝛿𝑤
̅= 𝛿ℎ̅ =
of the mean
Step 6
Did your calculations of the means and standard deviations match the results you found using Excel?

Step 7
𝑉 = ℓ̅ × 𝑤
̅ × ℎ̅ =
(Note that you are using mean values to calculate the volume, but the volume itself will not be a mean.)
𝜕𝑉
𝛿𝑉ℓ = 𝛿ℓ̅ = (𝑤
̅ × ℎ̅)𝛿ℓ̅ =
𝜕ℓ

𝜕𝑉
𝛿𝑉𝑤 = ̅ = (ℓ̅ × ℎ̅)𝛿𝑤
𝛿𝑤 ̅=
𝜕𝑤

𝜕𝑉
𝛿𝑉ℎ = 𝛿ℎ̅ = (ℓ̅ × 𝑤
̅)𝛿ℎ̅ =
𝜕ℎ

𝛿𝑉 = √(𝛿𝑉ℓ )2 + (𝛿𝑉𝑤 )2 + (𝛿𝑉ℎ )2 =

Step 8
Table 2

Trial Volume 𝑉 (𝑉 − 𝑉̅ )2
1

Mean 𝑉̅ =
Standard
𝜎𝑉 =
deviation
Standard
error of the 𝜎𝑉 𝑚 =
mean
Step 9
Use your results from step 7 to write a best estimate for the volume in the form 𝑉𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 = 𝑉 ± 𝛿𝑉 with
the appropriate units:

Use your results from step 8 to write a best estimate for the volume in the form 𝑉𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 = 𝑉̅ ± 𝜎𝑉 𝑚 with
the appropriate units:

Do these results agree?

Which method resulted in a larger uncertainty?

Do you think that one method of determining the uncertainty was easier compared to the other? Please
explain your thinking.

Do you think that one method of determining the uncertainty gave a truer result that fully represented
all of the uncertainties in your measurements and calculations compared to the other? Please explain
your thinking.
Step 13
Paste a copy of your graph with error bars here: