Tutorial Questions

PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION

COURSE UNIT PHY1021 / LEVEL 1
Academic Year 2021-2022

Course Lecturer: Mr. Tosam Desmond CHIABOH

Tutor for TD1/TP1: Mr. Tosam Desmond CHIABOH
Reference Lecture: Chapter 1: Physical Measurements and Calculation of Uncertainties
Tutorial Session 1a: Calculation of Uncertainties

Exercise 1

- Explain in a few words what the purpose of the error calculation is.
- In which cases do we speak of an error? of uncertainty?
- Define absolute uncertainty and the relative uncertainty.

Exercise 2

Calculate the following and give the answer with the correct number of SFs

a) 10.375 + 1.23; b) 75.2 - 0.25; c) 7.52 x 3.453; d) (23.4919) / (17.34);

e) (37.8) (407.6) / (3.1); f) (12.72 + 3.2) x 0.04; g) 7.4 x 10-3 + 2.23 x 10-2 ;

h) (4.178 - 0.0037) / (60.4)

Exercise 3

To measure the thickness of a hollow cylinder, you measure the inside diameter D1 and the
outer diameter D2 and you find D1 = 19.5 ± 0.1 mm and D2 = 26.7 ± 0.1 mm. Give the result of
the measurement and its precision (relative uncertainty).

Exercise 4

Two resistors have respective values 11 ± 2 ohm and 26.5 ± 0.5 ohm.

1. What is the value of the equivalent resistance when they are connected:
a) In series
b) In parallel?
2. Deduce the error on the equivalent resistance in each case.

Exercise 5

Calculate the area S of a circle whose radius is R = 5.21 ± 0.1 cm. How precise is the result
obtained?
Exercise 6

You measure the length, width and height of the tutorial room and you get the following
values:
- length 10.2 ± 0.1 m
- width 7.70 ± 0.08 m
- height 3.17 ± 0.04 m

Calculate and give the results with their absolute uncertainties:

a) The perimeter
b) The ground surface
c) The volume of the room.

Exercise 7

To determine the density of an object, you measure its mass and volume. You find m = 16.25 g
to the nearest 0.001 g and V = 8.5 ± 0.4 cm3. Calculate the density and precision of the result.

Exercise 8

Height measurement - h, and diameter - D of a cylinder using a caliper gave h = D = 4.000 ±

0.005 cm. That of its mass gave the result m = 392.05 ± 0.05 g. Calculate the volume of the
cylinder and its density.

Exercise 9

After measuring the length L and the period T of a simple pendulum. You obtain L = 1.000

± 0.005 m and T =2.00 ± 0.01 s. Calculate the terrestrial acceleration of the place of the
experiment.