1.2 Uncertainty questions U better get it right folks !!!

1. The current in a wire is measured as 0.325 ± 0.004 A.

i. What is the absolute uncertainty?
ii. What is the fractional uncertainty?
iii. What is the percentage uncertainty?

2) A group of students are told to use a meter stick to find the length of a
hallway. They make 6 independent measurements: 4.402 m, 4.217 m,
4.345 m, 4.925 m, 4.372 m, 4.289 m. How should they report their
best estimate of the length of the hallway?

3) A student uses a protractor to measure an angle to be A = 82o ± 1o.

What should she report for sin(A)?

The following text applies to questions 4-6: A simple pendulum is known to have a period of oscillation, T =
1.55 s. Student A uses a digital stopwatch to measure the total time for 5 oscillations and calculates an
average period T = 1.25 s. Student B uses an analog wristwatch and the same procedure to calculate an
average period for the 5 oscillations and finds T = 1.6 s.

4) Which period is more accurate, and why?

a) Student A's period of 1.25 s because a digital stopwatch is more reliable.

b) Student A's period of 1.25 s because the stopwatch can measure to 0.01 s.
c) Student B's period of 1.6 s because it is closer to the known period than A's value.
d) There is not enough information to answer this question.

5) Which measurement is more precise, and why?

a) Student A's period of 1.25 s because a digital stopwatch is more reliable.
b) Student A's period of 1.25 s because the stopwatch can measure to 0.01 s.
c) Student B's period of 1.6 s because it is closer to the known period than A's value.
d) There is not enough information to answer this question.

6) What is the most probable source of error that could explain the difference in the results?
a) Human reaction time in starting and stopping the timing devices.
b) The stopwatch may run too fast; not calibrated properly.
c) The amplitude of oscillation may have been too large for one pendulum.
d) Student A mistakenly measured 4 oscillations instead of the intended 5.

7) The height of 6 pupils in a class is 1.78 m, 1.56 m, 1.34 m, 1.45m, 1.78 m and 1.56 m. What is their
average height (with uncertainty)?