CLASSIFIED TEN-YEAR SERIES QUESTIONS

Topic: Errors and Approximation errors in measuring v, a and g are e1, e2 and e3 respectively. Show that
the maximum absolute percentage error in the calculated value of R is
1. The time of swing, T seconds, of a simple pendulum L metres long is given approximately by
L
1/ 2 [5]
given by the formula T  2 
 , where g is the acceleration due E  2e1 |2 cot 2| e2  e 3 .
g
to gravity in ms-2. In a laboratory experiment to calculate the value of 
Comment briefly on the case a » . [2]
g, the value of T was obtained for a fixed value of L. The magnitude of 4
the relative error in measuring T is eT, in measuring L is eL, and in (J95/IV/11(a))
using an approximation to p is ep. Show that the magnitude of the
relative error in the calculated value of g is at most eL + 2eT + 2ep, 4. The numbers x1, x2, ..., xn are all positive and subject to small errors,
approximately. [4] n 1 n 2
In a particular experiment the values L=0.887 and T=1.890 were each of magnitude at most e. Let T =  xi and S 2
=  xi ,
obtained, each correct to 3 decimal places. Show that, using the result i 1 n i 1
of the previous paragraph and neglecting any error in the value of p, where S>0. Show that an approximate upper bound to the absolute
the magnitude of the error in the value obtained for g is at most 0.01, Te
approximately. [5] error in S is .
nS
If the value used for p is 3.142, so that ep»0.0001, calculate an In a particular case when n=10 and the numbers xi were each given
approximate interval for the value of g. [3] correct to 2 decimal places, the values of S and T were calculated as
If the value of g was obtained by repeating the experiment and 5.049 (to 3 decimal places) and 45.67 respectively. Show that the third
averaging the results, explain why you would expect the error to be decimal place in the value of S can be in error by as much as 5.
considerably less than that calculated above. Explain why the actual error is likely to be less than this.
[2] [7]
(N96/IV/12) (N94/IV/12(a))

1 2 3 5. A triangle ABC is inscribed in a circle of radius R. The length of the

2. The value of r is calculated from the formula   .
3 2 2 side a is calculated by measuring R and the angle A, in radians, then
r s t
Given that s and t are each measured with errors of at most 3%, find using the formula a = 2R sin A. The radius R can be measured to
the approximate maximum possible percentage error in r. within e% of its true value and A to within e2%. Show that the
[4] maximum absolute percentage error in a is approximately e1 + e2A |
(N95/IV/13(b)) cot A |. [3]
Given that A » 0.52, e1 = 0.1 and e2 = 0.2, find approximately the
3. When a projectile is fired from a point O on horizontal ground with largest absolute percentage error that can occur in a in each of the
speed v ms-1 at an angle a radians to the horizontal, it hits the ground at following cases
(i) when the measured values of R and A are both overestimates, [2]
v 2 sin 2
a distance R metres from O, where R = , g being the (ii) when the measured value of R is an overestimate and the measured
g value of A is an underestimate. [3]
acceleration due to gravity in ms -2. The maximum absolute percentage (J94/IV/11(a))

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CLASSIFIED TEN-YEAR SERIES QUESTIONS

X
6. The value of a is calculated from the formula a2n = 4x2+y2, where n is estimate for may be taken as |rx| + |ry|.
Y
exact and x and y are each given to within a small error of e%. Show
[7]
e (b) A student has to draw a triangle ABC with a=13 cm, b=9cm and
that the maximum percentage error in a is approximately . [4]
n c=10cm, and then measure the length, m cm, of the line C to the
(J93/IV/11(a)) midpoint of AB. In drawing the triangle the student makes errors of
magnitude not exceeding k cm (where k is small) in each of the sides,
7. A root of the equation xn + ax - b = 0 is a. Show that the increase da and makes a further error of magnitude not exceeding k cm in
in a, due to small increase e1 and e2 in a and b respectively, is given measuring the length m cm. Given that 4m2=2a2+2b2-c2, show that the
approximately by [3] student obtains an answer within 2.35k of the correct value.
 2   2 [7]
  . (D90/IV/11)
n n 1  a
(J92/IV/11 first part) 10(a) An engineer wishes to calculate the volumes of a number of right
circular cones to within an accuracy of 1%. The diameters of the base
1 and the heights of these cones are each not less than 5 cm. The
8. It is given that 5 2 7 . diameters can be measured to within 0.01cm and the heights to within
( 2  1) 3
0.02 cm. Neglecting the squares of the errors and treating p as a
Both expressions are evaluated using an approximation for Ö2 which is variable, find the greatest allowable error in the value used for p, and
in error by a small amount e. When squares and higher powers of e are
show that the required accuracy will be attained by taking p correct to
neglected, the relative errors in the expressions on the left and right are
two decimal places.
3e
L and R respectively. Show that L and find a [6]
2 1 (b) A student is to evaluate c by the formula
corresponding expression for R. c2 = a2 + b2 - 2ab cos C
[5] where a, b and C are known exactly, and cos C is to be found from
Show that |R| > 56|L|, and account for the loss of precision in 5Ö2-7. tables. By putting z = cos C, or otherwise, show that to attain an
(J91/IV/11(b)) accuracy of 0.1% in the value of c, the student must find cos C with an
c2
9(a) The numbers x and y are estimates of X and Y and have relative errors error not exceeding .
1000ab
x
rx and ry respectively. The relative error in using as an estimate [4]
y
X rx  r y The student uses tables giving four decimal place accuracy. In the case
for is r. Show that r , and deduce that if rx and ry are a=10, b=9, find the set of values of C within [0o, 180o] for which the
Y 1  rx student can calculate c to the required accuracy. [4]
x (D89/IV/11)
both small, the maximum absolute relative error in using as an
y

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CLASSIFIED TEN-YEAR SERIES QUESTIONS

12(a) (i) Given that z = p + q - r, where -P £ p £ P, -Q £ q £Q, -R £ r £ R, (ii) The roots of the equation x2-100x + 1 = 0 are a and b, where a > b.
write down, in terms of P, Q and R, limits within which z must lie. [2] Calculate a to five significant figures.

(ii) The acceleration a of a particle is calculated from the formula Hence obtain b to five significant figures, using a method which
minimizes the possible loss of significant figures.
 s  ut 
a  2 2  Hence using the results of (i) above, obtain estimates of the roots of
 t 
x2-(100+k)x+1=0

where s, u and t are measured experimentally. Given that the errors in where k is small. [7]
s, u and t are ds, du and dt respectively, show that da, the error in a, is (D88/IV/11)
given by [4]
2 2  4 s 2u  14. Neglecting the squares of rounding errors, find the magnitudes of the
a  s  u    3  2  t . maximum errors in
t 2 t  t t 
(i) tan A, where, rounded to two decimal places, A=0.83 radians; [2]
Given that u=2, |du|<0.01, s=16, |ds|<0.005, t=4 and |dt|<0.02, obtain (ii) x2y1/2, where, rounded to three decimal places, x=1.270 and
limits within which a may be taken to lie. [2] y=4.732. [3]

xy Give the values of tan A and x2y1/2 to as many significant figures as are
(b) Given that w  , obtain an expression for the relative error in w
z known to be correct. [2]
in terms of the relative errors in x, y and z. (J87/IV/11(a))
[2]
15(a) The angle Xo of a certain triangle is found by two different methods.
Given that each of x, y and z has been rounded to three significant One method gives the value of sin Xo as 0.953, and the other gives the
figures, show that w may have a relative error as large as 1¼ %. [4] value of tan Xo as 3.16, both results being known to be correct to three
(J89/IV/11) significant figures. Find the smallest interval within which X must lie.
[5]
13(i) The quadratic equation ax2+bx+c=0 has roots a and b, where a>b.
The quadratic equation ax2 + (b+e)x+c=0 has roots a+e1 and b+e2. (b) The value of Z, where Z = sin A - sin B, may be obtained either (i) by
direct evaluation of sin A - sin B, or (ii) by using the result
  
Given that e, e1 and e2 are small, prove that  1    , and sin A - sin B = 2 cos ½ (A+B) sin ½ (A-B).
a    
obtain a similar expression for e2. When A=83.0o and B = 82.9o the use of a computer that performs all
[7] numerical operations to an accuracy of six significant figures gives the
following results:

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CLASSIFIED TEN-YEAR SERIES QUESTIONS

(i) sin 83.0o-sin 82.9o=9.92546x10-1-9.92332x10-1=2.14x10-4.

(ii)2cos82.9osin0.05o=2x(1.22735x10-1)x(8.72665x10-4) = 2.14213 x 10-

4

Determine error bounds for these results, and in case (ii) give the value
of Z to as many significant figures as are known to be correct.

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