Group No: ________ SCORE:_______

Name: ______________________________________________
PRINT: FAMILY NAME GIVEN NAME M.I.

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 3:
Advance Study Assignment: Measurements and Evaluation of Data
1. Define accuracy.
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2. Define precision.
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3. A 5-peso coin was placed on top of a watch glass and their mass was recorded as 45.68 g. The mass of the
empty watch glass was found to be 39.86 g.

The mass (g) of the 5-peso coin is ____________________

SOLUTION:

4. The results of the analysis of a metal alloy were reported in terms of percent Cu (%Cu). The values
obtained are 17.34%, 17.33%, 17.28%, 17.29%, 17.36%.
The expression of the central value significant to chemists is the arithmetic mean (or average) is the sum of
the measured values, xi, divided by the n, number of replicate measurements.
 x  x2  x3  ...  xn   xi
x 1 
 n  n
a. The mean or the average %Cu is ________________.
SOLUTION:

b. The deviation from the mean, di, is the difference (regardless of sign) between the experimental
value and the arithmetic mean. The deviation is always the absolute value of the difference between
the experimental data and the mean.

d i  xi  x
The deviation of the experimental data 17.29% from the mean is _____________.
SOLUTION:

CONNECT ED SCHOOLS USE ONLY. THIS MATERIAL CAN BE REPRODUCED FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY PROVIDED IT WILL NOT BE ALTERED IN ANY FORM AND PERMISSION SHOULD BE GAINED FROM PROPER AUTHORITIES.
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 c. The relative deviation (dr) of a measurement or experimental data is the deviation divided by the
mean. The relative deviation may be expressed in percent.

di xi  x
dr   100   100
x x
The relative deviation may also be expressed in parts per thousand or ppt (by changing the factor
100 to 1000) or in terms of parts per million or ppm (by changing the factor 100 to 1,000,000). The
choice of factor to use depends on the magnitude of the ratio.

The relative deviation (ppt) of 17.29%Cu is _________________.

SOLUTION:

d. The standard deviation, s, measures how closely the data are clustered about the mean. The smaller
the standard deviation, the more closely the data are clustered about the mean, the more precise is
the measurement. For a finite number of measurements, the standard deviation, s is

 x 
n 2 n

i
x d i
2

s i
 i

(n  1) (n  1)

IMPORTANT: The average and the standard deviation should end at the same decimal place.
The standard deviation, s, of the results of the %Cu present in the metal alloy is _____________.
SOLUTION:

5. The error (sometimes referred to as absolute error) of a measurement is the difference between the measured
value and the true value, . The sign of the error indicates whether the experimental value is higher or
lower than the true value (or accepted true value).
If the accepted true value is 17.27%Cu, then the error of the measurement, 17.36%Cu, is ___________
SOLUTION:

CONNECT ED SCHOOLS USE ONLY. THIS MATERIAL CAN BE REPRODUCED FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY PROVIDED IT WILL NOT BE ALTERED IN ANY FORM AND PERMISSION SHOULD BE GAINED FROM PROPER AUTHORITIES.
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