Accuracy, Precision, Percent Error, & Temperature Scales

Accuracy
How close a measured value is to an

accepted value -Accuracy can be determined by just on

measurement -Depends on the quality of the measuring device

The density of water is 1.00 g/mL 1.03 .98 1.01 1.00 .99

Precision
How close a series of measurements are to one another
-Precision is determined by more than one measurement -Depends on the skill of the person measuring
The density of water is 1.00 g/mL

.89 .87 .89 .88 .88

Accuracy or Precision?
The boiling point of water is 100C
89C
91C 90C 91C 80C

The atomic mass of carbon is 12 amus

11.95 amus
12.01 amus 11.97 amus 11.98 amus 12.03 amus

Accuracy or Precision?
The electronegativity of Fluorine is 3.8 The evaporation temperature of isopropyl alcohol is 83C

2.1
1.6 3.5

91C
89C 90C

2.8
4.2

89C
90C

Percent Error
Accepted Value (also known as theoretical value) - a quantity used by general agreement of the scientific community - what you are supposed to get

Experimental Value (also known as the actual value) - a quantitative value measured during an experiment - what you got

Percent Error
Error = the difference between the accepted value and the experimental value
Percent Error = the percent that a measured value differs from an accepted value

% Error = (What you got) (What you were supposed to get) x 100 (What you were supposed to get)

Percent Error Practice

1. The boiling point of water is 100C. During an experiment, water came to a boil at 97C according to the thermometer that was being used. What is the percent error of the thermometer?
2. An experiment was performed to determine the density of water. The results of the experiment showed that water had a density of 1.15 g/mL. What was the percent error in this experiment?

Percent Error Practice

3. An experiment was conducted to find the mass of one mole of carbon atoms. The results of the experiment showed that a mole of carbon atoms had a mass of 15.78 g. The accepted value of a mole of carbon atoms is 16.00 grams. What is the percent error in this experiment?
4. An experiment performed to determine the density of lead yields a value of 10.95 g/cm3. The accepted value for the density of lead is 11.342 g/cm3. Find the percent error.

Percent Error Practice

5. Find the percent error in a measurement of the boiling point of bromine if the laboratory figure is 40.6C and the accepted value is 59.35C.

Temperature Scales
Relationship between the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin Scales

The Fahrenheit Scale

This is the temperature scale that you are probably most familiar with, living in the United States. When you listen to the weather report on TV, the Fahrenheit scale is used. The thermometers that you have in your house, for use as; swimming pools, cooking, bath tubs, or reading body temperature, are all likely to be in Fahrenheit. In Canada and most other countries, the news will report the temperature on the Celsius Scale.

The Celsius Scale

The Celsius scale is commonly used for scientific work. The thermometers we use in our lab are marked with the Celsius scale. The Celsius scale is also called the Centigrade scale because it was designed in such a way that there are 100 units or degrees between the freezing point and boiling point of water. One of the limitations of the Celsius scale is that negative temperatures are very common. Since temperature is a measure of the kinetic energy of molecules, this would also suggest that it is possible to have less than zero energy. This is why the Kelvin scale was necessary.

The Kelvin Scale

The International System of Measurements (SI) uses the Kelvin scale for measuring temperature. The Kelvin scale is based on the concept of absolute zero, the theoretical temperature at which molecules would have zero kinetic energy. Absolute zero, which is about 273.15C, is set at zero on the Kelvin scale.

A Comparison of Temperature Scales

Set Points Water Boils
Body Temperature Water Freezes

Fahrenheit 212
98.6 32

Celsius 100
37 0

Kelvin 373
310 273

Absolute Zero

-460

-273

Temperature Conversion Formulas

Conversion
Celsius to Kelvin
Kelvin to Celsius Fahrenheit to Celsius

Formula
K = C + 273
C = K 273 C =(F-32) x 5/9

Example
21C = 294K
313K = 40C 89F = 31.7C 50C = 122F

Celsius to Fahrenheit F =(Cx9/5) + 32