Experiment 1: Errors, Uncertainties and Measurements

Laboratory Report

Allysa Hannah J. Tria, Arman Joseph F. Villafuerte, Jose Manuel J. Villaseor,

Dana Trisha N. Wahab

Department of Math and Physics

College of Science, University of Santo Tomas
Espaa, Manila Philippines

Abstract makes is uncertain to some degree. When a

The experiment was divided into two
parts: the first part made use of the foot
rule, vernier caliper and micrometer caliper
to measure a sphere of known composition
while the second part made use of a foot
rule to measure the thumb width of group
members. The objective of the first activity
is to prove which of the following devices is
the most recommendable for measuring
substances, on the other hand, the second
activity focused on using constant standards
in measurements. The measuring device with
the least amount of percentage error was the
micrometer caliper, which means that it was
the most accurate. Meanwhile, after
measuring the thumb of each group member,
it was confirmed that the thumb cannot be
generalized as a measure of an inch.
1. Introduction
quantity is being measured, the result
depends on the measuring system, the
procedure, the person and its environment.
Measurements may also subject to error
which leads to the uncertainty of the result.
There are two types of measurement error,
random and systematic. Random error is
associated with the fact that when it was
measured repeatedly it will give different
value. It is random since the next measured
value cannot be predicted. On the other
hand, systematic is an error that remains
constant, thus repeated trials will not reduce
error.
Precision is the arrangement between
repeated measurement. In contrast, accuracy
refers to how closely the measured value of
a quantity corresponds to its true value.
In this experiment, the group should be able
to achieve the following objectives:

Measurement is the assignment of a (1) To study errors and how they

number to a characteristic of an object or propagate in simple experiment. (2) To
event, which can be compared with other determine the average deviation of a set of
object. Every measurement an experimenter experimental values and (3) To familiarize
the students with the Vernier caliper,
micrometer caliper and foot rule. d
(a.d.) = n
2. Theory
wherein
The micrometer caliper is the most
accurate measuring device for length d = T otal sum of all deviations
because it possesses the smallest least count. n = number of observations
Hence, measurements given by the
micrometer caliper should give the least Using the calculated a.d., the average
percent error of diameter. deviation was solved using the formula:

a.d.
In order to solve for the percent error A.D. = n
of the diameter, the mean diameter must be
wherein
calculated first using the formula:

a.d. = average deviation

x
x= n n = number of observations

wherein Finally, the percent error of the diameter

was calculated by using the formula:
x = mean diameter
A.D.
x = Sum of all measurements of diameter % = x x 100
n = number of observations
wherein

Using the mean diameter, the deviation of

A.D. = average deviation of the mean diameter
each measurement of the diameter must be
x = mean diameter
calculated using the formula:
d = xx Volume
wherein
3
d = deviation of each measurement of diameter
V = 43 r3 or V = 43 ( 2x )
x = mean diameter
x = measurement of sample V = volume
r = radius
After calculating the deviation of each x = mean diameter
measurement of the diameter, the average
deviation is calculated using the formula: Experimental value of density
 mass
Experimental value of density = volume
% Error for density
% = ||TheoreticalTheoretical
V alue Experimental V alue |
V alue
In addition, the width of the thumb is
used as a standard for 1 inch. The width of
the thumb is only approximately 1-inch,
however, it may vary from one person to
another.
3. Methodology
Figure 1: Foot rule
Figure 2: Vernier Caliper
Figure 3: Micrometer caliper
| x 100
Figure 4: Metal sphere
In measuring the diameter of the
sphere, each group was given three
measuring devices. The sphere was first
weighed using an analytical balance. The
least count of the Vernier, micrometer and
foot rule were determined. The accuracy of
these measuring instruments were
compared. Certain formulas were used to
determine the error of the measures. Ten
independent measurements for the diameter
of the sphere were made for each
instrument. The density of the sphere was
also determined using its proportions and
mass. Additionally, the width of the thumb
of each member was measured using the
foot rule. It was determined whether the
thumb can be used as a standard for
measurement.
 Mean
1.79 cm 1.905 cm 1.882 cm
Diameter

Average
0.00003
Deviation 0.01 cm 0 cm
cm
(a.d)

% Error of
0.56% 0% 0.0001%
Diameter

Volume 3.00 cm3 3.620 cm3 3.465 cm3

Mass (g) 27.97 g 27.97 g 27.97 g

Experime
9.32 7.727 8.01
ntal Value
g/cm3 g/cm3 g/cm3
of Density

Accepted
Figure 5: Measurement of the width of Value of
7.60 7.600 7.60
g/cm3 g/cm3 g/cm3
the thumb using a foot rule Density

% Error
4. Results and Discussion for 22.63 % 1.67 % 5.39 %
Density
Activity 1: Activity 2:
Diameter of Sphere (cm) Width of Thumb
Group Member
(in)
Vernier Micromet
Trial Foot Rule
Caliper er Caliper
1 0.91 in
1 1.80 cm 1.905 cm 1.882 cm
2 0.7 in
2 1.80 cm 1.905 cm 1.881 cm
3 0.7 in
3 1.80 cm 1.905 cm 1.880 cm

4 1.90 cm 1.905 cm 1.880 cm The data gathered from the vernier

caliper showed a more precise and accurate
5 1.80 cm 1.905 cm 1.880 cm measurement as compared to the foot rule
6 1.80 cm 1.905 cm 1.884 cm and the micrometer caliper. Precision refers
to the degree of reproducibility of
7 1.80 cm 1.905 cm 1.883 cm measurement and accuracy refers to how
8 1.80 cm 1.905 cm 1.883 cm close the measurement of any physical
quantity comes to the true value (Shipman,
9 1.70 cm 1.905 cm 1.884 cm Adams & Wilson, 1982, p.12).
10 1.70 cm 1.905 cm 1.884 cm The vernier caliper showed a more
precise measurement of data based on the %
Error of the diameter. The lower the average
deviation the lower the % Error of the
diameter. This showed the degree of
reproducibility of the vernier caliper because
after ten trials it always resulted in the same
measurement. It also resulted in a more
accurate measurement among all the
instruments. The accuracy was based on the
comparison between the calculated
experimental value of density and the
accepted value of density. The closer the
calculated data is to the accepted value
results to a lower % Error.
% Error in an experiment can arise
from different factors during the procedure.
The process of measurement always
involves uncertainty. This uncertainty is also
called experimental error (Shipman, Adams
& Wilson, 1982, p.12). There are three types
of errors in measurement which are
classified as personal, systematic, and
statistical. Personal refers to mere mistakes
of the experimenter, this is fundamentally
different from the two types of errors
because mistakes can be completely
eliminated if the experimenter is careful
(Loyd, 2014,p.2). A personal error
committed during the experiment might be
that the experimenter measured a bit off the
diameter, causing differences in
measurements especially in using the foot
rule. Another factor that might have caused
the variations in measurements is that more
than one person made measurements using
the instruments, creating more variation
because each individual measured it
differently. Another possible personal error
in the measurements done by the micrometer
caliper is that the experimenter might have
clamped the sphere too tight or too loose.
Statistical errors are also called random
errors which are produced by
unpredictability of unknown variations in
the experimental process, even if the
experiment is done carefully as is humanly
possible. (Loyd, 2014,p.4). Systematic
errors are those caused by some flaw in the
experimental apparatus another kind of
systematic error is failure to consider
all of the variables of an experiment. (Loyd,
2014,p.3).
5. Conclusion
6. Applications
Which among the three measuring
devices give you the least % error? Is the
accuracy of a measurement affected by the
least count of the measuring device?
According to percentage error of the
diameter, the micrometer caliper produced
the least value. The accuracy of a
measurement is indeed affected by the count
of values attainable by the measuring device
because it provides the extent the device can
read of the most accurate measurement of
the object. Since the micrometer caliper
possessed the most value for measuring, it
produced the measurement with the least
amount of uncertainty. In the percentage
error of the density, the foot ruler also
produced the least value. Although the
device was expected to have the most
unreliable result compared to the other
measuring devices, it was still able to
produce the least inaccurate result for
density. This result may have been caused
by the usage and relationship of the value of
the mass to the value of the diameter.

7. References

[1] Shipman, James T., Adams, Jerry L., &

Wilson, Jerry D., An Introduction to
Physical Science, 4th ed., Heath and
Company, Lexington, MA, 1983.
[2] Stollberg, Robert., & Hill, Faith F.,
Physics: Fundamentals and Frontiers,
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1965.
[3] Almonte, Arnold, Sy, Sandra, & Briones,
Dinah, Physics Laboratory Manual, UST
Publishing House, Manila, 2004.
[4] Loyd, David H., Physics Laboratory
Manual, Thomson Brooks/Cole, Belmont,
CA, 2014.