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Errors and Uncertainties

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Vimbai Sibanda
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12 views

Errors and Uncertainties

Uploaded by

Vimbai Sibanda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 36

ERRORS AND UNCERTAINTIES

Whenever you do a reading on an analogue


measuring instrument you have to make an
estimate – is it closer to the 0.5 cm or 0.6 cm.
Your reading is never exact. Depending on the
instrument you can get closer and closer to a
correct reading.
Errors can also occur because of reaction time
when timing. It takes time to stop and start
the stopwatch.
Activity: To estimate your reaction time.
Method: Work in pairs
2. One person holds a 30 cm ruler, hanging
vertically down, so that 0 cm mark is
between thumb and forefinger of the second
person. THE SECOND PERSON MUST NOT BE
TOUCHING THE RULER.
3.The first person lets go of the ruler without
warning and the second person catches it
between their thumb and forefinger.
4. Record the position of the ruler where it was
caught.
Measurement Time Measurement Time
4.9 0.10 15.9 0.18
5.9 0.11 17.7 0.19
7.1 0.12 19.6 0.20
8.3 0.13 21.6 0.21
9.6 0.14 23.7 0.22
11.0 0.15 25.9 0.23
12.5 0.16 28.2 0.24
14.2 0.16 30.6 0.25
Even digital meters round off the reading to a
reasonable number of decimal places and also
have a error in reading.
Accuracy is the degree to which the
measurement approaches the true value.
It depends on the instrument used, the skill of
the experimenter and the technique.
Precision is the part of accuracy that is within
the experimenters control e.g. the
experimenter can choose to use a different
instrument.
e.g. screw gauge is more precise than vernier
calipers which are more precise than a metre
rule.
If repeating measurement taken to high
precision they will be close together.
• A

T T
Precise but Imprecise and
inaccurate inaccurate
• A

T T
Precise and Imprecise but
accurate accurate
Uncertainty gives the total range of values
within which the measurement is likely to lie
e.g. if measurement is 46.0 + 0.5 cm then the
measurement is most likely to be 46.0 cm but
it can lie between 45.5 cm and 46.5 cm.
The uncertainty is 0.5 cm.
The percentage uncertainty is 0.5/46.0 x 100
= 1%
N.B. In AS uncertainty is always given to 1 s.f. and
when taking measurement the uncertainty must
relate to the precision of the instrument.
As this does not change all readings taken with the
same instrument must be taken to the same
degree of accuracy i.e. all to 0.1 cm or to 0.01 cm
Readings of 12.6, 13, 14,16 etc are not acceptable.
Must be 12.6, 13.0, 14.2
Digital meters give their uncertainty
e.g. uncertainty = + 1% + 2 digits
A reading of 4.00 V would have an uncertainty of
(+ 1/100 x 4.00) + 0.02 = + 0.06 V
If the reading is fluctuating you also need to take
this error into account.e.g.
The manufacturer of a digital ammeter gives its
uncertainty as +1.5% + 2 digits.
The current is found to fluctuate between 1.98 A
and 2.04 A. Determine the most likely value
of the current with its uncertainty.
Average = (1.98 + 2.04)/2 = 2.01 with
uncertainty of 0.03.
Uncertainty of machine = (+ 1.5/100 x 2.01) +
0.02 = 0.05
Total uncertainty of reading = 0.08
Therefore reading is (2.01 + 0.08) A
Uncertainties are sometimes refered to as errors
but this is not really correct as no mistake has
been made.
Uncertainties can be classified as systematic
uncertainties (errors) or random uncertainties
(errors)
The experimental technique must try and
reduce uncertainty as much as possible
Systematic uncertainty
These result in all the readings being above or
below the correct value. You need to correct
the technique.
Examples are
- Zero error – the scale reading is not zero
before measurement is taken. This can be
corrected by checking before starting the
experiment.
- Wrongly calibrated instrument. If suspected
the instrument should be checked against
other instruments.
- Reaction time if timing carried out manually.
To reduce this the time interval measured
should be much greater than the reaction
time.
Reducing the systematic uncertainty usually
increases accuracy
Random uncertainty These result in readings
being scattered around the acceptable value.
These can be reduced by repeating and
averaging or by plotting a graph and drawing a
line of best fit.
Examples include
- Estimating a reading between scale divisions.
This can be reduced by using instruments with
smaller scale divisions
- Timing oscillations without use of a reference
marker so timing at different parts of the
swing. Use a reference point and repeat and
average.
Reducing random errors usually increases
precision.
Combining uncertainties
When finding the total uncertainty in the final
result there are two rules
1. For quantities that are added or substracted
to give a final result, add the actual
uncertainties.
2. For quantities that are multiplied or divided
to give a final result then add the percentage
or fractional uncertainties
N.B. 1.If a quantity is raised to a power then the
percentage uncertainty for that quantity is
multiplied by the power
2. Pure numbers have no uncertainty
e.g. Area = πr2
If percentage uncertainty in r is 3% then
percentage uncertainty in area is 6%
Example
Current is given by I = I1 + I2
I1 = 2.0 + 0.1 A
I2 = 1.5 + 0.2 A

I = 3.5 + 0.3 A
In an experiment the temperature changes from
20.0 + 0.2 0 C to 21.5 + 0.5 0 C
Find the change in temperature with its
uncertainty.
Change = 1.5 + 0.7 0 C
Acceleration due to free fall if given by
g = 4π2 l
T2
In an experiment the following measurements
were made
l = 0.55 + 0.02 m
T = 1.5 + 0.02 s
Find g with its uncertainties
g = 4π2 0.55/1.502
= 9.7 m s-2
Fractional uncertainty in l = 0.02/0.55 = 0.036
Percentage uncertainty = 0.036 x 100 = 3.6%
Fractional uncertainty in T = 0.02/1.50 = 0.013
Percentage uncertainty = 0.013 x 100 = 1.3%
Total fractional uncertainty = 0.036 + 2 x 0.013
= 0.062
Total percentage uncertainty = 3.6 + 2 x 1.3
= 6.2%
Actual uncertainty is given by 0.062 x 9.7 or by
6.2/100 x 9.7
= 0.60
G = 9.7 + 0.6 m s-2
The volume V of a cylinder is given by
V = πr2 l
In an experiment r was measured as 3.30 + 0.05
cm and l as 25.4 + 0.04 cm
Find V with its absolute uncertainty.
• 870 + 40 cm3

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