UNIT-L: Uncertainty PRE-LAB Name: Course#14__ 1D#. Section#. Available online is a help file Appendix 2- Calculation of Uncertaint of the pre-lab question can be found in the Go to www.uta.cdu/physi “Supplemental materia beginning of the lab. ‘The answer to most Theory section of the lab manual of that Unit. labs, click on your course, and it will be listed under This pre-lab is worth 5 points. All pre-labs are due at the 1) Given the data 11.4, 11.3, 11.2 and LLL cm, determine the average and its standard deviation using Equation [2]. Ifyou have two uncertainties, 3; and 82, and they are from two different sources and contribute to the uncertainty of a measurement, what formula should be used to combine these and find the total uncertainty for the measurement? The area of a rectangle is determined by A=W*L. The width and length are given as W+8W and L+8L. Determine an equation for the uncertainty in the area, 5A. 4) Through experimentation, you have determined that a block of wood has a density of 0.674gm/cm3. The instructor’s value for the same block of wood is 0.682gm/cm3. What is the percent difference between your value and the instructor’s value 2 5) From a set of graphed data the slope of the best fit line is found to be 1.35m/s and the slope of worst fit line is 1.29m/s. Determine the uncertainty for the slope of the line.Unit 1 Uncertainties and Discrepancies in Measured Quantities Introduction: This lab develops your basic skills to make measurements, analyze and plot data and sets @ foundation stone for the future labs. Each time you make a measurement or a calculation based upon measured or uncertain data, uncertainties arises. A measurement is only as good as the tool making the measurement. A meter stick mark in centimeters (cm) is accurate to 0.5 cm or 0.005 m, yet a meter stick marked in millimeters (mm) can be accurate to 0.5 mm or 0.0005 m, an improvement by a factor of ten in its uncertainty. This lab will introduce you to formulae used to determine the uncertainties of measured and calculated data. You will be taught some of the different type of errors you can encounter when acquiring data and how to apply the formulae for uncertainties. The uncertainty calculations help to determine whether the answer, which you have just calculated or measured, falls within what is expected. After the completion of the lab, you will have leamed to plot the measured data with uncertainties in a graph, and from that graphed data, to extract information pertinent to the lab experiment. Objectives: Upon successful completion of this laboratory exercise you will have... 1. ... studied the sources of uncertainties in experimental measurements, 2. ... studied methods of calculating the combined uncertainties from. different sources, 3... studied how uncertainties are propagated when calculating values for quantities using experimentally determined numbers, 4... applied this knowledge to determine the uncertainty in the measured density of a block of wood, and 5... correctly plotted tabular data in a graph and then determined the slope and y-intercept of a line that corresponds to the data. ‘THE ROLE OF MEASUREMENTS IN PHYSICS “Tt is the mark of an instructed mind to rest satisfied with the degree of precision Which the nature of a subject admits, and not seek exactness when only an approximation of the truth is possible...” ..Aristotle 3 athe comparison of theoretical predictions with js world through devising genera} of experiences. deciding whether ch other. We can never apply no physical number is ever ntalists seek the “true” values of a All measurements and predictions are ce: phy not an exact science, though itis : true values, but ranges within which tue of likely values for a quantity, he/she with an experimental uncertainty, 5x. The nenter’s judgment, the most likely value for the “tue” al ainty gives the level of confidence For example, the period of a ion of an experiment or calculation is sometimes ed by the fractional uncertainty, (Sx/x) x 100. Thus, we 2k of an experiment or prediction that is to 1 part in 100” or “good to 1%”. Procedure: The procedure steps are written such that they may be checked off las they are completed. Part 1: Determination of the Density of a Block of Wood and its Uncertainty Density. p, is defined as mass per unit volume: P =mass/volume Volume of the block J. © Record the number for the Provided block of wood. G Find the instrument uncertaint 4 oF ainty or accuracy of the digital cali the I soe the mm to cm (ie., divide by 10). Record this value oa sl 5© Using the digital caliper, measure the longest side of the wooden block Remember to convert mm to cm. © Record your value in Data Table | as Length, & Make 4 other measurements for length at different places and record them. You want to get a good representation for the variations of the block’s length. 1c Calculate the average value of the length. 1c Determine the A? = (Average — measured)? for each measurement. 2 Use Equation [2] to calculate the standard deviation of the length and record its value in the Data Table. a Calculate the total uncertainty using Equation [3]; use the caliper’s uncertainty and the standard deviation for the length measurement. 1c Record the average and total uncertainty of the length on the data sheet: length = average + 6 total ( units ). sd.=y aA (21 n-l Boat = Viper +35 (3) co Repeat Steps 1 - 5 for the height (the shortest side) and width (the remaining side) of the wooden block. © Record the average and its total uncertainty on the data sheet for height and width.for each dimension. 7. 9 Calculate the volume, a Record the 8. 9 Determine the uncertainty in volume using the equation. aL ow SH) av =vf eae Et (i wou i at SL is of L. Likewise for elds the fraction of what 6L is of : act es to the uncertainty of the me yields the Explanation: The value of SL/L y a SWIW and SH/H. Each of these fraetions contribu volume. Adding the fractions then multiplying by the Volu uncertainty in the Volume, 5V. Ma: 1 f the block Triple beam balances are located on tht is the uncertainty of the balance. Record the value for the balan © Measure the mass for the block of wood with side A down. 2 Measure the mass for the block of wood with side B down. © Measure the mass for the block of wood with side C down. .e center table. Indicated on each balance ce that you use. 2. Determine the average mass of the block © Find its standard deviation. © Find the total uncertainty. Record the values on the data sheet. 3. 5 From Equation [1], calculate the density of the block. Record it onto the data sheet for p. © Applying the same principles used in determining the uncertainty in the volume of the block, determine the uncertainty in the density. © Use Equation [4] to calculate the percent of uncertainty in the density of the block. % Uncertainty of p = (8p/p) x 100 [4] 4 Determine the percent difference of your value of density from that given by your instructor. 7 ¥ % Difference = (difference of values / average of values) x 100 65]Part 2: Graphing Data Graphs are used to give a visual presentation of tabulated data, by which means information may be extracted from the graph that may not be inherently obvious from the tabular form. It also presents this information to others who were not involved in the process of obtaining the data but may have an interest in the results. A graph should contain pertinent information. * Title ~ Giving some relevant information of what the experiment was about. For example, for Data Table 3, the title “Motion of a Cart.” * Units — The axis should have a name and units. An axis labeled as time with no units is meaningless, since the reader would not know if the scale is in seconds, days, msec, etc. * Data — The graphed data is presented in such a way that any relevant information can be extracted directly from the graph. For example, if the y- intercept is relevant to the exercise then the x-axis must contain the value zero. The following table is for a cart which has a constant acceleration and an initial velocity. The goal is to plot the data along with its uncertainties, so that from the graph the acceleration of the cart and its initial velocity can be determined, along with their uncertainties. It is anticipated that the data should adhere to the equation v = Vo + at Data Table 3 Motion of a Cart Time (s) Velocity (m/s) 1 5+ 0.1 1.76+0.1 3.02+0.1 4.27 40.1 5.53 +01 6.79 0.1 9.04 +0.1 11.30+0.1 14.55+0.1 15.81+0.1 \o}00]afanfen}stus|oo: Ss Use the following steps and the example given at the end to create a graph for Data Table 3 and then extract from the graph the information requested in Part 2 of the second Data Sheet. ’ ilPlotting a graph of Velocity vs. Time dependent and ay Determining the axes: is and the independent Much of your past training The dependent value is in graphing is that there I. long the independent value. : is along the x-axis, Ince . however, in order to extract relevay + aemation from the graph the axes for variables considered to be dependent aa infependent may be reversed. ‘The key in selecting an axis is what information {from the data. In the case of Data Table 3 the presenter wishes to show or extrac ceeleration and initial velocity are the information to be extracted from the that the variables velocity and time are to be graphed, and from Ja + at, we have a function that follows y = b + mx lope should correspond to acceleration Zz graph. Realizi the kinemati By plotting (time, velocity) for (x, y), the sl pt to initial velocity. d here that when given the task to graph Quantity 1 ys, 1u should recognize this as Rise vs. Run, so that Quantity 1 axis and Quantity 2 to the x-axis. equation v= and the y-inter It should be note Quantity 2. that yo! is assigned to the y Determining the orientation: The graph paper supplied in the lab manual has a long side and a short side. The first task is to look at the data to be plotted and determine the maximum values for each axis. then determine which axis would benefit most by using the ong side of the graph paper. wv Determining the increments: The origin will be included for this graph and both axes will be continuous. «A good graph is a balance of assigning values to the major and minor lines that one can easily interpolate while also using a major portion of the graph page. The next task is to determine an incremental value for each major and minor axis line that will allow easy plotting and interpolation of the data. Once this is determined, label the value assigned to each major line. Representing the data: © Represent data points by a symbol (dot, circle, square, etc.) with all related data” points using the same symbol. For example, if there were two sets of data for velocity vs. time for a cart with different constant accelerations, there would two sets of data represented by two different symbols. * A legend on the graph should note which symbol represents which data set. * Ifa line is drawn to fit the data, the line style should be different for each di (ie, solid, dashed, etc.). Again, a legend should be included to distinguish the each line represents, or a label should be place near each line.5. Plotting the data: «Each data point will have a value corresponding to a coordinate (x, y) on the graph. @ Ifa data point hi the positive and negative would be drawn vertically from the data point) * Draw the error bar proportionally to the chosen increments. An error bar sembles the capitol letter 1, with its center located at the data point and the top and bottom of the letter I representing the maximum and minimum values of the data point. rror value assigned to it, error bars should be drawn in irection which it corresponds to (i.e., a y error bar san Fitting the data: ¢ In these introductory labs, you will be drawing a line that best fits your data. This does not mean you will be drawing a straight line from point A to point B, then another straight line from point B to point C, and so on until a jagged line connects all the points. ° Best-fit line. “Best fit” is defined as a line going through as many points as possible. If error bars are included, the line should also fit within all the error bars as well as possible. It should be a straight line drawn to “best fit” all the data. © Worst-fit line. A worst-fit line exists for data that includes error bars. It is a straight line which still adheres to the data but at its extremes. It is drawn from the top of the error bar for the topmost data point, crossing the best-fit line at some arbitrary point, and then passing through the bottom of the error bar for the bottommost data point. Evaluate the line: © Generally, you will be required to determine the slope of a line. The slope of a line is the rise divided by the run of the line, or the difference between two points of the y-axis divided by the difference of two points on the x-axis: slope = Ay/Ax = (y2- yi)/(x2 - x1) (6] The values need not be actual data points taken (since the data points may not actually touch the line) but points that lay on the line. © They also should span as much of the line as possible. The line should also pass through the y-axis. This value, read from the y-axis, yields the y-intercept for the drawn line. It is not calculated from an equation but rather extracted from the graph. « The uncertainty of the slope and y-intercept for the best-fit line are determined by also evaluating the worst-fit line and finding its slope and y-intercept. The worst-fit line, as previously explained, is an extreme of the data. Reality dictates that the true value for the slope and y-intercept for the data will exist somewhere between the best-fit line and the worst-fit line. Therefore, the uncertainty for the slope and y-intercept are determined by finding the difference between the best-fit and worst-fit values. « Remember the units. In physics, we deal not in numbers but quantities. These quantities have both a numeric value and units.The graph shown here is an example of what is expected and represents X = Xo Vt. ‘The error of the data is +t2 em in the measured distance. One minor line is 2 em, so an error bar is drawn in proportion to that. It is seen that the best-fit line es through as many data 's possible and lies within ‘The worst-fit line is drawn from the top error bar and passes across the best-fit line and though the lowest error bar. Looking at the graph and evaluating the best-fit line, you should be able to determine that : its y-intercept is approximately : HTH 15 cm. Choosing 2 points along oe GHC tue ome oie the best-fit line, (0, 15) and (0.84, 64), the slope is determined to be (64-15) / (0.84-0) = 58.3 cm/s. The worst-fit line is found to have a y-intercept of 12 cm and a slope of (87-12)/(1.2-0) = 62.5cm/s. ‘Therefore, the estimated values for the slope and y-intercept are their best-fit values + the difference of the best and worst values: slope = 58.3 + 4.2 cm/s y-intercept = 15 +3 cm. Frot i itca i a ak Emph, it can be determined that the cart started at zero seconds at a position 15 cm some point, then traveled 70 cm at a constant speed of 58.3 cm/s for the next 1.2 seconds. Whether it continued i i inued its motion or ca i graph does not include that information. ae et od