Experimental design for chemistry

Principles of results
- Results can be accurate or precise
- Measurements can be valid, reliable, or uncertain

Accurate Measured values are close to the “true”

value
Precise Measured results are in close agreement
with each other

Validity Data is valid if the measurements made are

affected by a single independent variable.
- They are not valid if there is
observer bias, control variables
were not controlled for

Observer bias:

Experimental uncertainties - cannot be eliminated simply by

repeating the experiment
o sources from experimental
uncertainty:
 systematic effects
and random effects

Systematic errors - affect the accuracy of a measurement

E.g.
- faulty calibration of measuring instruments (and
uncalibrated instruments) that consistently give
the same inaccurate reading for the same value
being measure
- faulty reading of instruments by the user (parallax
error)
-
Random errors affect the precision of a measurement

e.g.
- the reading fluctuates during the measurement

Random errors can be reduced by:

 - repeating measurements
- refining the measurement method or technique

Reliability Definition: Refers to the likelihood that

another experimenter will perform exactly
the same experiment under the same
conditions and generate the same results

The results are reliable if other

investigators generate the same results
when performing the investigation under
the same conditions.

- Is affected by the precision of the

results
o if the results show a large
degree of variation, then the
investigation is less
reproducible, thereby
making it less reliable.

Modifications to experiments
- Putting a lid on the beaker to minimise the heat loss
- Changing from a beaker to using a bomb calorimeter in order to ___ly