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PHYS 2202 LAB: Physics II

Week 02

Experimental Uncertainty

by

Naeamah Rabeea

Due Date: 02/17/2021

Submission’s Date: 02/17/2021

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Objective

To understand and apply the error analysis on the different exercises of the lab.

Theory

Error analysis is a critical step while writing lab reports. Measurements done in the lab have
uncertainties involved in them and it adds error in the final calculation. The process of error
analysis includes three key concepts:

 Classifying errors
 Estimating errors
 Propagation of errors

The errors are classified in two categories:

 Random errors
 Systematic errors

Both errors can be removed by improving the instrument or the experimental design.

The error estimation can be done by three processes:

 Making repeated measurements

 Calculating the average value of the quantity
 Standard deviation

The propagation of error indicates the phenomenon of the presence of error in the final
measurement due to uncertainties in the earlier calculations.

Example: Suppose that A is a quantity under consideration in the lab. So, the absolute error
will be ΔA in A, fractional error will be ΔA / A in A and the percentage error will be %A in
A.

Procedure

Use the concepts of error analysis discussed in the theory section and solve the given
exercises in the lab manual.

 Find the absolute and relative errors associated with the moment of inertia.
 Find the absolute and relative errors associated with the velocity of a wave.
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 Find the absolute and relative errors associated with the latent heat of fusion.
 Find the absolute and relative errors associated with resistance of a resistor.

Exercises

Exercise 1

Given,

1 2 1 2
m1 gh= m1 v 1 + I 1 ω1
2 2

v=rω So,

1 2 2 1 2
m1 gh= m1 r 1 ω1 + I 1 ω1
2 2

1 2
¿ ω1 ( m1 r 1+ I 1 )
2
2

2h
r ω 1=
t1

2h
ω 1=
rt1

1
∗4 h2
2
m1 gh= 2 2 ( m1 r + I 1 )
2

r t1

1 2
∗4 h
2
¿ 2 2 ( m 1 r 2 + I 1)
r t1

2 h2
¿ 2 2 ( m1 r 2+ I 1 )
r t1

2 m1 gh r 2 t 21
m 1 r + I 1=
2 h2

2 2
m1 gh r t 1 2
I 1= 2
−m1 r
2h

¿ m1 r 2
( gh t 21
2 h2
−1
)
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I 1=m1 r
2
2h (
g t 21
−1 )
Where, A=m1 r 2, B=g t 21 and C=2 h

a)

( )
2
∂I1 2 g t1 I1
=r −1 =
∂ m1 2h m1

∂I1
∂ t1
=m1 r
2 g
2h (
∗2 t 1 =m 1 r
2 gt1
h ) ( )
( )
2
∂I1 g t1 2I1
=2 m1 r −1 =
∂r 2h r

( )
2 2 2
∂I1 2 −g t 1 −m1 r g t 1
=m1 r 2
= 2
∂h 2h 2h

Δ I 1=
√( ∂I1 2
∂ m1
( )2
Δm1 ) +
∂ I1 2
∂ t1
(
2
( )
Δ t1 ) +
∂ I1 2
∂r ( )
2
( Δr ) +
∂ I1 2
∂h ( )
( Δh )
2

√( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
I1 2 m1 r g t1 2 2 I1 −m1 r g t 1
Δ I 1= ( Δm1 ) + ( Δ t 1) + ( Δr )2 + ( Δh )2
m1 h r 2h 2

b)

2
I 1=M R

∂I1 I
=R 2= 1
∂M M

∂I1 2 I1
=2 MR=
∂R R

Δ I 1=
√( ∂ I1 2
∂M )2
( ΔM ) +
∂ I1 2
∂R ( )
( ΔR )
2

√( ) ( )
2 2
I1 2 2 I1 2
Δ I 1= ( ΔM ) + ( ΔR )
M R

c)
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( )
2 2
r1 r2
I 1=M +
2 2

∂ I 1 r 21 r 22 I 1
= + =
∂M 2 2 M

( )
∂I1 1
=M ∗2r 1 =M r 1
∂ r1 2

∂I1
=M r 2
∂ r1

√( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2
∂ I1 2 ∂ I1 ∂ I1
Δ I 1= ( ΔM ) + ( Δ r 1 )2 + ( Δ r 2 )2
∂M ∂r 1 ∂ r2

√( )
2
I1 2 2 2 2 2
Δ I 1= ( ΔM ) + ( M r 1 ) ( Δr 1 ) + ( M r 2 ) ( Δr 2 )
M

Exercise 2

(a)

v=fλ

2L
λ=
n

So,

2L
v=f
n

Taking log on both sides,

ln v=ln f +ln 2 L−ln n

Applying log rule,

ln v=ln f +ln 2+ln L−ln n

Differentiating,

Δv ΔL
=0+ 0+ −0
v L
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Δv ΔL
=
v L

So,

vΔL
Δv=
L

(b)

v=
√ T
μ

T =Mg

m
μ=
l

So,

v=
√ Mgl
m

Taking log on both sides,

1 Mgl
ln v= ln
2 m

1
ln v= ( ln Mgl−ln m )
2

1
ln v= ( ln M + ln g +ln l−lnm )
2

Differentiating,

Δv 1 ΔM
=
v 2 M
+0+ −
l (
Δl Δm
m )
Δv 1 ΔM Δl Δm
=
v 2 M
+ −
l m ( )
Δv =
2 M (
v ΔM Δl Δm
+ −
l m )
Exercise 3
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(a)

Error in ( T i−T f ) = Δ [ ( T i −T f ) ] =2 δT since each temperature measure has an error δT .

So,

Δ [ ( T i −T f ) ] =2 δ T

(b)

Latent heat of fusion Lf is given as,

m ice Lf + mice c w ( T f ) =m w c w ( T i−T f ) +m Al c Al ( T i−T f ) +m Th c w ( T i−T f )

mw mAl mTh
Lf = c w ( T i −T f ) + c Al ( T i −T f ) + c ( T −T f ) −c w T f …..(1)
mice mice m ice w i

Let Lf = A+ B+C+ D …..(2)

mw
A= c ( T −T f ) … .. ( 3 )
m ice w i

m Al
B= c ( T −T f ) … .. ( 4 )
m ice Al i

mTh
C= c ( T −T f ) … .. (5 )
mice w i

D=c w T f … ..(6)

Error in Lf , Δ L f = ΔA+ ΔB+ ΔC + ΔD … .. ( 7 )

ΔA
Relative error in A is determined from eq (3),
A

ΔA Δm Δm 2 δT
= + +
A mw mice ( T i−T f )

ΔA =
{ Δm Δm
+ +
2 δT
mw mice ( T i−T f )
A
}
ΔA =
Δm
mice
c w ( T i−T f ) +
{
Δm
+
2 δT
mice ( T i −T f ) }
A … ..(8)
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ΔB
Relative error in B is determined from eq (4),
B

ΔB Δm Δm 2 δT
= + +
B mAl mice ( T i−T f )

ΔB=
{ Δm Δm
+ +
2 δT
m Al mice ( T i −T f )
B
}
ΔB=
Δm
mice {
c Al ( T i−T f ) +
Δm
+
2 δT
mice ( T i−T f ) }
B … ..(9)

ΔC
Relative error in C is determined from eq (5),
C

ΔC Δm Δm 2 δT
= + +
C mTh m ice ( T i−T f )

ΔC =
{ Δm Δm
+ +
2 δT
mTh mice ( T i−T f )
C
}
ΔC =
Δm
mice
c w ( T i−T f ) +
{Δm
+
2 δT
mice ( T i −T f ) }
C … ..(10)

ΔD
Relative error in D is determined from eq (6),
D

ΔD
D
=
ΔT f
Tf { }
ΔD= { } ΔT f
Tf
D=c w ΔT f …..(11)

So, error Δ L f in Lf is determined using eqs (7), (8), (9), (10) and (11)

Δm 2 δT
Δ Lf= ( T i−T f )∗{ 2 cw + c Al } + { Lf −c w T f } +c w ΔT f
mice ( T i−T f )

Exercise 4

V
R=
I

Error in Voltage, ΔV
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Error in Current, ΔI

ΔR
Relative error in R is:
R

√( ) ( )
2 2
ΔR ΔV ΔI
= +
R ΔV I

Error in Resistance, ΔR is given as:

√( )( )
2 2
ΔV ΔI
ΔR=R +
ΔV I

Conclusion
This lab was done to understand and apply the error analysis on the different exercises of the
lab. Error analysis is a critical step while writing lab reports. Measurements done in the lab
have uncertainties involved in them and it adds error in the final calculation. We used the
concepts of error analysis discussed in the theory section and solved the given exercises in
the lab manual by finding the absolute and relative errors associated with the moment of
inertia, velocity of a wave, latent heat of fusion and resistance of a resistor. After performing
this lab, I learnt to calculate and analyze the absolute ΔA , fractional error ΔA / A and the
percentage error ΔA / A∗100.