Experiment 1: Errors, Uncertainties, and Measurements
Abstract
Measurements are all subject to error which leads to the uncertainty of the result. Errors may come from systematic errors (deterministic error) or random error (not deterministic error). In this experiment, the group measured the diameter of sphere using different kinds of measuring devices (foot rule, vernier caliper, and micrometer caliper) in order to achieve accuracy in the scientific measurements. After experimenting, it was revealed that the micrometer caliper has the lowest percentage of error.
1. Introduction In the early days, people used mostly human body parts for measuring. And because the measurement depended on the body size and length of the person measuring, it often leads to varying measurements which leads to inaccuracy and errors in the measurements.
In the following years, a better system of units of measurement was developed – the metric system. The metric system is an international decimalized system of measurement, first adopted in France in 1791. Numerous measuring instruments have this system of measurement. Aside from meter sticks and ruler, the vernier caliper and micrometer caliper also use this system.
The vernier caliper is a measuring device which takes advantage of a vernier scale, a scale used to provide very precise measurements. The vernier adds an extra digit of accuracy to any measurement, allowing it to be highly accurate.
Like other calipers, a vernier caliper has an L-shaped design with a movable arm which can be adjusted to allow the object being measured to fit between the arms, and a measurement to be taken. It has two scales – main scale and vernier scale. The main scale is fixed while the vernier scale can slide along the main scale as the movable arm is shifted. Measurements are taken by looking for the mark on the main scale which is just to the left of the zero on the vernier caliper for the first measurement, and then looking to see which mark on the vernier caliper comes most closely into alignment
Measurements are all subject to error which leads to the uncertainty of the result. Errors may come from systematic errors (deterministic error) or random error (not deterministic error). In this experiment, the group measured the diameter of sphere using different kinds of measuring devices (foot rule, vernier caliper, and micrometer caliper) in order to achieve accuracy in the scientific measurements. After experimenting, it was revealed that the micrometer caliper has the lowest percentage of error.
1. Introduction In the early days, people used mostly human body parts for measuring. And because the measurement depended on the body size and length of the person measuring, it often leads to varying measurements which leads to inaccuracy and errors in the measurements.
In the following years, a better system of units of measurement was developed – the metric system. The metric system is an international decimalized system of measurement, first adopted in France in 1791. Numerous measuring instruments have this system of measurement. Aside from meter sticks and ruler, the vernier caliper and micrometer caliper also use this system.
The vernier caliper is a measuring device which takes advantage of a vernier scale, a scale used to provide very precise measurements. The vernier adds an extra digit of accuracy to any measurement, allowing it to be highly accurate.
Like other calipers, a vernier caliper has an L-shaped design with a movable arm which can be adjusted to allow the object being measured to fit between the arms, and a measurement to be taken. It has two scales – main scale and vernier scale. The main scale is fixed while the vernier scale can slide along the main scale as the movable arm is shifted. Measurements are taken by looking for the mark on the main scale which is just to the left of the zero on the vernier caliper for the first measurement, and then looking to see which mark on the vernier caliper comes most closely into alignment
References: [1] Dealing with error and uncertainty in measured values. Retrieved on November 25, 2010 from http://www.chem1.com/acad/webtext/pre/mm2.html [2] Melissinos and Napolitano. 2003. Experiments in modern physics. Academic Press, USA: Elsevier Science.