Measurements Lab Analysis
Analysis:
1. Compare and contrast accuracy and precision. Consider how one could improve the accuracy of a measurement? The precision of a measurement?
Accuracy is a measurement of how well one can read a measurement, and precision is how close one can get to the exact number. One could improve upon their accuracy by practicing reading different measurement, and precision can be improved by using an instrument that measures down to extremely accurate units such as a hundredth of a millimeter.
2. Compare the number of significant figures in the calculations and measurements taken with the ruler to the measurements taken with the caliper and micrometer. Discuss the differences in precision of these instruments.
The amount of significant figures in the measurements of the ruler comes out to be two significant figures; however, the caliper and micrometer measure to three significant figures. The ruler only measures down to the nearest millimeter, whereas the caliper measures down to the nearest tenth. However, the micrometer measures down to the nearest hundredth of a millimeter.
3. Compare your measurements and calculations with those of a classmate. Are they the same? Discuss sources of error in the accuracy of the measurements.
The measurements were very close, and the errors could have come from different reads due to the different accuracies in other peoples reads.
4. Which instrument is more precise, the metric ruler, micrometer or caliper?
The micrometer is more precise as it measures down to one-hundredth of a millimeter.
For full document containing procedure, materials, analysis, and data charts download the file below.
1. Compare and contrast accuracy and precision. Consider how one could improve the accuracy of a measurement? The precision of a measurement?
Accuracy is a measurement of how well one can read a measurement, and precision is how close one can get to the exact number. One could improve upon their accuracy by practicing reading different measurement, and precision can be improved by using an instrument that measures down to extremely accurate units such as a hundredth of a millimeter.
2. Compare the number of significant figures in the calculations and measurements taken with the ruler to the measurements taken with the caliper and micrometer. Discuss the differences in precision of these instruments.
The amount of significant figures in the measurements of the ruler comes out to be two significant figures; however, the caliper and micrometer measure to three significant figures. The ruler only measures down to the nearest millimeter, whereas the caliper measures down to the nearest tenth. However, the micrometer measures down to the nearest hundredth of a millimeter.
3. Compare your measurements and calculations with those of a classmate. Are they the same? Discuss sources of error in the accuracy of the measurements.
The measurements were very close, and the errors could have come from different reads due to the different accuracies in other peoples reads.
4. Which instrument is more precise, the metric ruler, micrometer or caliper?
The micrometer is more precise as it measures down to one-hundredth of a millimeter.
For full document containing procedure, materials, analysis, and data charts download the file below.
| measurements_in_physics_lab.doc |
