USING THE ANALYTICAL BALANCE AND PISO STATISTICS

Alob, Joshua
Caonero, Earl John
Molina, Danielle Liza
Chem 28.1-2
February 4, 2016
Abstract
The experiment was conducted in order to familiarize the use of the analytical balance and to
determine if coins minted before and after the year 2004, and if cleaning the coins using acetone
would have any significant differences in their weights. Two categories of coins were used, coins
minted before 2004 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004), and coins minted after 2004 (2004, 2007,
2008, 2010, 2012). The coins were weighed individually, and weighed by difference the same
procedure was done after washing the coins with acetone. The results were subjected to
statistical analyses (Grubbs Test, t-Test, Paired t-Test and F test), at 95% confidence level it was
concluded that there are significant differences in the weight of coins minted in different years,
no significant differences in the weighing methods, and no significant differences after washing
with acetone.
I. Introduction
According
to
the
American
Statistical Association: Statistics is the
science of learning from data, and of
measuring, controlling and communicating
uncertainty; and it thereby provides the
navigation for controlling the course of
scientific and societal advances (Davidian,
M and Louis T.A.). It provides greater
accuracy and precision. Precision and
accuracy are complimentary but at the same
time are different. Precision is the
reproducibility of measurements or the
closeness of results obtained in exactly the
same way while accuracy is the closeness of
measurement to the accepted value (Skoog
et al., 2014).
The sole government institution
mandated by law to issue currency is the
BSP or the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The
BSP began issuing the one peso coin or the
piso in the year 1995 which was composed
of 75% nickel and 25% nickel. However in
the year 2004 according to BSP they

changed the composition of the piso to

nickel-plated steel which is lighter this was,
according to BSP, due to the rising cost of
metals in the world market but appearance
and durability of the current coinage per se
is still the same (BSP, 2015).
The aims of the experiment are to
introduce the use of the analytical balance as
well as the use of statistics in relation to the
concepts of precision and accuracy in the
evaluation of data. Also it aims to determine
if coins minted in different years differ in
weight and if washing with acetone have any
effect as well as if two weighing methods
have the same precision.
II. Methodology
Weighing
First, five coins minted before 2004
and five coins minted after 2004 were
collected. Then, the coins were weighed
individually. Each coin was placed in a
labeled piece of paper. Then, analytical
balance was set to zero. An empty

watchglass was placed before the balance

was zeroed again. One coin was placed on
the balance at a time, their weight being
attained individually. Then, the coins were
weighed by difference. The analytical
balance was zeroed again and all five coins
of the same year brackets were placed all
together, removing each coin one by one and
solving for the differences in order to find
their masses.
Washing
All the coins were place in a 250 mL
beaker with acetone for five minutes. The
acetone was then decanted and transferred to
dry. Weighing individually and by
difference was then repeated.
Statistical Analysis
Statistical data analysis was then
performed, first finding the mean, standard
deviation, range, relative range and 95%
confidence interval. Grubbs tests were
performed to the lowest and highest values.
Discrepant data was deleted and standard
deviation recomputed. A t-test was then
performed using a 95% confidence level to
compare masses of the two different year
categories. This was followed by a paired ttest. Lastly, an F-test was performed to
compare precision.
III. Results and Discussion
After the coins were weighed
individually and by differences the goal next
is to determine if there are any significant
differences in the weights of coins minted in
different years, in the weighing methods,
and differences in the weights after washing
with acetone. All statistical inferences were
made at a 95% confidence level.
The first statistical test use was
Grubbs Test. Grubbs test uses the minimum
and maximum values in order to detect

outliers from normal distribution. In the use

of parametric and nonparametric tests
outliers can lead to inflated error rates and
distortions of parameter and statistic
estimates (Osborne et al., 2004). The results
show that there are outliers present in the
data sample (see Grubbs Test in the
attachment.) The outliers were rejected, and
afterwards the data were recalculated in
order to determine if any outliers were still
present (see Recalculated Results in the
attachment).
After the outliers were determined
and removed t-Test was performed. The tTest is used in order to assess whether the
means of two groups are statistically
different from each other (William et al.,
2006). In the experiment it was used in order
to determine if there are any significant
differences in the weights of coins minted in
different years. The result showed tcalc
values that are greater than the tcrit value thus
it can be concluded that there are significant
differences between the weights of each coin
(see t-Test in the attachment).
Since there are two methods used in
order to determine the weights of the
individual coins, the t-test cannot be used to
test its significance; instead, the paired t-test
is used. A paired t-test is used in order to
compare two population means in which the
method of observation of two samples is the
same (Rosie, 2004). The results show three
tcalc values lesser than the tcrit value (see
Paired t-Test in the attachment) which
means that there are no significant
differences between the two methods and
that both methods can be used
interchangeable, however, there was one tcalc
value that showed a significant difference
otherwise, this may be because of errors
occurred during weighing.
The two previous statistical methods
(t-test and paired t-test) were used to

determine any significant differences

between their means another method of
statistical comparison can be used in order to
determine significant differences in their
variance. In the experiment F-test was used
in order to determine if the precision of the
weighing methods are the same. Fcalc values
were lesser than the Fcrit value thus it can be
concluded that there no significant
differences and that the precision of both
weighing methods are the same (see F-Test
in the attachment).
The appropriate statistical analysis to
be used in order to determine if the weight
of the coins have any significant difference
before and after washing with acetone is the
paired t-Test because since both instances
use the same method of observation
(measurement of weight) it would be
appropriate to use the paired t-Test and
based on the mock calculation our group
made the result showed no significant
difference in the first method (weighing
individually) before and after washing,
which means that the weight differences are
too small to be significant, but showed
significant difference in the second method
(see Paired t-Test of Acetone in the
attachment).
IV. Conclusion
There were two categories, category
A contained coins minted before 2004 and
category B those minted after 2004. Proper
handling and use of the analytical balance
was learned and the balance was used in
order to measure the weights of each coin
(weighing individually and by difference).
The statistical parameters (eg central
tendency and variations) of the obtained data
were measured and later on used for
statistical tests (t-Test, paired t-Test,
Grubbs Test and F-Test). At 95%
confidence level the group was able to
discover that there are significant differences

in the weights of coins minted in different

years due to the change of materials used in
coins after the year 2004 (BSP, 2015). The
group also found out that the two weighing
methods have no significant differences
between their means and variances. Lastly
the group concluded that washing with
acetone produces no siginificant differences
in the weights of the coins used.
V. References
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. 2015.
Banknotes and Coins. Retrieved on
February
3,
2016
at
http://www.bsp.gov.ph/downloads/p
ublications/faqs/banknotes.pdf
Osborne, Jason W. & Amy Overbay (2004).
The power of outliers (and why
researchers should always check for
them). Practical
Assessment,
Research & Evaluation, 9(6).
Retrieved February 3, 2016 from
http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=9
&n=6
Rosie Shier. 2004. Statistics: 1.1 Paired ttests. Mathematics Learning Support
Centre. Retrieved on February 3,
2016
at
http://www.statstutor.ac.uk/resources
/uploaded/paired-t-test.pdf
Skoog,

D.A.,
West,
D.M.,
et
al. Fundamentals of Analytical Chem
istry, 9th ed.;CengageLearning Asia
Pte Ltd., 2014

William MK. 2006. The T-Test. Research

Methods:
Knowledge
Base.
Retreieved on February 3, 2016 at
http://www.socialresearchmethods.n
et/kb/stat_t.php