CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES

Department of Physics and Astronomy

Physics211 / Section 13- 18375

Measurement Exercise

Prepared by: Rodney Pujada

Performance Date: Tuesday,January 14, 2016

Submission Due: Tuesday, January 21, 2016
Professor: Yese J. Felipe
Thursday: 1:30 pm. 4:00 p.m.

January 2016

Experiment No 1:
I.

Measurement Exercise

PURPOSE
The purpose of this lab to gain experience using uncertainties and use the
Vernier, micrometer and meter stick comparing measurement.
= m/V
V = (4r3)/3 = (/6)d3,
calculations for the density of the sphere will be performed. Where is the
density in (kg/m3 ), m is the mass in (kg) and V is the volume of the sphere in
(m3 ). The d and r stand for the diameter and the radius of the sphere
respectfully both in (m). We will also be calculating the uncertainty in the
diameter in order to find the uncertainty in the volume then finally in the
density. Finally, the experimental value of .

II.

INTRODUCTION
When we make a measurement, we generally assume that some exact or true
value exists based on how we define what is being measured. While we may
never know this true value exactly, we attempt to find this ideal quantity to the
best of our ability with the time and resources available. As we make
measurements by different methods, or even when making multiple
measurements using the same method, we may obtain slightly different results.
So how do we report our findings for our best estimate of this elusive true
value? The most common way to show the range of values that we believe
includes the true value is:
Measurement = best estimate uncertainty
Accuracy is the closeness of agreement between a measured value and a true
or accepted value. Measurement error is the amount of inaccuracy.
Precision is a measure of how well a result can be determined (without
reference to a theoretical or true value). It is the degree of consistency and
agreement among independent measurements of the same quantity; also the
reliability or reproducibility of the result.
The statement of uncertainty associated with a measurement should include
factors that affect both the accuracy and precision of the measurement.

III.

DATA AND ANALYSIS

Table No 1: Measurements
Table No 1:
Measurement
Zero Reading
Length (L)
L (cm)
L=L/L
L = (L/L)*100
Diameter (cm)
d (cm)
d=d/d
L = (d/d)*100

Meter
Stick(cm)
0
2
0.05
0.025
2.5
1.6
0.05
0.03125
3.125

Vernier(cm)
0
2.01
0.005
0.0025
0.2488
1.58
0.005
0.0032
0.3165

Table No 2: Measurement mass

Scale
Zero Reading
Mass (g)
M (g)
M=M/M
L = (M/M)*100

0
33.1
0.05
0.00151
0.15106

For LENGHT
III.1Calculate L=L/L
For the Meter Stick:
3.1.1. From Table 1
L (cm) = 0.05 from the equipment meter stick
L= 2 cm
L=L/L = (0.05)/(2) = 0.025
L=L/L
0.025

For the vernier:

3.1.2. From Table 1
L (cm) = 0.005 from the equipment vernier
L= 2.01 cm
L=L/L = (0.005)/(2.01) = 0.0025
L=L/L
=
0.0025
For the micrometer:
3.1.3. From Table 1
L (cm) = 0.0002 from the equipment micrometer
L= 2.011 cm
L=L/L = (0.0002)/(2.011) = 0.000099

Micrometer(c
m)
0
2.011
0.0002
0.000099
0.009945
1.586
0.0002
0.000126
0.012610

L=L/L
0.000099

3.2. Calculate Calculate L=d/d

For the Meter Stick:
3.2.1. From Table 1
d (cm) = 0.05 from the equipment meter stick
d= 1.6 cm
L=d/d = (0.05)/(1.6) = 0.031
L=d/d
0.031

For the vernier:

3.2.2. From Table 1
d (cm) = 0.005 from the equipment vernier
d= 1.58 cm
L=d/d = (0.005)/(1.58) = 0.0032
L=d/d
=
0.0032
For the micrometer:
3.2.3. From Table 1
d (cm) = 0.0002 from the equipment micrometer
d= 1.586 cm
L=L/L = (0.0002)/(1.586) = 0.000126
L=d/d
0.000126

3.3. From Table No 1 Calculate M = M/M

M = 0.05 g
M= 33.1 g
M = M/M
M
=
=0.00151

0.05/33.1

3.3. From Table No 1 Calculate V=sqrt[ (2d)2+ (L)2 ] and V=sqrt[

(2d)2+ (L)2]
For the Meter Stick:
3.3.1. From Table 1
L = 0.025
d = 0.03125
d = 0.05
L = 0.05
V=sqrt[ (2d)2+ (L)2 ] = 0.040
V=sqrt[ (2d)2+ (L)2] = 0.087

For the vernier:

3.3.2. From Table 1
L = 0.0025
d = 0.0032
d = 0.05
L = 0.05
V=sqrt[ (2d)2+ (L)2 ]
V=sqrt[ (2d)2+ (L)2]
For the micrometer:
3.3.3. From Table 1
L = 0.000099
d = 0.000126
d = 0.0002
L = 0.0002
V=sqrt[ (2d)2+ (L)2 ]
V=sqrt[ (2d)2+ (L)2]
3.4.
From Table No
=sqrt[ (M)2+ (V)2]

= 0.040
= 0.087

= 0.00016
= 0.00035
1

Calculate

For the Meter Stick:

3.3.1. From Table 1
M = 0.025
V = 0.03125
M = 0.05
V= 0.05
=sqrt[ (M)2+ (V)2 ]= 0.040
=sqrt[ (M)2+ (V)2]= 0.100
For the vernier:
3.3.2. From Table 1
M = 0.025
V = 0.03125
M = 0.05
V= 0.05
=sqrt[ (M)2+ (V)2 ]= 0.040
=sqrt[ (M)2+ (V)2]= 0.087
For the micrometer:
3.3.3. From Table 1
M = 0.025
V = 0.03125
M = 0.05
V= 0.05
=sqrt[ (M)2+ (V)2 ]= 0.00016
=sqrt[ (M)2+ (V)2]= 0.00035

=sqrt[

(M)2+

(V)2

]and

Table No3: Results from calculations

Volume (cm3)
Density (g/cm3)
V=sqrt[ (2d)2+
(L)2 ]
V=sqrt[ (2d)2+
(L)2]
=sqrt[ (M)2+ (V)2
]
=sqrt[ (M)2+
(V)2]

Meter Stick
4.02
8.23

Vernier
3.94
8.399

Micrometer
3.97
8.3314

0.040

0.0040

0.00016

0.087

0.0087

0.00035

0.040

0.0040

0.00016

0.100

0.0087

0.00035

3.4 Analysis
We appreciate the micrometer and caliper has more precision in their
measurement and our calculation shows less and less uncertainty for each
instrument.
Calculate the percent of error:
Percent error = ( Dpractical Dtheoric) x 100 %
. Formula No 2
D theoric
Data:
Density (our data)
= V prac = 0.1 M
D teoric = 0.087 M
Using the formula No 2 to evaluate percent of error.
Percent error = (8.399 - 8.56) x 100 % = -1.88 %
8.56
Percent error =
-2 %
IV Results
This lab helped us learn how to make measurements using a caliper and
meter stick and we appreciate they have more accurate and precision in
their measurement.

We calculate the volume of 4.020.087 cm3 for meter stick, 3.94 0.0087
cm3 for caliper, and 3.97 0.00035 cm3for the micrometer.
We calculate the density of 8.230.10 g/cm3 for meter stick, 8.399 0.087
g/cm3for caliper, and 8.3314 0.00035 g/cm3for the micrometer.
We compare our density with the brass (d=8.56 ) and Cu (8.93 ) and we
choose the brass because our cylinder has more characteristic to a brass
cylinder.
We calculate a -2% of error in our density using a Vernier that show we
realize a good material for our lab.

Using these uncertainties we can find out whether our measurements

were accurate, precise, and realistic.

VII References
Department of Physics and Astronomy (Editionn1.1,University Bookstore
Custom Publising, pp. 4-9
Triola, Mario F. , Elementary Statistics. Tenth Edition. Massuchussets.2006.