The Realm of Physics, Measurement and Uncertainty

Topics 1.1 and 1.2 on IB Syllabus

1.1 The Realm of the Universe

Question 1: What range of sizes does the universe hold? Powers of 10 Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2cmlhfdxuY&feature=fvst

A power of 10 (102, 105 , 10-12) are called orders of magnitudes. What do they represent?

Some notes…

Question 2: How do we measure and express measurement in physics?1. Fundamental Units2. Derived Units

1. Fundamental Units

Derived Units

Unit Prefixes:

See your IB Physics data booklet pg. 2

Some notes

1012 Microphones = 1 megaphone500 millinaries = 1 seminary2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds10 cards = 1 decacards10-6 fish = 1 microfiche1021 picolos = 109 los = 1 gigolo10 rations = 1 decoration10 millipedes = 1 centipede2 snake eyes = 1 paradise2 wharves = 1 paradox10-6 phones = 1 microphone106 phones =1 megaphone10-2 mental = 1 centimental10-1 mate = 1 decimate1012 bulls = 1 terabull10-12 boos = 1 picoboo10-15 bismol = 1 femtobismol

1.2 Measurement and Uncertainty

Question 3: How do we represent precision?

Question 4: How do we determine how certain we are when taking data? Measurement = Best Estimate +/-

Uncertainty Or

Examples:

Representing uncertainty:

Absolute or Raw uncertainty

Percentage Uncertainty

time = 1.98 0.01 s

time = 1.98 9%

Determining uncertainty with common measuring devises. Measurement = Best Estimate +/- Least

Count

Determining Uncertainty with common measuring tools:

Uncertainty isn’t only due to the tool… * Limitations for the data collector * YOU decide the uncertainty, but if it is

anything other than the uncertainty of the tool, you must justify your choice

Ex. The ability to stop a timer the instant a ball rolls past a given point adds an uncertainty greater than that of the least count. It’s hard to see just when the ball passes the point you want. You make a judgment that this additional uncertainty is perhaps 0.02s. Hense the uncertainty in a single measurement of the time might be +/-0.03s.

Using a Caliper:

Fig 2 What is the reading that should be recorded here? Answer: ......... mm

What is the reading that should be recorded here? Answer: ......... mm

Give a value for the following:

• State which tool you used and why.• State why you chose the uncertainty that

you did.

Length of the lab table Thickness of a 1 zloty coin The height of your calculator

Question 5: What is the difference between precision and accuracy?

Precision vs. Accuracy

Accuracy: an indication of how close a measurement is to the accepted value.

Precision: the degree of exactness to which the measurement of a quantity can be reproduced (how close are repeated measurements to each other? If someone else were to make the same measurement how close would they be? Often defined by the tool)

Precision vs. Accuracy

Label each of the ducks with the either: High Accuracy, High precision High Accuracy, Low precision Low Accuracy, High precision Low Accuracy, Low precision

Precision vs. Accuracy

Systematic Errors…

Systematic Errors…

Understanding uncertainty and improving accuracy from random error: Repeated

Measurements help us quantify the uncertainty due to random error.

Question 7: How do we know what the uncertainty of a calculation is? Ex: You have just measured the radius

of a ball to be (6.1 +/- 0.02)mm, but now you want to find the volume.

34

3V r

Repeated measurements - AveragingIf repeated trials of the same measurement are

made, the greatest deviation from the average of the trials can be taken as the uncertainty. For example,

Time Trials 2.01 1.82 1.97 2.16

1.94

Adding and Subtracting

An uncertainty range can be found by examining the minimum and maximum values for the calculated value.

Ex: Ti = 16 2 oC = 14 to 18 oC Tf = 34 2 oC = 32 to 36 oC best value for T = ___________ minimum value for T = ____________ maximum value for T=___________

T = Tf – Ti = ____________

Adding and Subtracting

Shortcut: Whenever two quantities with

uncertainties are added or subtracted, the uncertainty of the answer is equal to the SUM of the individual ABSOLUTE uncertainties.

eg. T = Tf – Ti = (34 2 oC) – (16 2 oC) = (34 – 16 ) (2 + 2) oC = 18 4 oC

Multiplying and Dividing

An uncertainty range can be found by examining the minimum and maximum values for the calculated value.

ex. m = 84.2 0.1 g = 84.1 to 84.3 gV = 25 2 mL = 23 to 27 mL

Best value for D = m V =

Minimum value for D =

Maximum value for D =

D =

Multiplying and Dividing

Shortcut:Whenever two quantities with uncertainties are multiplied

or divided, the uncertainty of the answer is equal to the SUM of the individual PERCENT uncertainties.

Ex. m = 84.2 0.1 g = 84.1 g 0.12% V = 25 2 mL = 25 mL 8%

D = (84.1 g 0.12%) (25 mL 8%)

= (84.1 25 g / mL ) (0.12 + 8%)= 3.364 g / mL 8.12%= 3.364 0.2732 g / mL= 3.4 0.3 g / mL

You try:

The lengths of the sides of a rectangular plate are measured. The width is (50+/-1)mm and the length is (25 +/- 1)mm. What is area (with uncertainty) of the plate.

Find the area of the top of your lab table. Report your answer with uncertainties. Show all measurements and calculations.

Power Functions

Power functions are just like multiplication!

Other Functions

If the calculation involves mathematical operations other than + , - , or (eg. root functions, trigonomeric functions, logarithmic functions, … ), then the short cuts do not apply and we must find the minimum and maximum values and use the greatest deviation from the best value as the uncertainty.

ex. = 33C 2C = 31C to 35C

best value for sin = sin(33) =

minimum value for sin = sin(31) = maximum value for sin = sin(35) =

Take the maximum: sin =

Volume of a sphere

Ex: You have just measured the radius of a ball to be (6.1 +/- 0.02)mm, but now you want to find the volume.

34

3V r

You try:

The power dissipated in a resistor of resistance R carrying a current I is equal to I^2R. The value of I has an uncertainty of +/- 2% and the value of R has an uncertainty of +/-10%. The value of the uncertainty in the calculated power dissipation is: