A student measures the time period of a pendulum as 2.0 s with an uncertainty of ±0.1 s. What is the percentage uncertainty in the time period?

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Q: A student measures the time period of a pendulum as 2.0 s with an uncertainty of ±0.1 s. What is the percentage uncertainty in the time period?

Solution: Percentage uncertainty = (Uncertainty / Measured value) * 100 = (0.1 / 2.0) * 100 = 5%.

Steps: 7

Step 1: Identify the measured value of the time period, which is 2.0 seconds.
Step 2: Identify the uncertainty in the measurement, which is ±0.1 seconds.
Step 3: Use the formula for percentage uncertainty: (Uncertainty / Measured value) * 100.
Step 4: Substitute the values into the formula: (0.1 / 2.0) * 100.
Step 5: Calculate the division: 0.1 divided by 2.0 equals 0.05.
Step 6: Multiply the result by 100: 0.05 * 100 equals 5.
Step 7: Conclude that the percentage uncertainty in the time period is 5%.