A student measures the time period of a pendulum as 2.0 s with an uncertainty of
Practice Questions
Q1
A student measures the time period of a pendulum as 2.0 s with an uncertainty of ±0.1 s. What is the fractional error in the time period?
0.05
0.1
0.02
0.1
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A student measures the time period of a pendulum as 2.0 s with an uncertainty of ±0.1 s. What is the fractional error in the time period?
Step 1: Identify the measured value of the time period. In this case, it is 2.0 seconds.
Step 2: Identify the uncertainty (absolute error) in the measurement. Here, it is ±0.1 seconds.
Step 3: Calculate the fractional error using the formula: fractional error = (absolute error / measured value).
Step 4: Substitute the values into the formula: fractional error = 0.1 / 2.0.
Step 5: Perform the division: 0.1 divided by 2.0 equals 0.05.
Step 6: Conclude that the fractional error in the time period is 0.05.
Fractional Error – The fractional error is calculated by dividing the absolute error by the measured value, providing a relative measure of uncertainty.
Measurement Uncertainty – Understanding how to express uncertainty in measurements is crucial for accurate scientific reporting.
