A force is measured as 50 N with an uncertainty of ±2 N. What is the relative un
Practice Questions
Q1
A force is measured as 50 N with an uncertainty of ±2 N. What is the relative uncertainty in this force measurement?
0.04
0.02
0.01
0.05
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A force is measured as 50 N with an uncertainty of ±2 N. What is the relative uncertainty in this force measurement?
Correct Answer: 4%
Step 1: Identify the measured value of the force, which is 50 N.
Step 2: Identify the absolute uncertainty, which is ±2 N.
Step 3: Use the formula for relative uncertainty: relative uncertainty = (absolute uncertainty / measured value).
Step 4: Substitute the values into the formula: relative uncertainty = (2 N / 50 N).
Step 5: Calculate the result: 2 divided by 50 equals 0.04.
Step 6: Convert the relative uncertainty to a percentage by multiplying by 100: 0.04 * 100 = 4%.
Step 7: Conclude that the relative uncertainty in the force measurement is 4%.
Relative Uncertainty – Relative uncertainty is a measure of the uncertainty of a measurement in relation to the size of the measurement itself, often expressed as a percentage.
Absolute Uncertainty – Absolute uncertainty is the margin of error in a measurement, indicating the range within which the true value is expected to lie.
Measurement Units – Understanding the units of measurement (in this case, Newtons) is crucial for correctly interpreting and calculating uncertainties.
