A force is measured as 50 N with an uncertainty of ±1 N. What is the percentage
Practice Questions
Q1
A force is measured as 50 N with an uncertainty of ±1 N. What is the percentage uncertainty in the force measurement?
2%
1%
0.5%
0.1%
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A force is measured as 50 N with an uncertainty of ±1 N. What is the percentage uncertainty in the force measurement?
Step 1: Identify the measured value of the force, which is 50 N.
Step 2: Identify the absolute uncertainty, which is ±1 N.
Step 3: Use the formula for percentage uncertainty: (absolute uncertainty / measured value) * 100.
Step 4: Substitute the values into the formula: (1 N / 50 N) * 100.
Step 5: Calculate the fraction: 1 / 50 = 0.02.
Step 6: Multiply by 100 to convert to percentage: 0.02 * 100 = 2%.
Step 7: Conclude that the percentage uncertainty in the force measurement is 2%.
Percentage Uncertainty – The concept of percentage uncertainty involves calculating the uncertainty of a measurement as a percentage of the measured value, which helps in understanding the reliability of the measurement.
Absolute Uncertainty – Absolute uncertainty refers to the margin of error in a measurement, indicating how much the measured value could vary.
