Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Uncertainty Question



I admit it, as part of my required curriculum I have to teach more about
uncetainties than I am confident about. The rules are inconsistent from
text to text and common sense does not always prevail. Is there a simple
guide book?

Here is my current question:
Measuring the density of a 3x5 card as an exercise in sig.fig.s and
uncertainty. Some groups used a micrometer to measure the thickness,
others made a stack of 50 and measured the group with a cm ruler. This
group measured the stack as 1.23 cm =/- .03 cm. We divide by 50 for the
stack. How do YOU report the uncertainty?

Ken Fox
Smoky Hill High School
16100 Smoky Hill Rd
Aurora,CO 80015
303-693-1700(w)
303-850-7537(H)
kfox@stega.smoky.org