Re: [Phys-l] Significant figures -- again

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

On 2012, Mar 13, , at 13:51, Paul Lulai wrote:

> Brian,
> We actually do that at the beginning of the year to convey the uncertainty in a student's measure of length, mass, and volume (from a graduated cylinder). Each student measures a standard objects length, mass, liquid's volume.  Find the average, find the range of reasonable values (this is where I am likely liable by not using st dev).  The value from the average to the largest reasonable value is our uncertainty.
> I tell them there are other ways to do it.  This is how we will acknowledge uncertainty exists.
>
> Have a good one.
>
> Paul Lulai (where I've managed to live through a pillory or 2, gotten a bit thicker skin (or a longer neck), and actually have 5 physics majors in college right now (grad h.s. class of ~150) ;)


Does each one do several times or do the students combine their single measurements?  If the latter then finding the result after each added student's is instructive, no?

A like method I've used, and I'm rather certain I've reported this previously, Is the approx. model of decay.

1k dice divided into ten groups after each throw a selected one is removed.  the results are combined one at a time.  

Given on high ~ 2/3 of the removed a given throw are w/in the sqrt. of each average number removed.-- Have I got this correct?   

The exp. fits to the removeds becomes better and better and visibly smoother as the datas are combined.

bc