Study Guide 1 for PHY1503 Physics Practical Work 1 Study Guide 1 Data Processing and Laboratory Procedure.

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Study Guide 1 for PHY1503 Physics Practical Work 1 Study Guide 1 Data Processing and Laboratory Procedure.CONTENTS Page Contents iii Introduction 1 Study Unit 1: What to expect from this module 1... 1 1.1 Introduction 11 1.2 The soft drink experiment 12 1.3 Instructions for the soft drink experiment 14 1.4 Your report on the soft drink experiment 15 1.5 Model report on the soft drink experiment 18 1.6 What was that all about? 23 Topic 1 Measurements and errors 25 Study Unit 2: Units and significant figures 28 2.1 Units 28 2.2 Significant figures 33 2.3 Rounding off 36 2.4 Significant figures in calculations 37 2.4.1 Multiplication and division 37 2.4.2 Addition and subtraction 39 2.5 End note 40 Study Unit 3: Single variables 41 3.1 Measuring a single variable 41 3.2 Arithmetic mean 45 Study Unit 4: A case study 48 4.1 Two students experimenting 48 4.2 Frequency distribution 49 Study Unit 5: Precision and accuracy 55 5.1 Precision and accuracy 55 5.2 Types of errors 56 5.2.1 Systematic errors 56 5.2.2 Random errors 58 5.3 Accuracy of the apparatus 60 Study Unit 6: Repeated measurements 64 6.1 Distribution of repeated measurements 64 6.2 Relative frequency distribution: normalisation 65 6.3 Limiting frequency distribution 69 6.4 Histogram 70 6.5 Sturge’s rule 71 6.6 Continuous distribution 76 CONTENTS iv Page Study Unit 7: Evaluating the precision of a measurement 79 7.1 Precision of a measurement 79 7.2 Range 79 7.3 Standard deviation 81 Study Unit 8: Normal distribution 88 8.1 Shape of the normal distribution 88 8.2 Characteristics of the normal distribution 89 Self-evaluation Test 1 99 Assignment questions and problems of Topic 1 104 Topic 2 Interpretation of results 111 Study Unit 9: Standard error 111 9.1 Best estimate of the true value: the mean 112 9.2 Best estimate of precision: adjusted standard deviation 112 9.3 Accuracy of the mean value: standard error of the mean 113 9.4 Concluding the matter of errors 116 9.5 Significant figures in experimental results 117 Study Unit 10: Combinations of measurements and errors 124 10.1 Combining errors 124 10.2 Sum and difference 126 10.3 Scale factor 127 10.4 Linear combination 127 10.5 Product and quotient 127 10.6 General product 128 10.7 Exponents 128 10.8 Natural logarithms 129 10.9 Logarithms 129 10.10 Summary 130 Study Unit 11: A case study revised 142 11.1 Two students again 142 Self-evaluation Test 2 144 Assignment questions and problems of Topic 2 150 Topic 3 Graphs 155 Study Unit 12: Graphs in experimental work 155 12.1 Introduction 155 12.2 Purpose of graphs in experimental work 157 12.3 What have we learnt from Prof Onestone? 162 12.4 Plotting a graph 162 CONTENTS v Page Study Unit 13: Straight line graphs 168 13.1 Why straight line graphs? 168 13.2 Equation of a straight line 169 Study Unit 14: Relationships between variables 177 14.1 Types of variables 177 14.2 Linearising equations 178 14.3 Equations of the form ܻ ൌ ݇ܺ௡ 182 14.4 Equations of the form ܻ ൌ ݇݁ି஼௑ 184 Study Unit 15: The best straight line 186 15.1 Introduction 186 15.2 Principle of least squares 186 15.3 Linear regression 188 Study Unit 16: Hints on how to plot graphs 196 16.1 Hints 196 16.2 Example 197 16.3 Error-bars 200 Self-evaluation Test 3 202 Assignment questions and problems of Topic 3 208 Topic 4 Planning an experiment and writing a report 214 Study Unit 17: Planning an experiment 215 17.1 Introduction 215 17.2 Preparation 215 17.3 Preliminary experiment 215 17.4 Recording measurements 216 17.5 Analysis of the data 217 17.6 Drawing conclusions 217 17.7 Reporting the experiment 217 Study Unit 18: Writing a scientific report 218 18.1 Nature of a scientific report 218 18.2 Scheme of a scientific report 219 18.3 A model report 222 Appendix A: Exponents and logarithms 230 Appendix B: Greek alphabet 232 Appendix C: Physical constants and conversion factors 233 Appendix D: Microcomputers for data analysis 234 Appendix E: Information about the laboratory session 236 [Show More]

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