UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, JAMAICA

Faculty of Science & Sport/ School of Natural & Applied Sciences

Physics for Computer Studies 1 (PHS1019)

TUTURIAL # 2
1. The surface area A of a sphere of radius r is given by A = 4r and the volume V by V=4/3 r and its
3

density by = M/V If r measures (10.0 0.5) cm and its mass M is (25 2) g. Calculate the:
i) fractional error in r?
ii) absolute error in A?
iii) greatest percentage error in A?
iv) volume?
v) fractional error in the volume?
vi) absolute error in the Volume ?
vii) density of the sphere?
viii) absolute error in the density of the sphere?
2. The length of a piece of paper is measured as (296 2) mm. Its width is measured as (208 2) mm, its
thickness (0.0100 0.0050) mm and its mass (0.12 .010) g. What is the:
i) fractional uncertainty in the length?
ii) percentage uncertainty in the length?
iii) area of the largest side of the paper
iv) uncertainty in the largest area of the paper?
v) density of the paper ?
vi) uncertainty in the density of the paper?

3. If c = (6.13 0.05) cm, d = (8.74 0.06) cm and e = (10.37 0.04) cm.

Calculate:
i)

the absolute error in H given that

H=c+de
ii)

the fractional error in E given that

E = e d +c

iii) the percentage error in F given that

F= d-e+c

iv) the percentage error in j given that

j = 2c e
v)
vi)

the absolute error in B given that

B = 65 d3 e c2

vii) the absolute error in T given that

T = c3 d2
e

4. If,

c b) d 2
(
L=
, Given:
q t

c = (184 1 ) cm
b = (160 1) cm
d = (1.16 0.03) x 10 3 m
q = (4.28 0.05) m3/s
t = (3.8 0.1) x 103 s2
Find L and the absolute error in L
5. A net force of (50 2) KN acts on a body of mass (2200 10) kg to produce an acceleration. Calculate the
absolute error in the acceleration.

6. (a) A computer science student used the circuit shown in Figure 1 below to determine the resistance of the
resistor and obtained the following results:

Figure 1
Voltmeter reading V = (2.00 0.05) V

Ammeter reading I = (3.3 0.1) mA

i) Determine the fractional uncertainty in the voltmeter and ammeter readings
ii) Using the formula V = IR , determine the resistance, R.
iii) Determine the absolute uncertainty in R
iv) Determine the percentage error in R.

7. The density of a long copper rod is to be obtained. Its length(L) is measured with a meter stick, its
diameter(D) with micrometer callipers, and its mass (M) with an electronic balance.
Given that: L = (60.0 0.1) cm, D = (0.632 0.002) cm, m = (16.2 0.1) g
Determine the:
i) density of the long copper rod.
ii) uncertainty in the density
iii) percentage uncertainty in the mass of the long copper rod.

8. The force F on a body of mass m moving in a circle of radius r is given by

A Computer Science student at UTech investigated the force and obtained the following results
m = (5.6 0.2) g
r =( 2.0 0.5) cm
V= (3.0 0.1) m/s
Calculate the:
i)

fractional error in the mass.

ii) force on the mass.

iii) percentage error in the force.
iv) absolute error in the force.

9. The density of a sphere of radius r and mass is given by:

= /

and the volume by:

4

= r3
3

A student obtained the following results for a particular sphere

= ( )

Calculate:

= (. . )

i) fractional error in the mass.

ii) volume of sphere.
iii) absolute error in the volume of the sphere.
iv) percentage error in volume of sphere.
v) density of sphere.
vi) absolute error in density of sphere.