LAB 2

Measurement and Error Analysis

OBJECTIVES
(1) Practice measuring, organizing and analyzing quantitative data.
(2) Create a spreadsheet using the Excel program.
(3) Use Excel to calculate the mean, standard deviation, and standard error of a set of
measurements.
(4) Determine whether your standard deviation is consistent with theory.
(5) Compare your experimental result to the theoretical prediction using error analysis.

EQUIPMENT
Meter stick and/or tape measure, Excel program, plastic ball, and stopwatch.

THEORY
Experimental uncertainty (error) generally can be classified as being two types: random
error and systematic error. Random uncertainties can be treated statistically and
systematic uncertainties cannot. We will focus on reducing random errors by using the
average (or mean), the standard deviation, and the standard error.

PROCEDURE
Form lab groups of about four people. Each person in your group will make each
measurement. Write down your measurements and do not let your partners see your
numbers. Try to make your own measurements independent—that is, forget what you
measured the first time when you make the next measurement. When everyone in your
lab group is finished, put all your measurements together.

Measuring the Time of a Dropped Ball.

(1) Predict the time tthy it will take a ball dropped from rest to fall a distance of 1.5 m. Assume
there is no air resistance so that ball is in freefall.

(2) Drop a ball from a 1.5 meter height and carefully measure the time the ball is in the
air. Repeat 15 times and record your time for each trial. Organize your data into a
table in your lab notes and then enter the data into Excel. Put the results from each of
your lab partners into one big data set so you have at least 60 measurements.

(3) Use Excel's AVERAGE function to find the mean (average) time t .

(4) Use Excel's STDEV function to find the standard deviation (σt) in the time. The
standard deviation is the best estimate of the uncertainty in your individual
measurements.
(5) Theoretically, approximately 68% of the values of any measurement should fall
within one standard deviation of the mean value. This means that 68% of your
measured values should be ≥ ( t - σt) and ≤ ( t + σt ).

What percentage of your measured values for time fall within one standard deviation
of the mean? Is this consistent with theory?

(6) Theoretically, approximately 95% of the values of any measurement should fall
within two standard deviations of the mean value. This means that 95% of your
measured values should be ≥ ( x - 2σt) and ≤ ( x + 2σt).

What percentage of your measured times fall within two standard deviations of the
mean? Is this consistent with theory?

(7) Write your average value t in the data table setup by the instructor on the whiteboard
in the front of the room. When the average values from all lab groups are listed,
calculate the standard deviation of the averages, or the standard error, SE. Answer the
following questions:

• Is the “standard error” smaller than the standard deviation for your
individual measurements? Explain your answer.
• What is the physical meaning of the standard error?
• What is the physical difference between the standard deviation and the
standard error?

(8) From statistical theory, you can calculate the standard error even if you only have a
single set of measurements. For a single set of measurements, the standard error (SE)
is defined as:

σ
SE =
N

Calculate the standard error from your lab group’s data set of times.

How does the standard error calculated from your data set compare with the
standard error calculated from the average of the class means (from Step 7)?

(9) If the predicted time (tthy) is consistent with the experimentally measured time, then
the predicted time falls either within the 1SE- or 2SE- confidence interval.

i.e. t − SE ≤ tthy ≤ t + SE or t − 2 SE ≤ tthy ≤ t + 2 SE

• Is the predicted time tthy consistent with a 1SEt confidence interval?

• Is the predicted time tthy consistent with a 2SEt confidence interval?

(Note: For your confidence intervals, use the SE calculated in step 8.)