ADAPT Program: Lesson Plans
Document Type
Learning Object
Date of this Version
1988
Abstract
Not all repeated measurements of the same physical quantity will give the same numerical value. Consider the following case:
Two groups, morning and afternoon, of students went out on campus and made repeated determinations of the height of Hamilton Hall and Mueller Tower (on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus). The six morning teams made a total of 18 different determinations on the height of each structure. The eight afternoon teams obtained 24 values. Shown below:
1. List a variety of ways you can determine a "best" value for each height.
2. Select a method and do it for each height.
3. What is a value for the uncertainty or possible error in your "best" values and how can you determine that.
4. Determine the "best values" for the heights of the 2 buildings from: morning data, afternoon data, all data.
5. Estimate an uncertainty for each group's data and all of the data.