A student carries out an experiment to determine the specific heat capacity c of a solid - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 20 - 2018
Question 20
A student carries out an experiment to determine the specific heat capacity c of a solid.
The relationship used to calculate c is
$$c = \frac{E}{m \Delta T}$$
The ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A student carries out an experiment to determine the specific heat capacity c of a solid - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 20 - 2018
Step 1
Calculate the percentage uncertainty for each measurement
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Answer
For energy supplied, the percentage uncertainty is 1%.
For mass of solid, the percentage uncertainty is 2%.
For change in temperature, the percentage uncertainty is 5%.
Step 2
Combine percentage uncertainties
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Answer
To find the total percentage uncertainty in c, we sum the absolute uncertainties related to multiplication and division in the formula:
Total Percentage Uncertainty=uncertainty in E+uncertainty in m+uncertainty in ΔT
This gives us:
1%+2%+5%=8%
Step 3
Choose the best estimate
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Answer
From the calculations, the best estimate of the percentage uncertainty in the calculated value of c is 8%, corresponding to option A.
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