Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 1: Problem 24

To determine the volume of a cube, a student measured one of the dimensions of the cube several times. If the true dimension of the cube is \(10.62 \mathrm{~cm}\), give an example of four sets of measurements that would illustrate the following. a. imprecise and inaccurate data b. precise but inaccurate data c. precise and accurate data Give a possible explanation as to why data can be imprecise or inaccurate. What is wrong with saying a set of measurements is imprecise but accurate?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Example of four sets of measurements: a. Imprecise and inaccurate data: 9.5, 8.4, 11.1, 9.8 cm b. Precise but inaccurate data: 10.0, 10.1, 9.99, 10.05 cm c. Precise and accurate data: 10.62, 10.61, 10.63, 10.60 cm Data can be imprecise or inaccurate due to random or systematic errors caused by factors such as fluctuations in measuring instruments, environmental factors, human errors, calibration errors, and inaccurate zero-point adjustments. It is contradictory to say a set of measurements is imprecise but accurate because if the measurements are imprecise, they would not consistently indicate an accurate result, and it is impossible for imprecise data to be accurate.

Step by step solution

01

Set of measurements

For imprecise and inaccurate data, the measurements should be neither close to the true value nor to each other. An example of such measurements is: 9.5, 8.4, 11.1, 9.8 cm. #b. Precise but inaccurate data:
02

Set of measurements

For precise but inaccurate data, the measurements should be close to each other, but not close to the true value. An example of such measurements is: 10.0, 10.1, 9.99, 10.05 cm. #c. Precise and accurate data:
03

Set of measurements

For precise and accurate data, the measurements should be both close to the true value and to each other. An example of such measurements is: 10.62, 10.61, 10.63, 10.60 cm.
04

Explanation for imprecise or inaccurate data

A possible explanation why data can be imprecise or inaccurate is due to random or systematic errors. Random errors can be caused by various factors such as fluctuations in measuring instruments, environmental factors, or human errors. Systematic errors can be caused by calibration errors, and inaccurate zero-point adjustments among other factors.
05

Issue with imprecise but accurate data

It is contradictory to say a set of measurements is imprecise but accurate because in order for a set of measurements to be considered accurate, they must be close to the true value. If the measurements are imprecise, it means that they are not close to each other and would not consistently indicate an accurate result; thus, it is impossible for imprecise data to be accurate.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

According to the Official Rules of Baseball, a baseball must have a circumference not more than \(9.25\) in or less than \(9.00\) in and a mass not more than \(5.250 \mathrm{z}\) or less than \(5.00 \mathrm{oz}\). What range of densities can a baseball be expected to have? Express this range as a single number with an accompanying uncertainty limit.

A rectangular block has dimensions \(2.9 \mathrm{~cm} \times 3.5 \mathrm{~cm} \times 10.0 \mathrm{~cm}\). The mass of the block is \(615.0 \mathrm{~g}\). What are the volume and density of the block?

The active ingredient of aspirin tablets is acetylsalicylic acid, which has a density of \(1.4 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3} .\) In a lab class, a student used paper chromatography to isolate another common ingredient of headache remedies. The isolated sample had a mass of \(0.384 \mathrm{~g}\) and a volume of \(0.32 \mathrm{~cm}^{3}\). Given the data in the following table, what was the other ingredient in the headache remedy? $$ \begin{array}{l} \text { Density Values for Potential } \\ \text { Headache Remedies } \\ \begin{array}{lc} \text { Compound } & \text { Density }\left(\mathrm{g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3}\right) \\ \hline \text { White table sugar } & 0.70 \\ \text { Caffeine } & 1.2 \\ \text { Acetylsalicylic acid } & 1.4 \\ \text { Sodium chloride } & 2.2 \\ \hline \end{array} \end{array} $$

A \(25.00-\mathrm{g}\) sample of a solid is placed in a graduated cylinder and then the cylinder is filled to the \(50.0-\mathrm{mL}\) mark with benzene. The mass of benzene and solid together is \(58.80 \mathrm{~g}\). Assuming that the solid is insoluble in benzene and that the density of benzene is \(0.880 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3}\), calculate the density of the solid.

Science fiction often uses nautical analogies to describe space travel. If the starship U.S.S. Enterprise is traveling at warp factor \(1.71\), what is its speed in knots and in miles per hour? (Warp \(1.71=5.00\) times the speed of light; speed of light \(=\) \(3.00 \times 10^{\mathrm{s}} \mathrm{m} / \mathrm{s} ; 1 \mathrm{knot}=2000 \mathrm{yd} / \mathrm{h}\), exactly. \()\)
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Nuclear Chemistry

Read Explanation

The Earths Atmosphere

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free