Name:

Section:

1. This experiment.
2. Uncertainty, Precision, and Error in Experimental Data in this manual and your text.
3. Dalton's Law of Multiple Proportions in your text.

Define the following terms:

• accuracy
• precision
• systematic error
• random error
• Law of Multiple Proportions

1. Student 1 measured the mass of 5 nuts and recorded the following data in her notebook:

   Nut number	Mass in grams
   1	3.62
   2	3.67
   3	3.70
   4	3.96
   5	3.62

   average mass of a nut ______
   standard deviation ______
   one-half the range ______
   Using the equations given in Uncertainty, Precision, and Error in Experimental Data, calculate the average mass of a nut based on this data. Calculate the standard deviation and one-half the range based on the data . Remember that n is equal to the number of data points used to calculate the average.
2. Student 2 obtained an average mass of 3.80 g with a standard deviation of 0.10 g. Do you think this average is significantly different from the average obtained by student 1? Why or why not?
3. Suppose student 3 obtained an average mass of 3.40 g with a standard deviation of 0.12 g. Should the students question this result? Why or why not? Which average is more precise? Why?