Question

In Cynthia's physics class, she must turn in four lab reports. For each report, she earns extra credit if her percent error is less than 5%.5%. For her first lab report, she calculated the value of the acceleration due to gravity three times. She got the following three values. 9.56 ms2 9.56 ms2 9.72ms2 9.72ms2 9.88ms2 9.88ms2 The accepted value of the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8ms2.9.8ms2. Which option is closest to Cynthia's percent error? Remember: Take the average of the three measurements before calculating the percent error.
a. about 8%8%.
b. about 1%1%.
c. about 0.8%0.8%.
d. about 5%.

Answer 1

Answer:

$error = 0.82$%

Explanation:

The three readings of her gravity calculation is given as

$g_1 = 9.56 m/s^2$

$g_2 = 9.72 m/s^2$

$g_3 = 9.88 m/s^2$

now the mean value of gravity calculation is given as

$g_{mean} = \frac{9.56 + 9.72 + 9.88}{3}$

$g_{mean} = 9.72 m/s^2$

now the percentage error in her calculation is given as

$error = \frac{9.8 - 9.72}{9.8} \times 100$

$error = 0.82$%