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Inquiry-Based Activity 2 - Accuracy and Precision Errors and Uncertainties Suggested Answers

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13 views

Inquiry-Based Activity 2 - Accuracy and Precision Errors and Uncertainties Suggested Answers

Uploaded by

venkatesh.pranauv
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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IB Chemistry

Inquiry-based Activity 2: Accuracy and


Precision, Errors and Uncertainties
(Suggested Answers)

Lesson objectives
● Understand the difference between accuracy and precision
● Understand the significance of errors and uncertainties in data measurements
● Recording of uncertainties and propagation of errors in measurements
● Identify the type of errors as either systematic or random.

Inquiry 2: Collecting and processing data


Interpreting results
● Assess accuracy, precision, reliability and validity.

Accuracy and Precision


● Describe the accuracy and precision as either High or Low for the dart boards below.

High Low Low High


…………. accuracy …………. Accuracy …………. Accuracy …………. Accuracy
High Low High Low
…………. Precision …………. Precision …………. Precision …………. precision

Discussion
1. Construct your own definition of what accuracy and precision mean.
2. What is your reference value in deciding the accuracy and precision for the dart boards?
3. Suggest one action each to improve on the (i) accuracy and (ii) precision for the dart
boards?
4. Which is more important in chemistry – accuracy or precision? Discuss.

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Possible answers for discussion


1. Accuracy is “how close your value is to the true value” while Precision is “how
consistent one trial is with the other”.
2. The bull’s eye is taken to be the reference value (accepted by community/public).
3. (i) accuracy – distance from the dart board and the angle/positioning of the dart. (ii)
precision – increase the number of repeats for the dart throwing.
4. Both are equally important (listen to student’s argument on precision and accuracy).

Inquiry 3: Concluding and evaluating


Evaluating
● Identify and discuss sources and impacts of random and systematic errors.

Types of experimental errors


In scientific investigations, we are often required to evaluate the types of experimental errors
which could have affected our experimental results. Hence, it is necessary to identify the
two main types of error and explain how they affect the accuracy and precision of the
experimental results.

Identify the possible types of errors for each scenario and suggest of ways to mitigate them.

Scenario A
Jane measured the volume of CO2 produced in the reaction between calcium carbonate and
hydrochloric acid by the displacement of water in an upturned measuring cylinder.

• Some amount of CO2 dissolve in water, resulting in a smaller volume measured


(systematic error).
Suggestion for improvement: Use a gas syringe method for collection and
measurement of CO2.

Scenario B
John measured out 25 cm3 of dilute acid using a measuring cylinder and recorded the
reading from the top of the meniscus.

• Parallax error result in a larger volume of acid measured (systematic error)


Suggestion for improvement: Proper meniscus reading and measurement of the
volume reading.

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IB Chemistry

Scenario C
May measured out 0.400 g of solid NaOH to prepare a 0.2 M solution for use in an acid-base
titration. From the safety data sheet, it was said that sodium hydroxide is very hygroscopic
(absorbing moisture from the atmosphere).

• The hygroscopic nature of the solid will increase the actual concentration of the
solution. (systematic error)
Suggestion for improvement: store the solid in an airtight container.

Tool 3: Mathematics
Processing uncertainties
● Understand the significance of uncertainties in raw and processed data.
● Record uncertainties in measurements as a range (±) to an appropriate level of precision.
● Propagate uncertainties in processed data, in calculations involving addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division and (HL only) exponents.
● Express measurement and processed uncertainties—absolute, fractional (relative),
percentage—to an appropriate number of significant figures or level of precision.

Recording and propagating uncertainties in measurement


No physical quantity can be measured with perfect certainty, regardless of the nature of the
scale or the instrument. As such, all raw data should be reported with an associated
uncertainty (random error). This uncertainty must be expressed to the same number of
decimal places as shown in the measurement. For example, 5.2 g ± 0.1 g or 98.15 ℃ ± 0.05 ℃.

The skill of propagating the total uncertainties in any experimental measurement is


important for analysing the random errors due to measurement uncertainties as the total
uncertainties in an experiment is always greater than the individual uncertainties of each
procedural step.

1. When adding or subtracting measurements, the absolute uncertainties of the measurements


are added. For example:

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2. When multiplying or dividing measurements, the percentage uncertainties of the


measurements are added. For example:

3. When taking the average of measurements, the final uncertainty is the same as the absolute
uncertainty in the component values.

Worked example 1:
(20.00 ± 0.05) g of sugar is dissolved in (50.00 ± 0.10) cm3 of distilled water.

Find its concentration in g cm-3 and its final uncertainty.

!.!#
% uncertainty of mass =( $!.!! x 100%) = 0.25%

!.&!
% uncertainty of volume = =( #!.!! x 100%) = 0.2%

Total % uncertainty = 0.25% + 0.2% = 0.45%

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$!.!!
Concentration = #!.!! = 0.400 g cm-3

Absolute uncertainty = 0.45% × 0.400 = 0.0018 g cm-3 ≈ 0.002 g cm-3 (1 s.f.)

Concentration = (0.400 ± 0.002) g cm-3

IB Nov 2019 P2

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IB Chemistry

Answer:

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