Experiment 1: Measurement and Error Analysis

Laboratory Report

Paul Cedric Bernardo, Giselle Sophia Camaya, Christian Ivan Caño, Angelo Raine Carlos

Department of Biological Sciences

College of Science, University of Santo Tomas
España, Manila Philippines

ABSTACT Many basic units of measurements

The objectives of this experiment was were derived since then, which include
to determine mainly the circumference and weight, volume, and time, resulting in the
diameter of calamansi fruits and to calculate creation of the International System of Units
its descriptive statistics; perform a graphical (SI Unit). This system of units was referred to
and error analysis usinñg the measurements as the standardized measurement system of
of coins; see if the thumb is a good standard every country. The development of
of measurement. Results showed that the measurements has also resulted in constant
calamansi exhibits phenotypic variability as creation and evolution of different types of
the fruits were slightly variable in terms of its instruments. Example of which is the
diameter and circumference. Most of the creation of a water clock used by ancient
measurements of coins were accurate, Greeks that utilizes water flow to measure
precise, and have minimal errors and most time (Mtiinstruments.com, n.d.). Today it was
likely the sources of these systematic errors now replaced by clocks which now tells hours
came from either lacking precise instruments and seconds. Another example is the
or mishandling of the experiment. Lastly, mercury in the thermometer which is now
using the thumb as a standard of replaced with digital components.
measurement will most likely cause However, despite having these
inaccuracy and imprecision due to the instruments, there are always degrees of
variability of thumb width. uncertainty where there are possibilities that
tell us that the values are precise, but are far
INTRODUCTION from the expected value. There are some
A measurement is a unit or system of cases that the values are accurate but are
measuring the size, length, or a certain not precise and there are cases where the
amount of an object. Measurements have values are both precise and accurate. This
been part of the daily lives of every human uncertainty could become sources of errors,
being from measuring how fast the apple falls mainly systematic and random, which tell the
from the tree to measure how heavy is the difference from the acceptable and expected
biggest animal on the planet. The idea of value.
having the measurement of an object was This experiment focuses on
originally based on the human body. As determining how the use of measurement
Egyptians during 3000 BC used the length of instruments could affect the uncertainties in
the arm to create the first unit of measuring coins and how the difference in
measurement which is the cubit, these were measurements affects the variability in
used to have a standard measurement in calamansi fruits. Thus, the objectives of this
order to create structures during the experiment are to: determine the variability in
Medieval period (Britannica, 2016). calamansi fruits in terms of their
circumference and diameter; perform a
graphical and error analysis using the from the mean (𝑑) (Variance and Standard
measurements of coins; to see if the thumb Deviation, n.d.). Variance is obtained by
is a good standard of measurement using the following equation below.

THEORY σ2 = ∑(d-𝑑)2 / 10
The amount obtained from
measurement is often accompanied by After acquiring the variance, standard
uncertainties, this is due to various factors, deviation (σ) can now be obtained; standard
one of which is practical limitations of the deviation depicts how spread the values are
usage of the measurement (Flowers et al., from the mean (Variance and Standard
2019). With that in mind, the first activity uses Deviation, n.d.). Standard deviation can be
descriptive statistics, utilizing calamansi calculated by following the equation below.
fruits to tackle uncertainty and variability of
measurements. Circumference (C), by σ = √ o2
definition, is the distance or perimeter of a
circle; while, diameter (d) is the length of an By the definition of variance and
end-to-end line that passes through the standard deviation, these can be used to
center of a circle. If the ratio of the determine uncertainties of measurement.
circumference and the diameter of a circle In the second activity, it will tackle
were to be calculated, all circles will always error analysis with the use of Philippine Peso
yield an answer of 3.14159.. or also known coins of different denominations. With the
𝐶
as pi (𝜋), hence, it is formulated as 𝑑= 𝜋 use of percent (%) error, it depicts how big or
(Khan Academy, n.d.). Since the small the individual’s errors are to the true
circumference can be easily measured with value. Having a percent error close to zero
the use of a string and ruler, and the pi is indicates that the data obtained are close to
given, the diameter can then be calculated the true value, whereas, a high percent error
using the equation depicted below. means the data obtained is far from the true
value. To calculate the % error, the equation
𝐶 below is used, wherein E depicts the
=d
𝜋
experimental value and S as the standard.

The mean diameter of the samples is 𝐸−𝑆

then acquired by adding all the diameters % error = | 𝑆
|x 100
and dividing it by the numbers of samples.
The mean by definition is the average of all This was followed by calculating the
data points (Ennos & Johnson, 2019). Since cross sectional area (A) of the coin. This can
there are a total of 40 samples of calamansi be calculated by following the equation
fruits, the sum of all diameters is divided by portrayed below.
𝜋
40. A = 4 d2
Mean = sum of diameter/40
The last activity tackles standard
Subsequently, the variance (σ2) is measurement. With the use of the parts of
calculated. Variance is the measurement of the body, an individual can estimate various
the distance of each value in the data set units of measurement, however, this may not
be the case for everyone, for people may and the square of diameter as x-axis for the
vary in sizes. This activity made use of the scatterplot with a trendline. This was
members’ thumb to evaluate if the thumb followed by calculating the percent error.
really does constitute a standard Every member’s plots of circumference
measurement of 1 inch. versus diameter were collated into one
graph, this was also conducted with the plots
METHODOLOGY of area versus square of the diameter.
Materials As for experiment for comparison of
standard measurement, the width, in inches,
The materials that were utilized of a thumb of every member of the group was
during the experiment were: 40 pieces of measured using a ruler.
calamansi (10 pieces per member), a piece
of string or thread, a ruler, and lastly, 20 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
pieces (5 pieces per member) Philippine
coins with different denominations. Measurement analysis of calamansi fruits

Methods The diameter was derived from the

circumference of the sample calamansi fruits
The activity was divided into three in order to calculate its descriptive statistics
parts: determining the descriptive statistics of (Figure 1). The mean diameter of the
calamansi fruits, graphical and error analysis samples is 2.56 cm. Its range is 0.86 cm, with
of coins, and comparison of standard 2.22 cm being the lowest and 3.21 cm being
measurement (in) to the width of the thumb. the highest. Its variance is 0.06 cm 2 and its
As for the calamansi fruit experiment, the standard deviation is 0.25 cm.
activity was initiated by measuring the
Each of the calamansi fruit used in
circumference of all the calamansi fruits in
this experiment displayed a slight difference
centimeters by encircling the calamansi with
in its circumference and diameter,
the use of a string/thread and eventually
specifically in its variance and standard
measured with the use of a ruler. Afterward,
deviation. Like the calamansi fruit, almost all
the diameter of the calamansi was calculated
biological organisms exhibit variability in
using the circumference value.
terms of their characteristics. This is called
Subsequently, the range of diameter of the
phenotypic variability. It is defined as the
samples, and the variance and the standard
tendency of an organism to vary, in parallel
deviation was calculated.
to the distribution of possible variations
Graphical and error analysis was
(Wagner & Altenberg, 1996). Most likely, the
initiated by measuring the circumference and
interaction of genetic and environmental
afterward the diameter of each coin using a
factors is involved in the varying phenotypic
ruler. A scatterplot with trendline was
expressions in organisms (Willmore, Young,
generated using Microsoft Excel wherein the
& Richtsmeier, 2007).
circumference and diameter served as the x
and y-axis respectively. Subsequently, the
percent error was calculated. Furthermore,
the cross-sectional area of each coin was
calculated, wherein it served as the y-axis
 predicted as some points were offset in the
slope, thus the measurement of the coins
was inaccurate.
Possible systematic errors in this
experiment include sources like lack of
instruments, mishandling of instruments, and
wrong data handling (Morris & Langari,
2015). Thus, it is suggested that the
experimenter should have adequate skills in
using measuring instruments and that
precise and accurate instruments should be
used in order to reduce systematic errors.
Furthermore, it can be assumed that the first
experiment also involves systematic errors
since the measuring materials used in the
calamansi fruits were also used in the coins
Figure 1: Distribution of calamansi fruit according
to its diameter (in cm)
Table 1: Thumb width of each group member

Error analysis of coins

Members Width of Thumb (In)
In the other experiment, by using five
1 0.67
Philippine peso coins of different
denominations, its circumference and 2 0.51
diameter were measured to produce an error
analysis. By plotting the circumference and 3 0.51
diameter of coins (Figure 2.) and by using 4 0.71
the slope as the experimental value of π, the
analysis yielded the following errors: Thumb as standard
16.80%, 0.20%, 0.31%., and 0.43% (from
member 1 to member 4). Additionally, using In the last experiment, the width of
the same method, the area, and square of the thumb of each member was measured
the diameter plot of coins (Figure 3) yielded (Table 1). The experiment shows that the
errors by 0.04%, 0.42%, 0.02%, and 0.20% value of the thumb width is far from the
(from member 1 to member 4) standard measurement, which is the inch. In
relation to variability and error, using the
Most of the measurements were width of the thumb is not suitable to become
accurate, precise, and have a minimal error. a standard of measurement. Thumb width
Though the errors were insignificant, The
varies for every person and using it as a
only measurement that has the highest error
standard of measurement would result in a
was the analysis of the circumference and
high error because of its inaccuracy and
diameter of coins of member 1. By looking at
imprecision.
the circumference and diameter plot of
member 1, the error value can be easily
 9.00
y = 2.6139x + 1.4787
8.00 y = 3.148x + 0.001

y = 3.1338x + 0.0045
7.00
y = 3.1282x + 0.0851
CIRCUMFERENCE

6.00
Member 1
5.00
Member 2

4.00 Member 3
Member 4
3.00

2.00

1.00
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00
DIAMETER

Figure 2: Diameter versus circumference

7.00

y = 0.7851x - 0.0005
6.00
y = 0.7887x - 0.0062

y = 0.7856x + 9E-05
5.00
y = 0.787x - 0.0085

4.00
Member 1
AREA

Member 2
3.00
Member 3
Member 4
2.00

1.00

0.00
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00
SQUARE OF DIAMETER

Figure 3: Area versus square of diameter

CONCLUSION
3. The properties of a standard
In conclusion the calamansi exhibits measurement is accuracy, precision,
phenotypic variability as the fruits were and error of measurement.
slightly variable in terms of its diameter and
circumference. In comparison the coins did REFERENCES (APA)
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