Question

In a laboratory experiment a student obtained the following values for the mass density of a metal sample: 5.13 g/cc, 4.98 g/cc, 5.06 g/cc, and 5.01 g/cc. The accepted value for the mass density is 4.80 g/cc. The percent error for the mean mass density is ______ % (to the nearest whole number percent)

Answer 1

5.104%

Explanation:

Given:

The accepted value for the mass density = 4.80 g/cc

Observed values:

5.13 g/cc

4.98 g/cc

5.06 g/cc

5.01 g/cc

Total number of observed values = 4

Mean of the observed values = ( 5.13 + 4.98 + 5.06 + 5.01 ) / 4 = 5.045 g/cc

Now,

The percentage error is calculated as:

`\textup{Percent Error}=\frac{\left |\textup{Accepted value-Mean value} \right |}{\left |\textup{Accpeted value} \right |}*100`%

on substituting the values, we get

`\textup{Percent Error}=(\left |4.80-5.045\right |)/(4.80)*100`%

or

Percentage error = 5.104%