Activity for
Error in Measurement
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In this activity, students will encounter how error in measurement affects future computations.  Students will need rulers and calculators.

Download Lab Sheet
for use in your classroom.

 


Students will measure surfaces within the classroom and determine area.  The workup includes examining the possibility of error in measurement.

Lab Sheet:  Error in Measurement

1.  Measure the length and width of a large rectangular surface in the classroom (such as a table top, the blackboard, or the teacher's desktop).  Take these measurements to the nearest 1/16th of an inch.   Express these answers as fractions.
                           Length = __________  Width = ___________ 

2.  Measure the length and width of a small rectangular surface in the classroom (such as an eraser, a box of chalk, or a small memo pad).  Take these measurements to the nearest 1/16th of an inch.  Express these answers as fractions.
                          Length = ___________  Width = ____________

3.  Determine the precision of your measuring instrument.  Find the smallest scale division on your ruler (is it 1/16th, or 1/32nd, or .....?)  Take one-half of this value and add it to (and subtract it from) the measurements made above to establish the tolerance intervals.

Large surface tolerance interval (length)  __________________
Large surface tolerance interval (width) ___________________

Small surface tolerance interval (length) __________________
Small surface tolerance interval (width) ___________________

4.  Calculate the smallest possible area for each surface.
Smallest possible area (large surface) = _________________
Smallest possible area (small surface) = _________________

5.  Calculate the largest possible area for each surface.
Largest possible area (large surface) = _________________
Largest possible area (small surface) = _________________

6.  Examine the ranges between the largest and smallest possible areas for each surface.  Does the size of the surface seem to have an influence upon these ranges?  State your findings in the form of an hypothesis.
   __________________________________________________________________________________
   __________________________________________________________________________________
   __________________________________________________________________________________
   __________________________________________________________________________________

7.  Test your hypothesis by taking one additional set of measurements.  What size surface should be used to test your hypothesis?_______________________
Record your results below.
Length = ______________   Tolerance interval for length: _______________
Width = ______________    Tolerance interval for width: _______________
Smallest possible area = __________________
Largest possible area = ___________________
Range between smallest and largest possible areas: ____________________
Is your hypothesis supported?_____________  If NO, how would you reformulate your hypothesis?____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

(The idea for this activity is a modification of an activity appearing in CORD Applied Mathematics.)