Finding mass of a single screw lab No calculations XD

Thread starter jayjay713
Start date Nov 21, 2011
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Calculations Lab Mass Screw

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on determining the mass of a single screw using the total masses of five cups containing screws. The cups are of equal mass, and the provided masses are inclusive of the screws. Participants suggest various methods, including calculating differences between cup masses and using algorithms to find the smallest mass that divides evenly into the differences. The conclusion emphasizes that without additional measurements, a unique solution is unattainable, but the largest integer value that fits the data is likely the expected answer.

PREREQUISITES

Understanding of basic algebraic equations and variables.
Familiarity with mass measurement concepts.
Knowledge of algorithms for data analysis.
Experience with statistical methods for estimating values.

NEXT STEPS

Explore methods for solving systems of equations with multiple unknowns.
Learn about algorithms for finding minimum differences in datasets.
Investigate statistical techniques for estimating mass values from experimental data.
Study the principles behind Millikan's oil drop experiment for insights into measurement accuracy.

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Students in physics or chemistry labs, educators teaching measurement techniques, and anyone interested in experimental data analysis and estimation methods.

Nov 23, 2011

Delphi51

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Trevorr, that is what we have been puzzling over! There appears to be no easy answer for this set of numbers. Usually these problems are carefully crafted so they work out to an exact answer using the differencing technique that gneill describes above (see this one: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=147199 where the answer is 3). In this particular case, the only exact answer is 0.1, which I see as a trivial answer with no meaning. The spreadsheet technique I posted above for dealing with data that includes experimental error is not very satisfactory because there are quite a few "sweet spots" that minimize the average deviation and there is a different best value of m for each value of b.

It appears the question is bad. Perhaps errors have been made at some point in typing the given masses.

It would be interesting to research how Millikan did it. Note: it took him about 20 years to do his experiment.