Thermometer Accuracy Lab Report Guide
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The Lab Question: Are Lab Thermometers accurate or not?
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Purpose: To understand what experimental error is & how to calculate it. To observe the certainty of a measurement device.
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Conclusion: - you need to convert freezing temps to Fahrenheit because you can not use 0 degrees Celsius for calculations. The point of this lab is to compare the accuracy and precision of the glass & electronic thermometers. For each of the following questions- complete the questions & calculations for both the glass & electronic thermometers separately.

  1. What average temperature did the thermometers record the freezing temperature of the water?
  1. What average temperature did the thermometers record the boiling temperature of water?
  1. What is the formula for experimental error?
  1. What is the percent error for the glass thermometers? (show your work for both temperatures.)
  1. What is the percent error for the electric thermometers? (show your work for both temperatures.)
  1. Which type of thermometer is more accurate for which temp (use data to prove your point)?
  1. Why do the glass & electric thermometers not measure 100% accurately?
  1. In lab you report a measured volume of 128.7 mL of water. Using significant figures as a measure of the error what range of answers does your reported volume imply? Explain.
  1. Sketch two pieces of glassware: one that can measure a volume to the thousandths place and one that can measure volume only to the ones place.