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AQA Physics B Practical (Re: Errors, etc)

I've been trying to get answers from my teachers regarding errors for the last year, and I've been unsuccessful, so I'd be obliged if I could get some help here.

For example (AQA Paper 2 June 2008), we are asked to measure the period of an oscillating system. (the mark scheme states 'at least 10 oscillations taken and recorded and sensible T found').

Do I measure the time of 10 oscillations, divide by 10, and make the answer the reciprocal, or do I find the time of 10 oscillations on 4 seperate occasions, find the average time of 10 oscillations and then do what I said previously?

How do I then find the absolute uncertainty of the frequency squared?

Thanks in advanced for any help.

Reply 1

Lyndon1504

I would always measure the time for 10 oscillations, do this 3 times over, then average them to give you an average time for 10 oscillations... Then I would divide that by 10 to give you a value of T