Question detail
A titre is recorded as 24.60 cm3 using a burette with an uncertainty of ±0.05 cm3 per reading. If two readings are used, what is the percentage uncertainty in the titre?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
MCQ
Type
practice
Style
Topic
Mathematical requirements and assessment objectives
Question
- A. A. 0.41%, because the total burette uncertainty is ±0.10 cm3 and 0.10 / 24.60 × 100 is 0.41%.
- B. B. 0.20%, because only one burette reading is involved in a titre.
- C. C. 4.10%, because 0.10 should be multiplied by 100 before dividing by the titre.
- D. D. 24.60%, because the titre value is the percentage uncertainty.
Answer
A. 0.41%, because the total burette uncertainty is ±0.10 cm3 and 0.10 / 24.60 × 100 is 0.41%.
Explanation
The data, units, standard form, significant figures and uncertainty objective requires the uncertainty calculation to use the same unit as the measurement. A titre depends on an initial and final burette reading, so the absolute uncertainty is ±0.10 cm3. Dividing by 24.60 cm3 and multiplying by 100 gives 0.41% to suitable significant figures. This directly supports the learning objective to handle data, units, standard form, significant figures and uncertainty because the answer explains the mathematical decision and the reporting convention.
Common mistake
Significant Figures Confusion
Students often round numbers incorrectly when performing calculations, leading to an inaccurate number of significant figures.
To fix this, students should identify the significant figures in the original data and ensure that their final answer reflects the correct number of significant figures based on the least precise measurement.
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