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Mass Density Of An Unknown Metal Essay

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The goal of this experiment was to determine the mass density of an unknown metal. Five different vernier capillaries and double pan balances were used to measure the metal. The plan of action was to find the average density to reduce random error, in addition to, calculating the standard error to observe the reliability of proposed average. Ideally, the metal would identify more comparably with gold or aluminum. The concepts of mass density, standard error, average, one-dimensional statistics, precision / accuracy, and test of accuracy were explored. A hollow cylinder of metal was given to each lab group. Initially, the mass of the metal was determined with a double pan balance. The metal was placed on the balance and the instrument’s notch and slider was used to interpret the mass. The next step was determining the inner radius, outer radius and height of the cylinder to find the volume. A vernier caliper was used to measure those components. The vernier caliper included an inner and outer “jaw” that measures length. The results of the double pan balance and vernier caliper was recorded in a data sheet, and the procedure was repeated five times with different instruments. The data was placed in an excel file where the mass density, average, standard error, test of accuracy, and general comparison with the two proposed metals (gold and aluminum) could be analyzed. Table 1 Five Measurements of Unknown Metal. Table contains the five measurements of the hollow

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