preview

Olive Oil Chromatography Lab Report

Decent Essays

The experimental densities were quite close to the true/theoretical densities throughout all the solids. Aluminium had an experimental value of 3g. and a theoretical value of 2.7 (Coolmagnetman.com, 2017), causing it to have an 11% percentage error. This percent error is invalid as it is over 10%, therefore not precise enough to draw accurate and reliable conclusions from. This consequently means that the experimental and theoretical density do not represent each other. The percent error in the experiment (11%) is due to random error/s as it is lower than the percent uncertainty (80%). Random errors are due to uncontrollable variables in the experiment such as restrictions of the measuring apparatus, but can be reduced by a higher number of …show more content…

Olive oil both had an experimental density of 0.92and theoretical density of 0.92 (Hypertextbook.com, 2017). As a result, olive oil had an exceptionally accurate percentage error of 0%, and means that the experimental and theoretical density precisely represent each other. Therefore, this data is highly valid (0-5%) and can be used to draw accurate and reliable conclusions from. Due to the lack of percentage error, there is no random or systematic errors present. Although this data may in fact be inaccurate as there is a wide range of different brands and versions of olive oil, and both the experimental and theoretical data weren’t based on the exact bottle of olive oil. Both density experiments could have been completed at different climates/temperatures at the time of data collection. Additionally, the data was rounded at many points throughout the experiment to obey the rules of significant figures, losing the accuracy of the data. Ethanol (rubbing alcohol), obtained an experimental density of 0.76 and a theoretical density of 0.78 (Ausetute.com.au, 2017). Subsequently, ethanol received a small percentage error of 2.6% because, even though the difference in density was 0.02, in ratio it is larger due to the small density. This data is highly valid as it is between 0-5% percentage error, meaning it can be used to draw very close to accurate and reliable conclusions from. The percentage error (2.6%) is smaller than the percent uncertainty (7.9%) and therefore means that the error was due to a random error. Random errors result from uncontrollable elements/variables unavoidable in the experiment, which in this case would be the limitations of the measuring apparatus. It can never be fully eliminated but can be reduced by an increased number of trials. However, the experimental and theoretical densities may have been accomplished at different temperatures and the densities

Get Access