The mass of a 4.20-g piece of metal was measured several times. The measured masses were 4.99 g, 4.92 g, 4.98 g,and 4.97 g. How would you describe the results obtained?
The results obtained are precise but not accurate. The measurements are consistently close to each other, indicating precision, but they are not close to the true value of the metal's mass, indicating inaccuracy.
To describe the results obtained, you can calculate the average mass of the metal.
The average mass can be calculated by adding all the measured masses and then dividing the sum by the total number of measurements. In this case, there are four measurements.
Summing up the measured masses:
4.99 g + 4.92 g + 4.98 g + 4.97 g = 19.86 g
Dividing the sum by the number of measurements:
19.86 g / 4 = 4.965 g
Therefore, the average mass of the metal is approximately 4.965 g.
Based on the results obtained, the measured masses are all relatively close to the average value. This indicates that there is good precision in the measurements, as the mass values are consistent with each other. Thus, the results can be considered reliable.