Video Transcript
In an experiment, the acceleration
due to gravity at the surface of the Earth is measured to be 9.90 meters per second
squared. Find the absolute error in the
measurement using an accepted value of 9.81 meters per second squared.
So we have here these two values
indicating the acceleration due to gravity at Earth’s surface. One, the measured value, that we’ll
call 𝑔 sub m, is 9.90 meters per second squared. We’re to compare this to the
accepted value of gravity’s acceleration, we’ll call it 𝑔 sub a, of 9.81 meters per
second squared. In our comparison, we specifically
want to solve for the absolute error of our measured value.
To do this, we can recall that the
absolute error of a measured value is equal to the difference between a measured
value and an accepted value and then, if that number is negative, taking the
absolute value of it. To apply this relationship, we’ll
substitute 𝑔 sub a as our accepted value, and we’ll use 𝑔 sub m as our measured
value. So, the absolute value of 𝑔 sub a
minus 𝑔 sub m is equal to 9.81 meters per second squared minus 9.90 meters per
second squared. And the absolute value of that
difference is equal to 0.09 meters per second squared. This is the absolute error in our
measured value.