An incubator must maintain water at with an absolute uncertainty not greater than
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Units and Measurements · Units and Measurements
Problem
An incubator must maintain water at 37.8∘C with an absolute uncertainty not greater than ±0.05∘C. A digital thermometer on hand displays temperatures to the nearest 0.1∘C. Assume the absolute uncertainty equals half the resolution of the thermometer.
Answer the following.
(i) Calculate the absolute and percentage uncertainties when the thermometer with 0.1∘C resolution is used at 37.8∘C. State whether it satisfies the incubator requirement.
(ii) If it does not satisfy the requirement, determine the maximum allowable resolution (smallest division) a thermometer must have so that the target absolute uncertainty is not exceeded.
(iii) Write the temperature 37.8∘C using the minimum number of significant figures that would be justified with a thermometer of the resolution calculated in part (ii).