The speed of a longitudinal wave in a metal sample is measured as with a possible error of
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
The speed of a longitudinal wave in a metal sample is measured as (5.20×103ms−1) with a possible error of ±1%. The density of the sample is (7.80×103kgm−3) with an uncertainty of ±2%.
(i) Compute the Young’s modulus of the metal, giving the value in scientific notation.
(ii) Estimate the percentage error in the calculated Young’s modulus and state the final value with its uncertainty to an appropriate number of significant figures.