Question

In an experiment to study the potential difference across a resistor and the current through it student recorded the following observations:

Potential difference V

1.0

2.2

3.0

4.0

6.4

Current I

0.1

0.2

0.6

0.4

0.6

On examine of the above observations the teacher asked the student to reject one set of the reading as the values were out of agreement with the rest. Which of the above reading can be readings can be rejected? Calculate the mean value of the resistance of resistor based on the remaining four sets of reading.

Answer 1

First of all, if a reading differs from the rest of the readings, then that reading is not discarded but taken in so that the error in measurement can be calculated accurately.

V  1.0  2.2  3.0  4.0  6.4

I  0.1  0.2  0.6  0.4  0.6

R 10  11  5  10  10.66

Mean resistance = 9.33 Ω