Recent content by DanishForestCat

  1. DanishForestCat

    Calculating the uncertainty in a Geiger counter

    For a little context: yes, I'm a high school student, doing IB Diploma Standard Level Physics. This is for my main piece of coursework: an investigation into how beta radiation from a Sr-90 source attenuates in paper. In the end, we are marked on our overall process, and an inaccuracy in the...
  2. DanishForestCat

    Calculating the uncertainty in a Geiger counter

    Yes, approximately. EDIT: and although right at this moment I do not have the data to hand, the total counts were obviously between approx. 9600-12600.
  3. DanishForestCat

    Calculating the uncertainty in a Geiger counter

    BvU and haruspex: I am so grateful for your help - thank you! Incidentally, the link you give is the same document I've been using as a guide for much of this. OK, I understand why linear addition won't work. I'm afraid that the Gaussian functions are a little beyond me, at the moment. You've...
  4. DanishForestCat

    Calculating the uncertainty in a Geiger counter

    Hi! Thank you very much for your answer - it is very useful. I've never been taught the formula you give; instead, my textbooks all say that the absolute uncertainty when adding or subtracting is simply the individual uncertainties added together. I appreciate that this may be an...
  5. DanishForestCat

    Calculating the uncertainty in a Geiger counter

    Does the absolute uncertainty in A+B-C equal √A+√B+√C? If so, this is larger than the value of A+B-C. Surely that can't be right? For this investigation, I have been working from a lab script from my local uni physics department. This suggested that calculating this actually required a method...
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