Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
The resistivity of a wire is . A student finds , mm and cm. Find the resistivity and the percentage error in it. Then say which of the three measurements should be improved first.
The mean absolute error is the mean of , and it is not taken below the least count. For the absolute errors add. For the relative errors add after the powers: . The percentage error is the relative error times 100.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The resistivity. .
Step 2. The three terms. . . .
Step 3. The sum. , which is .
Answer: with an error of .
Which to improve. The diameter gives out of , the largest part. A screw gauge with a smaller least count, or many readings of the diameter, would help most.
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