Chemistry 213 Assignment No.

5 Summer 2010

Computing Errors and Data Analyses

Due Date : Monday, July 19 by noon

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS Select the one best answer for each question.

1. When an analytical chemist uses the word precision when referring to the data
obtained from an analysis, the chemist is talking about
(a) how close the mean obtained from a set of data is to the true value of the composition
of the sample analyzed.
(b) relative error calculated from the mean of a set of data.
(c) how close the individual data points obtained from a set of data are to each other.

2. A government chemist has performed a gravimetric analysis for chloride ion on a

sample submitted to the laboratory. The following results were obtained:
Sample Percent
Chloride Ion
1 27.46
2 27.52
3 27.48
4 27.10
When reporting the standard deviation, the analyst said that
(a) approximately 68.3% of the data points lie between 27.19 and 27.59 percent chloride.
(b) approximately 75% of the data points lie between 27.46 and 27.52 percent chloride.
(c) approximately 68.3% of the data points lie between 27.29 and 27.49 percent chloride.

3. For the data set of qn. 2 and using the following data:
Degrees of Freedom 98% Confidence Level
1 31.821
2 6.965
3 4.541
4 3.747
5 3.365
What is the 98% confidence interval for this set of data?
(a) 0.37%
(b) 0.91%
(c) 0.45%

4. The following data was collected when performing a spectrophotometric analysis for
cobalt:
Analysis # mg Cr/Liter Absorbance
1 5.23 0.095
2 10.52 0.198
3 15.41 0.295
Unknown ? 0.265
Using the least squares method of linear regression, the following equation was
determined to define the line generated by plotting concentration vs. absorbance:
y = 0.0196x - 0.008
(a) This equation represents the statistical best fit of a line drawn through the data points.
(b) The amount of unknown in the sample may be determined by substituting the
absorbance value of the unknown for x in the equation and solving for the y value.
(c) The value 0.0196 represents the value on the y axis where the line crosses this axis.

5. For the dataset of Qn. 4 and using the conc. vs. absorbance equation

Cobalt in the sample was found to be

(a) 13.11 mg Co/L
(b) 2.81 mg Co/L
(c) 13.93 mg Co/L

6. If one has a Gaussian distribution of data points,

(a) approximately two thirds of the data points lie above the mean, and one third of the
data points lie below the mean accounting for all of the data points.
(b) approximately 2/3 of the data points lie within plus or minus two standard deviations
of the mean.
(c) approximately 2/3 of the data points lie within plus or minus one standard deviation
of the mean

7. A student was presented with a sample of vinegar for analysis. After analyzing the
sample four times, the student was faced with the following set of data: Analysis #
Percent Acetic Acid
Percent
Analysis # Acetic Acid
1 4.06%
2 4.15%
3 4.39%
4 4.09%
Given the following values of Q for rejection of data, which decision is appropriate?
Q Number of
90% Confidence Observations
0.941 3
0.765 4
0.642 5

(a) Reject the value 4.06%.

(b) No values may be rejected.
(c) Reject the value 4.39%
8. Given the following titration data, correctly report the average and standard deviation
for the volume of NaOH: (Trial 1) 25.60 mL, (Trial 2) 25.75 mL, and (Trial 3) 25.85 mL.
(a) 25.73 ± 0.1 mL
(b) 25.7 ± 0.13 mL
(c) 25.7 ± 0.1 mL

9. Police have a hit-and-run case and need to identify the brand of red auto paint. The
percentage of iron oxide, which gives paint its red color, was determined to be 43.35 ±
0.33% by one method of analysis using five measurements. The color reference provide
by the automotive manufacture is 44.21%. What can you conclude about whether the
sample matches the reference at a 95% confidence level?
(a) The sample matches the reference.
(b) The sample does not match the reference.
(c) There are an insufficient number of trials to determine if the sample is a match.

10. Police have a hit-and-run case and need to identify the brand of red auto paint. The
percentage of iron oxide, which gives paint its red color, was analyzed by two different
methods. The results were 43.3 ± 0.33% and 43.6 ± 0.14% with five measurements each.
Are the standard deviations significantly different from each other a 95% confidence
level?
(a) Yes
(b) No
(c) Possibly

ANSWER LIST – List your answers here

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Answer

Name: __________ ________