Purpose: To demonstrate the use of a chemical reaction and weighing
to determine the thickness of a thin coating of Zn on a steel washer.
To use statistical techniques to extract the maximum amount of information
out of a limited data set and calculate the inherent uncertainty
in the measurements.

Know Terms:

Mixture vs Compound vs Element
Corrosion
Galvanization
Random error
Systematic error
Accuracy
Precision
Relative error
Absolute error

Know how to read a vernier caliper

Know Calculation of:

Area of a circular object
mass from density
Statistical parameters: average, standard deviation
use of t-tables and calculation of confidence interval

The confidence interval for an experiment may be improved (narrowed) by

1. collecting more data-not very practical after 5-6 points
2. reducting the standard deviation-using better technique or equipment-
this is the most efficient way