Accuracy of inexpensive alcohol thermometers for high school physics experiments (and two others)

• Main Author: Tugab, Mateo O.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1973
• Subjects: Thermometers; Physics > Experiments; Prediction of scholastic success; Physics teachers > Training of; Curriculum and Instruction; Physics
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/209
• Institution: De La Salle University

v. 1. This study aims to determine whether inexpensive alcohol-in-glass thermometers are sufficiently accurate for high school physics experiments. Thirty alcohol thermometers and thirty mercury thermometers of the Physics Department of De La Salle College Manila were calibrated at intervals of 10 degrees from -10 to 110 degrees centigrade. The calibration procedure consisted of : 1) determining the ice-point reading of the thermometers 2) immersing the thermometers in a water bath to determine their readings at temperatures from 30 to 90 degrees centigrade 3) immersing the thermometers in an oil bath to determine their readings from 30 to 110 degrees centigrade 4) immersing the thermometers in a liquid bath consisting of methanol and dry-ice to get their temperature readings between -10 to 20 degrees centigrade. A Cenco mercury-in-glass thermometer from the Weights and Measures Section of the NIST, which was calibrated by the U.S. National Bureau of Standards, was used as the standard thermometer. The mean of the temperature readings and the standard deviation of these readings were determined. The t test was used to test the difference between the mean temperature readings of the alcohol thermometers and those of the mercury thermometers. It was concluded that 5 percent was a generally acceptable value of accuracy for high school physics experiments. The alcohol thermometers had readings that were generally lower than the reading of the standard thermometer. It had been shown that the alcohol-in-glass thermometers with a temperature range of -10 to 110 degrees centigrade were sufficiently accurate for high school physics experiments. Moreover they were relatively inexpensive. It was therefore recommended that these thermometers be used in high school physics experiments. To obtain better temperature readings of the alcohol thermometers at a temperature range of 60 to 100 degrees centigrade, it was recommended that they be calibrated and graphs of the calibrations should be prepared for ready reference b v. 2. This study aims to determine the predictive value of the Otis Quick-Scoring Mental Ability Test scores with regards to the academic achievement in physics of the 1968-69 engineering freshmen of De La Salle College, Manila. The subjects of this study were 110 engineering freshmen of De La Salle College, Manila during the school year 1968-69. The Otis Quick Scoring Mental Ability Tests : New Edition, Gamma Tests : Form Fm was used to determine the subjects' I.Q. The average of the final grades in physics one and physics two served as the measure of the academic achievement in physics of the students. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that there was a slight but positive correlation between mental ability and academic achievement in physics. It was also concluded that the Otis Quick Scoring Mental Ability Test had a low predictive validity for this sample. v. 3. This study aims to define a program for the Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.E.) degree with physics as a major field of study for Saint Mary's College, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. The proposed four-year program offered 33 units of physics as a major field and 15 units of mathematics as a minor field including calculus. The physics courses in the program were : a one year introductory course in physics, intermediate courses of one semester each in mechanics, heat and sound, electricity, magnetism and light, and an introduction to modern physics. It was recommended that Saint Mary's College adopt the proposed program for the B.S.E. Physics major degree. A yearly evaluation of the program was also suggested to determine how well the program was attaining its objectives and what modifications would be needed.