In a radioactive decay experiment, the uncertainty in a number of measured counts, N, is given by VN. (This is a classic example of Poisson statistics). In an experiment to determine the level of background radiation in the laboratory, a student (Student A) measures the number of background counts after 15 successive 30- second periods as Total Elapsed Time Total No. of (s) 30 Total Elapsed Time Total No. of (s) 270 Counts 422 Counts 39 469 530 60 83 300 90 138 330 120 191 360 580 150 259 390 623 180 210 295 420 650 327 450 687 240 373

MATLAB: An Introduction with Applications
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Chapter1: Starting With Matlab
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By first calculating, and then combining, the number of counts in each individual 30- second period, what does student A determine as the average decay rate (in counts/sec), and what is its uncertainty?

In a radioactive decay experiment, the uncertainty in a number of
measured counts, N, is given by VN. (This is a classic example of Poisson statistics).
In an experiment to determine the level of background radiation in the laboratory, a
student (Student A) measures the number of background counts after 15 successive 30-
second periods as
Total Elapsed Time Total No. of
(s)
30
Total Elapsed Time Total No. of
(s)
270
Counts
Counts
39
422
60
83
300
469
90
138
330
530
120
191
360
580
150
259
390
623
180
295
420
650
210
327
450
687
240
373
Transcribed Image Text:In a radioactive decay experiment, the uncertainty in a number of measured counts, N, is given by VN. (This is a classic example of Poisson statistics). In an experiment to determine the level of background radiation in the laboratory, a student (Student A) measures the number of background counts after 15 successive 30- second periods as Total Elapsed Time Total No. of (s) 30 Total Elapsed Time Total No. of (s) 270 Counts Counts 39 422 60 83 300 469 90 138 330 530 120 191 360 580 150 259 390 623 180 295 420 650 210 327 450 687 240 373
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