Lab: Determination of the Thickness of Aluminum Foil
Name:___________________
Date:____________________
Partner:______________
Period:_______________
Procedure
1. Select four (4) rectangular pieces of aluminum foil. Each piece should be a different size.
2. Carefully measure the length and width of each piece of aluminum foil and record the data.
3. Determine the mass of each piece of foil. Record the data.
Foil Piece #
__ mass (grams)
___________
__
__
___________
___________
__ ___________
4. Calculate the area of each piece of foil.
(Area = length x width)
5. Derive a mathematical equation using the factor label method,
(dimensional analysis), to solve for the thickness of the aluminum foil.
The density of aluminum foil is 2.709 g/cm 3
6. Calculate the thickness of the aluminum foil from the data obtained in the previous steps. You must show a labeled calculation, clearly written, showing all steps of the calculation
Data:
Foil piece
#
Length Width Thickness Mass % error avg.

Questions: Must be answered for credit.
1. List some of the problems you encountered while doing this lab?
2. Briefly describe how dimensional analysis helped to achieve the formula for calculating the thickness of the aluminum foil.
3. List some of the possible sources of error associated with this lab?
4. Calculate the percent error for the average of the trials performed in the lab. You will need the accepted value for the thickness of the aluminum foil.
Accepted thickness = 0.00254 cm
5. Were your values for the thickness of the aluminum foil accurate, precise, neither or both? Explain your answer.