Table of the amount of foam at different times during different trials
Now, we must calculate the average amount of foam, the uncertainty in the amount of foam and the natural log of the average amount of foam.
To calculate the average of the trials at each point, it is possible to use this formula:
Then, it is possible to calculate the uncertainty of each amount of foam using this formula:
Finally, it is possible to calculate the natural log of the average amount of foam using the formula:
Graphing the amounts to find half life
Using the program Graphical Analysis, it is possible to find the half-life of the amount of foam decay until there is none.
Graphical Analysis Column Data:
Natural Log of the Average Amount of Foam (cm)
Then it is possible to remove all the outliers.
It is possible to create maximum and minimum lines to find the uncertainty of the decay.
After removing the outliers, it is possible to determine the final decay constant of the beer foam. Since the slope of the line of best fit is -0.00712, it is possible to assume that it is the same as the negative decay constant, -λ.
So the decay constant is λ = 0.00712. The maximum λ is 0.01580 and the minimum λ is 0.00100. It seems from this that the uncertainty is 0.0074.
The half-life constant: