A cylindrical wire's radius is measured with a screw gauge (LC = 0.01 mm) and its length with a meter scale (LC = 1 mm). Which measurement contributes more significantly to the percentage error in volume?

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Appears in NEET UG
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  • ARadius, if the radius is much larger than the length.
  • BLength, if the length is much larger than the radius.
  • CRadius, as its error is squared in volume calculation.
  • DLength, as its least count is larger.
Explanation

Volume V = πr²L. Relative error ΔV/V = 2(Δr/r) + ΔL/L. Even if the absolute error in length (1 mm) is larger than that in radius (0.01 mm), the percentage error in radius is multiplied by 2 in the volume calculation, making it a more significant contributor to the overall percentage error, especially if r is small.

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