Confused about calculating the average energy from a distribution graph

In summary: The average energy is around 40-80keV.In summary, the task in the liquid scintillation lab is to determine the average energy. The data obtained from the experiment is similar to a provided excel sheet, with the x-axis representing beta particle energy from 0-156keV and the y-axis representing counts of the particles. The lab instructor provided an equation to calculate the average energy, which involves averaging the counts for each energy region and multiplying them by their respective energy values, then summing them all together. The total value obtained was 6810000. The question is whether this is the correct way to calculate the average energy. However, it is clarified that the average energy should be per particle, not per
  • #1
ASKINGHUMAN
1
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Homework Statement
How much is the average energy?
Relevant Equations
sum(E_i*p(E_i))=E_{average}
scinttt.PNG

Hello, in one of tasks of my liquid scintillation lab is to determine the average energy. You can see from the graph that data I obtained is similar to this one that I have a excel sheet data.
X-axis is for beta particle energy from 0-156keV while y-axis counts of the particles.
So according to my lab instructor, average energy is SUM_{i}^{N}(E_i*p(E_i))=E_{average). SO basically what I did following my instructor is each energy regions from 0 to 156 keV, I averaged the counting numbers and made distribution graph as above. And finally following the equation I just multiplied the averaged countings to each energy values from 0 to 156 and then summed all of them. The total value is around 6810000.
So my question is: is it really average energy? I know my question is simple and stupid and elementary school level, but still you know sometimes even simple things can be kinda confusing.
To me the average energy should be after doing all the steps above and divide the total value of 6810000 to number of energy regions like (1/N)SUM_{i}^{N}(E_i*p(E_i))=E_{average). Could you please make my confusion clear?
 

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  • #2
If I read you correctly, you don't deal directly with the probabilities here, but with the counts.

p(E_i) = count(E_i) / SUM[count(E_i)]
 
  • #3
If that graph illustrates energies from 0 to 156keV then clearly the average will be somewhere around 40-80keV.
ASKINGHUMAN said:
Homework Statement:: How much is the average energy?
Relevant Equations:: sum(E_i*p(E_i))=E_{average}

the average energy should be after doing all the steps above and divide the total value of 6810000 to number of energy regions
You want the average energy per particle, not the average per (arbitrary) region.
 

FAQ: Confused about calculating the average energy from a distribution graph

How do I calculate the average energy from a distribution graph?

To calculate the average energy from a distribution graph, you will need to find the area under the curve of the graph. This can be done by dividing the graph into smaller rectangles and calculating the area of each rectangle. Then, add up all the areas and divide by the total number of rectangles. This will give you the average energy.

What is the significance of calculating the average energy from a distribution graph?

Calculating the average energy from a distribution graph allows you to determine the most probable energy state of a system. It also provides information about the overall energy distribution and can be used to make predictions about the behavior of the system.

Can the average energy be calculated from any type of distribution graph?

Yes, the average energy can be calculated from any type of distribution graph as long as the graph represents the energy distribution of a system. However, the method of calculation may differ depending on the type of graph.

How does changing the number of data points on the graph affect the calculation of average energy?

Increasing the number of data points on the graph will result in a more accurate calculation of the average energy. This is because with more data points, the rectangles used to calculate the area under the curve will be smaller, providing a more precise estimation of the average energy.

Is there a formula for calculating the average energy from a distribution graph?

Yes, there is a formula for calculating the average energy from a distribution graph. It is: Average Energy = (Sum of all energies x Probability of each energy state). This formula takes into account the different energy states and their respective probabilities to calculate the average energy.

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