Measurement Uncertainty

Measurement Errors and Uncertainty

• Presence of measurement uncertainty means that the measured value is not exact and has a range of possible values.
• Systematic errors consistently occur on one side of the correct reading in a measurement system.

Sources of Errors

• Random errors in measurements taken by human observation of an analog meter can be caused by: • Parallax error (misalignment of eyes with meter scale) • Personal bias • Limited resolution of the meter
• Random errors in a measurement system are caused by: • Random and unpredictable effects • Small changes in environmental conditions • Inherent limitations of the measurement instrument

Systematic Errors

• A major source of systematic errors in a measurement system is: • Instrumental errors (e.g., faulty or miscalibrated instruments) • Human error (e.g., incorrect data recording) • Environmental errors (e.g., temperature fluctuations)
• NOT a major source of systematic errors is: • Random fluctuations

Characteristics of Errors

• Main characteristic of systematic errors is that they consistently occur on one side of the correct reading.
• Description of perturbations of the measurement either side of the true value caused by random and unpredictable effects is called random error.

Minimizing Errors

• Measurement errors can be minimized by: • Using high-quality instruments • Calibrating instruments regularly • Taking multiple readings and averaging them • Improving measurement techniques • Reducing environmental interference

Effect of Measurement Uncertainty

• Measurement uncertainty affects the output of a measuring instrument by introducing a range of possible values rather than a single exact value.

Explore the concept of measurement uncertainty and how it impacts the output of measuring instruments. Learn about ways to minimize errors and categorize them for better analysis.