How to calculate fractional uncertainty?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking how to determine the fractional uncertainty in a measurement. This process typically involves taking the absolute uncertainty and dividing it by the measured value to express the uncertainty as a fraction of the total measurement.
Answer
The fractional uncertainty is the absolute uncertainty divided by the quantity.
Calculate the fractional uncertainty by dividing the absolute uncertainty by the quantity itself.
Answer for screen readers
Calculate the fractional uncertainty by dividing the absolute uncertainty by the quantity itself.
More Information
Fractional uncertainty gives a relative measure of the uncertainty as a fraction of the total value, making it unitless and easier to compare across different measurements.
Tips
Avoid confusing absolute uncertainty with fractional uncertainty. They serve different purposes and have different implications for data analysis.
Sources
- Measurement and uncertainties - IB Physics Notes - IB Guides - ibguides.com
