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CHAPTER 1.3 Summarized Handout

Chapter 1 discusses the concepts of accuracy, precision, uncertainties, and error in measurements. Accuracy refers to how close a measured value is to the true value, while precision indicates the consistency of repeated measurements. The chapter also explains how to estimate uncertainties and calculate relative uncertainty and error through examples and exercises.

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9 views

CHAPTER 1.3 Summarized Handout

Chapter 1 discusses the concepts of accuracy, precision, uncertainties, and error in measurements. Accuracy refers to how close a measured value is to the true value, while precision indicates the consistency of repeated measurements. The chapter also explains how to estimate uncertainties and calculate relative uncertainty and error through examples and exercises.

Uploaded by

rj.paano3000
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPTER 1

MEASUREMENTS AND ERROR CONCEPTS

1.3 Accuracy, Precision, Uncertainties, and Error

 When scientists take measurements, they generally have two goals—


accuracy and precision. However, most people often tend to confuse these
two ideas, and several of the definitions out there aren’t entirely clear.

 Accuracy is the closeness of agreement between a measured value and a


true or accepted value.

 Precision is a measure of how well a result can be determined (without


reference to a theoretical or true value). It is the degree of consistency and
agreement among independent measurements of the same quantity; also
the reliability or reproducibility of the result.

1.3.1 Error in Measurements

 Unfortunately, measurement is never 100% precise or accurate, so the true


value measure of something is never exactly known. This uncertainty is a
result of error.

 Error is a concept that is naturally associated with measuring because


measurement is always a comparison to a standard.
Measurement = (best estimate ± uncertainty) units

Uncertainty is a quantification of the doubt about the measurement result.

Note 1: As far as taking measurements of an object can go, remember to always


round off the best measured value to the same decimal place as the uncertainty.

Note 2: There are many ways to measure an uncertainty. The most common way is to
take the uncertainty to be half of the smallest division of your measuring device. For
example, if your meter stick has tick-marks every 0.01 m, then your uncertainty is
± 0.005 m .

Example 1:
Example 2:

A measurement of 5.07 g ± 0.02 g means that the experimenter is confident


that the true value for the quantity being measured lies between 5.05 g and
5.09 g. The uncertainty (which is ± 0.02 g) is the experimenter's
best estimate of how far an experimental quantity might be from the "true
value."

1.3.2 Estimating Uncertainty for a Single Measurement

Example 3:

Suppose that the diameter of a tennis ball is (6.7 ± 0.2) cm. Compute the
relative uncertainty and the relative error of the measurement if the ideal
diameter of a tennis ball is 6.8 cm.

Solution:

The measured value and the uncertainty of the diameter’s length of the
tennis ball are 6.7 cm and 0.2 cm, respectively. Thus, MV=6.7 cm and U=± 0.2
cm.

Moreover, its expected value is given by 6.8 cm. Thus, EV=6.8 cm.
With the given information above, its relative uncertainty and relative error
are computed as follows:

� �� − ��
Relative Uncertainty: �� = ��
Relative Error: �� = ��

± �.� �� �.��� − �.� ��


�� = �� =
�.� �� �.� ��
�� ≈ �. �� �� �% �� ≈ �. ��� �� �. �%

EXERCISES:
1.3.3 Estimating Uncertainty for a Repeated Measurement

Example 4:

Consider measuring the width of a piece of paper using the meter stick. The
width of the paper is measured at a number of points on the sheet, and the
values are entered in the data table below:

Observation Width (cm)


#1 31.32
#2 31.16
#3 31.24
#4 31.04
#5 31.20

Do the following and round off your answers to the nearest hundredths.

a) Compute the mean width of a piece of paper based on the observed


measures in the data table.
b) Calculate the standard error of the width of a piece of paper.
c) Estimate the width of the piece of paper by expressing it in the form
(mean±standard error) cm.
d) Determine the relative uncertainty and the relative error of the
measurement if the true width of the piece of paper is 31.20 ��.
Solution:

From the given problem, the expected or true width of the piece of
paper is 31.20 cm. Thus, �� = 31.20 ��.

a) Mean Width of the Piece of Paper:

∑�
�= �
31.32 + 31.16 + 31.24 + 31.04 + 31.20 ��
�= 5
� ≈ 31.19 ��

b) Standard Error of the Width of the Piece of Paper:


∑ �−� 2
�� =
�(� − 1)
��
31.32 − 31.19 2 + 31.16 − 31.19 2 + 31.24 − 31.19 2 + 31.04 − 31.19 2 + 31.20 − 31.19 2
≈ ��
5(5 − 1)
�� ≈ 0.05 ��

c) Estimated Width of the Piece of Paper:

����ℎ = � ± �� ��
����ℎ = 31.19 ± 0.05 ��

Thus, result above indicates that the true or ideal width of the piece of paper
lies between 31.19 − 0.05 �� or 31.14 �� and 31.19 + 0.05 �� or 31.24 ��.

d) Relative Uncertainty and Relative Error of the Width:

Relative Uncertainty: Relative Error:


� �� − ��
�� = �� = ��
��
�� �− ��
�� = �
�� = ��
± 0.05 �� 31.19 �� − 31.20 ��
�� = �� =
31.19 �� 31.20 ��
�� ≈ �. �� × ��−� �� �. ��% �� ≈ �. �� × ��−� �� �. ��%
Try this! The volume of a Rubik’s cube is measured four times and these are
the observed measures (in cubic inches): 11.3, 11.2, 11.4, 11.3.

(a) Estimate the volume of the Rubik’s cube by expressing it in the form
(mean ± standard error) in3.

(b) Determine the relative uncertainty and the relative error of the
measurement, if the expected volume is 11.5 in3.

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