High School Average Value Uncertainty: How to Compute?

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To compute the average uncertainty associated with a set of measurements, simply averaging the uncertainties is not appropriate, as it can skew results by giving undue weight to less accurate measurements. Instead, there are established methods that provide a more precise estimate, particularly when dealing with large sets of values. The average of the values themselves may not represent the best estimate due to the influence of outliers. It is crucial to apply these rules to ensure accurate representation of the data. Understanding these principles is essential for effective data analysis in scientific measurements.
DoobleD
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I have a set of values I got from measurements, and each of these value has an uncertainty associated to it.

I compute the average of my values. How can I average the uncertainty associated to my average value ? Do I simply take the average of all uncertainties ?
 
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No. This way you do injustice to accurate measurements and you let bad measurements have too much weight.
There are simple rules for this. The average isn't the best estimate: that is the http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys2150/phys2150_sp14/phys2150_lec4.pdf.
 
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BvU said:
No. This way you do injustice to accurate measurements and you let bad measurements have too much weight.
There are simple rules for this. The average isn't the best estimate: that is the http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys2150/phys2150_sp14/phys2150_lec4.pdf.

Thank you ! I have just read somewhere that indeed this is more precise and used more often in practice when we have a large set of values for a measurement.
 
BvU said:
No. This way you do injustice to accurate measurements and you let bad measurements have too much weight.
There are simple rules for this. The average isn't the best estimate: that is the http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys2150/phys2150_sp14/phys2150_lec4.pdf.
Loved the Dilbert comic in that link.
 

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