Understanding Precision and Accuracy: Demystifying Uncertainty in Measurements

[kpham5]

Please explain uncertainty and give examples

like i know it is 'half the smallest degree'

just not suree.

 

[jtbell]

Please ask more specific questions. Whole chapters of textbooks have been written about this.

 

[sir-pinski]

Uncertainty in measurement refers to the potential error or range of values that may exist in a measurement. It is important to understand and consider uncertainty when making measurements because it gives us a better understanding of the reliability and accuracy of our results.

Precision and accuracy are two terms often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings when it comes to measurements. Precision refers to the consistency or reproducibility of a measurement, while accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true or accepted value.

For example, imagine you are weighing a bag of apples. If your scale is precise, it will consistently give you the same weight each time you weigh the bag. However, if your scale is accurate, it will give you the true weight of the bag, which may or may not be the same as the weight shown on the scale.

Uncertainty, then, is the range of values that could potentially be the true weight of the bag of apples. This can be affected by various factors such as the precision and accuracy of the scale, the calibration of the scale, and even human error in reading the scale.

Another example could be measuring the length of a pencil. If you measure it with a ruler that only has markings in centimeters, your measurement will have an uncertainty of plus or minus half a centimeter. This means the true length of the pencil could be anywhere within that range. However, if you use a ruler with markings in millimeters, your uncertainty will be plus or minus half a millimeter, giving you a more precise measurement.

In summary, uncertainty in measurement is the potential error or range of values that can exist in a measurement. It is important to understand and consider uncertainty in order to accurately interpret and analyze measurements.