limits 2 Flashcards
what can uncertainty be thought of as
the difference between the actually readings taken caused by equipment/techniques and the true value
what is the difference between an error and an uncertainty
error = issues with equip or method that caused reading to be different from true value
uncertainty = range of the values around a measurement within which the true value is expected to lie. it is an estimate
absolute uncertainty =
where the uncertainty is given as a fixed quantity
fractional uncertainty =
given as a fractional measurement
percentage uncertainty =
given as a percentage of the measurement
= uncertainty/ measured value x 100
what is the uncertainty of a reading
+- half the smallest division
what is the uncertainty of a measurement
+- smallest division
uncertainty in repeated data
+- half the range
uncertainties in digital readings
+- the last significant digit
what must you check about you’re percentage uncertainty
that it has the same number of significant figures as the reading
what should you do to uncertainties when you are adding and subtracting data together
always add the uncertainties
that should you do to uncertainties when you are multiplying and dividing data togterh
add the percentage uncertainties together
what should you do to uncertainties when the data is raised to a power
multiply the percentage uncertainty by the power
how do you calculate the oerenatge uncertainty of data
half the range / mean x 100
what units do absolute uncertainties have
the same units as the quantity
what units percentage and fractional uncertainties have
no units
what Is the uncertainty of constants such as pi
0 uncertainty
