Measurements And Their Errors Flashcards
What is accuracy?
A measure of how close a measure is to the true value.
What is random error?
Unpredictable variation between measurements that leads to a spread of values about the true value. Random error can be reduced by taking repeat measurements.
What is a systematic error?
Causes all readings to differ from the value by a fixed amount. Systematic error cannot be corrected by repeat readings, instead a different technique or apparatus should be used.
What does repeatable mean?
The same experimenter can repeat a measurement using the same method and equipment and obtain the same value.
What does reproducible mean?
An experiment can be repeated by a different experimenter using a different method and different apparatus, and still obtain the same results.
What does resolution mean?
The smallest change in quantity that causes a visible change in the reading that a measuring instrument records.
What is uncertainty?
The interval that a value is said to lie within, with a given level of confidence.
What is precision?
A measure of how close a measurement is to the mean value. It only gives an indication of the magnitude of random errors, not how close data is to the true value.
