Prelab: Measurement, Uncertainty, and

Deviation

Name:
Group members:

Date:
Instructor:

1. Review the rules of rounding numbers. Express the following numbers in scientific
notation, using only three significant figures.
Number
0.0320
23.370909092
2183980390
2053
1.0252
43353
3145.8888
104500001
.0000320099
10.11

Scientific Notation (3 significant figures)

2. Review the rules for significant figures in mathematical operations. Solve the following expressions.
Expression
323343 + 300
200. 54.6
8836 5
443/5
5.42

Answer

Prelab: Measurement, Uncertainty, and Deviation

2nd Sem, A.Y. 2015-2016

Physics 71.1

3. The following data are the results of measuring an observable using repeated trials:
5.34 .05 5.44 .05 5.3 .5 5.4 .1
How should the measurement be reported (central value uncertainty)? Write
your calculations below and box your final answer.

4. If the accepted value of the measurement of the observable in the previous question
is 5.5, is the measurement acceptable? Explain.

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EXPERIMENT
Measurement, Uncertainty, and Deviation

Objectives
In this experiment, the student is expected to:
determine the uncertainty of measured or calculated data from observables.
report correctly the measured or calculated data.
determine if the measured data is acceptable.

Introduction
Measurement and Uncertainty
A measurement is any property, called the observable, that is quantified. It is always
obtained by using an instrument, such as a weighing scale, a meter stick, a stop watch, or
even a hand as a basis for length. It is usually presented as a number and a unit, such as
54.0 kilograms, 82 meters, or 2.02 seconds. Measurements are very essential in physics.
It is a perennial goal of physicists to measure the smallest of the smallest of particles, to
the biggest of the biggest of galaxies, in order to understand the universe better.
Measurements can never be exact. Because of the limitations of the measuring device,
fluctuations in the environment, judgment of the experimented, and other things, no
matter how good a measuring device is, there is always a margin of doubt that exists.
This margin of doubt is quantified as the uncertainty. The uncertainty tells about
the quality of the measurement. It gives a range of values where the true value of the
measurement must lie. A smaller uncertainty means a better measurement.
Absolute and Relative Uncertainty
Uncertainties can be reported in two ways, as an absolute uncertainty and as a relative
uncertainty. Below is an example of a measurement with an absolute uncertainty:
54.0 .5 kg

(1)

This uncertainty means that the true value must lie between 53.5 kg and 54.5 kg. The
absolute uncertainty has the same unit as the central value of the measurement, which in
this case is 54.0. As a rule of thumb, the absolute uncertainty must always have only one
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Physics 71.1
Correct
102.5 .5
103 1
2110 10

Incorrect
766.002 .52
55 0.11
98.2 12

significant figure, and the central value must have a significant figure only to the place
value of the absolute uncertainty.
On the other hand, relative uncertainties provide a percentage of the central value
wherein the true value must lie. An uncertainty can be converted from absolute to relative
and also from relative to absolute. If we convert the absolute uncertainty given above,
we have to divide it by the central value and multiply it by 100%:
54.0 ((.5/54.0) 100%) kg

(2)

54.0 kg 1%

(3)

Because the absolute uncertainty only has one significant figure, the relative uncertainty, which is obtained by dividing the absolute uncertainty, must also have only one
significant figure. This time, it is not required for the relative uncertainty to have the
same place value as the central value.
Uncertainty Propagation
The measurement itself is usually not the end point of an experiment. Most of the
time, the measurement is used to compute for other values. It is important to maintain
the correct value of the uncertainty, or else it might give an impression that using the
measurements in calculations improves the measurements, which can never be the case.
Uncertainty can only increase or remain the same after operating with measurements.
The rules in propagating uncertainties through mathematical operations are listed below.
Addition and Subtraction In adding or subtracting two measurements, one must
make sure first that they are of the same units. Measurements of different units cannot
be added to or subtracted from each other. The uncertainties of the measurements add
up, regardless if you add or subtract the central values. For example, if you subtract 82
1 m from 105 4 m, we will get 23 5 m. The uncertainty becomes 5, from adding
up 1 and 4, even though we subtracted the two central values. In case the uncertainty
gains more than one siginificant figure because of the operation, it must be rounded back
to one significant figure, and the central value must adjust accordingly.
Multiplication and Division In multiplication and division, it is fine even though
the factors have different units. The resulting value will adjust depending on the units
of the factors. As for their uncertainties, because their uncertainties have different units,
they cant just be added up as in addition and subtraction. One must first convert them
to relative uncertainties, before adding them together.
As an example, consider the height of a person, h = 1.61 .01 m, and the persons
mass, m = 65 2 kg. The Body-Mass Index (BMI) is equivalent to the persons mass in
kilograms over the square of the persons height. To compute for the persons BMI, all
uncertainties can first be converted to relative uncertainty. This would result to h = 1.61
.6 % and m = 65 3 %. Now, undergoing the operations, the relative uncertainty of
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Physics 71.1

the answer should be .6 % + .6 % + 3 % = 4.2 %. Note that the relative uncertainty of

the height is added twice because of the square. And also, rounding the uncertainty off
to one significant figure should be done at the final answer only. Converting it back to
absolute uncertainty, the BMI should be reported as 25 1 kg/m2 .
Multiple Measurements
Repeated trials are done in order to make the measurement of an observable more reliable.
This does not cause the uncertainty to become lower, instead it does the reverse, it
makes the uncertainty higher. But, repeated trials makes the confidence level on the
measurement higher. The confidence level can also be quantified, usually as a percentage
value, but is beyond the scope of this manual and will not be discussed.
To adjust the uncertainty when dealing with multiple measurements, just use the
difference of the central value from the farthest point in the ranges given by the uncertainties. The central value to be reported can be obtained as the mean of the central
values from all measurements.
As an example, use these three measurements: 5.4 .1, 5.9 .1, and 5.2 .3. The
central value would be the average of the three, which is (5.4 + 5.9 + 5.2) / 3 = 5.5. The
ranges of values using the given are: 5.3 to 5.5, 5.8 to 6.0, and 4.9 to 5.5. The farthest
endpoint from the central value is 4.9, and its difference from the central value is 5.5 4.9 = .6. So .6 would be the new uncertainty, and the answer must be reported as: 5.5
.6.
Deviation
When the true value is known or when an accepted value is given, a new quantity can
be obtained to describe its distance from the measurement. This quantity is called the
deviation. If low uncertainty signifies high precision, low deviation signifies high accuracy. Similar to uncertainty, the deviation can be presented as an absolute deviation and
as relative deviation.
The absolute deviation can be computed as the absolute difference of the central value
from the accepted value:
absolute deviation = | central value accepted value |

(4)

Relative deviation is similar to absolute deviation, but it is divided by the absolute of

the accepted value:
relative deviation =

| central value accepted value |

| accepted value |

(5)

If the relative deviation is reported as a percentage, it is also called the percent error.
Acceptability of a measurement
If we know the accepted value, we can also tell if the measurement is acceptable or not.
It will only be acceptable when the accepted value is included in the range provided
by the uncertainty of the measurement. We can do this by checking if the accepted
value is greater than the lowest point of the range and less than its highest point, or
alternatively, if we already have the deviation, just compare it with the uncertainty.
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Physics 71.1

If the uncertainty is greater than the deviation, then the measurement is

acceptable. Note that relative uncertainty must be compared with relative deviation,
and absolute uncertainty must be compared with absolute deviation.

Introduction

2nd Sem, A.Y. 2015-2016

Physics 71.1
Name:
Group members:

Date:
Instructor:

Data Sheet
1. Check if the following measurements are correctly reported. If yes, write C. If
not, write the correct way to report the measurement.
Measurement
5.03 .05
10.5 2.5
110 12
553.5 1
250 10
311.2 5 %

Answer (C or the corrected form)

2. Convert the following uncertainties from relative to absolute and vice-versa.

Measurement
51
45 20 %
223 5
80.1 4 %
33.33 .03
17.111 7 %

Answer (with converted uncertainty)

3. The following data are the results of measuring an observable using repeated trials:
76.5 .5 75.0 .5 76.22 .01 74.3 .2 75.7 .3
How should the measurement be reported (central value uncertainty)? Write
your calculations below and box your final answer.

Measurement, Uncertainty, and Deviation

2nd Sem, A.Y. 2015-2016

Physics 71.1

4. The following data are the measurements of the dimensions of a box:

l = 5.0 .3 cm h = 52.3 .5 mm w = 1.03 .01 m
How should the volume of the box be reported (central value uncertainty)? Write
your calculations below and box your final answer.

5. If the accepted value of the volume of the box in the previous question is 2700.
cm3 , is the measurement acceptable? Discuss your answer.

Questions
1. What is the importance of reporting uncertainties? Why cant measurements be
exact without any doubt?

2. Can a measurement system be precise but not accurate, or be accurate but not
precise? Cite a situation when this can happen.

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2nd Sem, A.Y. 2015-2016

3. Why do you think the absolute uncertainty is expressed using only one significant
figure, and why must the central value follow it? What difference would it make if
more than one significant figure is used in the uncertainty?

4. What are the examples of errors in measurement that repeated trials can minimize?
List down at least two errors.

5. Some physical constants are irrational, such as the value of . Why is it acceptable
to use only a rounded value of instead of using as many digits as you can when
using it in calculations? Discuss your answer.

Measurement, Uncertainty, and Deviation