1 (b). When performing uncertainty analysis, it is important to consider what factors influence uncertainty. How to Write up a Science Experiment: 11 Steps (with Pictures) Absolute uncertainty. (the relative uncertainty). Reducing uncertainties The example with the circles shows a way to reduce the relative uncertainty in your measurement. When results are analysed it is important to consider the affects of uncertainty in subsequent calculations involving the measured quantities. It is computed as: The percent uncertainty can be interpreted as describing the uncertainty that would result if the measured value had been100 units . Often the answer depends on the context. The value depends on the apparatus used. Uncertainty cannot be avoided but it can be reduced by using 'better' apparatus. The pipette may have the tolerance written on the side as: ± 0.26 ml @ 20ºC. The value of an additional experimental data point on uncertainty reduction is demonstrated by considering two different synthetic experimental data points: case a> at (35) o C, 0.5 bar) where the uncertainty in the equilibrium prediction is higher and case b) at (120 o C, 0.5 bar) where the uncertainty is smaller as shown in Fig. The uncertainty on a measurement has to do with the precision or resolution of the measuring instrument. Example: The tolerance of a 25 ml pipette. The percent uncertainty is familiar. Does it mean that the acceleration is closer to 9.8 than to 9.9 or 9.7? Does it mean that the acceleration is closer to 9.80000 than to 9.80001 or 9.79999? reliable estimate of the experimental errors. Random and Systematic Errors . Some more comments about this example problem: o The meaning of the result is that the probability that the value of V lies within the indicated uncertainty (+/- 0.091 gpm) is 95%. Experimental measurements of particles emanating from a thick laminated shield need to be compared with theoretical calculations to benchmark the transport codes and reduce the uncertainty in the calculation of the amount of shielding needed. The uncertainty of a measured value can also be presented as a percent or as a simple ratio. An alternative and sometimes simpler procedure to the tedious propagation of uncertainty law that is the upper-lower bound method of uncertainty propagation. By treating the measurement process as a system and evaluating that system on a holistic level, it is easier to identify the influences and interactions that affect uncertainty in measurement results. The theory suggests that human beings are uncomfortable with uncertainty and seek the … Not all types of experimental uncertainties can be assessed by … For an experimental scientist this specification is incomplete. Experimental Uncertainty Analysis, Page 3 principle of dimensional homogeneity, i.e., all additive terms in an equation must have the same dimensions and the same units. One such theory, Uncertainty Reduction Theory, attempts to explain how human beings utilize communicative strategies to reduce uncertainty regarding other human beings. This is the actual uncertainty in a reading taken using a specific piece of apparatus. The same absolute uncertainty yields the smaller relative uncertainty if … We shall use the term “error” exclusively in the sense of “uncertainty,” and treat the two words as being interchangeable.