Measurment, incertainties and errors All scientific knowledge is uncertain

The measure:
A measurable quantity, has a measured x0 and exact xex values
All measurements have an associated uncertainty. This reflects the errors
involved in making the measurement

Errors on measure
due to manipulation & to measurement instruments, involve a difference
between Xmesures et Xexact . That is called error

Absoluate uncertainty : (∆x) : is the maximum error that we make

In Instrument uncertainty or readability error

Analog instrument : ½ of the smallest increment (precision)
Digital instrument : the smallest scale division
Uncertainty for a Single Measurement

Presentation of a result

measurement = (reading ± absolute uncertainty) unit

x=x0 ± Δx

Ex: Lexp=17.6 cm and ΔL=0.05cm, So : L=(17.60 ± 0.05) (cm)

 Calculating uncertainty range from several repeated measurements :
Direct measurement:, ΔX =ΔXmeasure+ Δxinstrument
X max  X min
X measure 
2

Example 8: Measurement of 3 oscillations of a simple pendulum.

ΔTinstrument= 0.05s. oT1=2.3s, T2=2.33s et T3=2.35s

T1  T2  T2
oAverage value: Tmoy   2.32667 S
3

oUncertainity : 2.35  2.3

Tmanip   0.025 S
2
L'incertitude sur la valeur du temps est le résultat des 2 erreurs:
ΔT =ΔTmanip ++ΔTΔT
measure =0.075s
instrument
appareil =0.075s

T=2.33±0.08 s T=2.33±0.08 s
Relative uncertainty precision :
x
relative uncertaint y  100
x0

Example 9: one measures the length of a rectangular with an

uncertainity of L=0.5mm=0.05 cm . Calculate the relative uncertainty:

L 0.05
If L  5 cm    100  1%
L 5

L 0.0005
If L  5 m    100  0.01%
L 5
 Indirect measurement (physic low).

General Method the differential f(x,y)

f f f f
df  dx  dy , partial derivative
x y x y

f f
by approximating : x  dx, y  dy  f  x  y
x y

Example 10 : sum (or soustraction) Calculate the uncertainty of f=3x3 -8y

f f
 9x2 ,  8  df  9 x 2dx  8dy
x y

 f  9 x 2 x  8y
SPECIFIC ERROR FORMULAS
Simple Sums or difference
Sum : f  x  y  If data are to be added or
  f  x  y subtracted, add the absolute
difference : f  x - y  uncertainty:

Example 11 a  3.2  0.2m b  2.4  0.1 m a  3.2  0.2 m

Sum : X  a  b  5.6 b  2.4  0.1 m
 X  Y  a  b  0.3m
difference : Y  a - b  0.8 X  5.6  0.3m
Y  0.8  0.3m
Production and division:

si f  x  y  f x y If data are to be multiplied or divided,

   add the fractional or percentage
si f  x/y  f x y uncertainty

Previous Example
product : Z  a  b  7.68 m 2 Z T a b 0.2 0.1 Z  0.800 m 2
      0.1042 
a
Division : T   1.33 Z T a b 3.2 2.4  T  0.138
b
Z  7.7  0.8m 2
T  1.3  0.2
Power:
f x
si f  x   n
n

f x

2nd method: use the function: ln (where In indicates the natural logarithm.)

df d (x  y) f (x  y)
f  x  y  ln f  ln x  y    
f x y f x y
f x y
f   ln f  ln x   ln y 
x df dx dy
     
y f x y f x y
Example 12

A cylinder has a radius of 1.60 ± 0.01 cm and a height of 11.5 ± 0.1 cm.
Find the volume and its uncertainty

Solution

V   r h   1.60 11.5  92.442cm 2

2 2

V r h 0.01 0.1
2     0.0212
V r h 1.6 11.5

 V  1.959cm 2
 V  92  2cm2
Logarithm Method
 
 ln V  ln    ln r 2  ln h 
Derivation V  r  h 
 2 
dV d   d r  d h  V r h
  2 
V  r h
Example 13: Calculate the volumic mass of a cube :

m  50.20 g  0.01g a  5.2  0.5 cm

m m
  3
V a

m
ln   ln( )  ln( m)  ln( v)  ln( m)  ln( a )  ln( m)  3 ln( a)
3

v
d
dm da
  3
 m a

 m a
   3
 m a

 m a
  3
 m a