26 ESci 121m: Fundamentals of Surveying

Lesson 1.5: Measure of Precision

Lesson Summary
Standard deviation or standard error indicates the relative precision of certain
observation. The smaller the value of sigma indicates a smaller dispersion or a
greater precision.

Challenge/Motivation
How do we measure the precision of our observations?

Learning Outcome
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to calculate probable
errors.

Discussion
Precision can be measured by a quantity  known as the standard deviation
or standard error, and is given by

 = v 2

(3)
n −1

It is the magnitude of dispersion which indicates the relative precision of the

observations. The smaller  becomes, the greater is the precision.

mpv

mpv

Figure 9. Normal Distribution curves: a) increase precision, b) decrease precision (Ghilani &
Wolf, 2012)
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Percent Errors
The ff. are the expressions for errors that have 50%, 90%, 95% chance of
occurring:
(4)
(5)
(6)
The E50 percent error, or is the so-called probable error. It establishes limits
within which the observations should fall 50% of the time. In other words, an
observation has the same chance of coming within these limits as it has of
falling outside of them

Example:
Calculate the standard deviation and the errors having 50%, 90%, and 95%
probability.

References

Ghilani, C., & Wolf, P. (2012). Introduction to Geomatics 13th Ed. New Jersey:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Kavanagh, B. F. (2015). Surveying with Construction Applications Seventh
Edition. New York: Prentice Hall.
S.K., R. (1999). Fundamentals of Surveying. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India.

Page 27 of 55
Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation. TP-IMD-02
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment. No. CET.ESC
SLG20-08