UNCERTAINITIES

AS LEVELS
 INTRODUCTION

• Uncertainty in a measurement
may be defined as ‘by how
much at most can the
measurement be ‘off’ the
‘true value.’
 UNCERTAINTIES

• Types of uncertainties
– Absolute uncertainty
– Percentage uncertainty
 UNCERTAINTY
Quick Task
Measure the thickness of a 1Rupee coin using a 30 cm
ruler.

How certain are you of your answer?

Can you put a percentage to your uncertainty?

What is the resolution of a 30 cm ruler?

Resolution of an instrument:
The smallest non-zero reading that can be measured.
What is the smallest non-zero reading that can be
measured with a 30 cm ruler?
1 mm?
0.5 mm?
Certainly no smaller
Absolute uncertainty in a single measurement:
Analogue apparatus:
The uncertainty is equal to half the resolution of the
instrument (unless stated otherwise).
Digital apparatus:
The uncertainty is equal to the resolution of the
instrument (unless stated otherwise).
Examples – what is the absolute uncertainty for each of these?

Ruler

Ammeter

Micrometer
Thermometer (°C) Voltmeter
 TWO IMPORTANT
EXCEPTIONS

Rulers, tape-measures, etc:

Absolute uncertainty is equal to the resolution
of the instrument.

Human-operated timers/stopwatches:
Only ever quote one decimal place and the
uncertainty will be 0.5 seconds (human reaction
time).
 Back to the coin…
Let’s assume a reading of 2 mm for our coin, with an
uncertainty of ± 1 mm.

We would write this as: 2 ± 1 mm

Quoting uncertainties:
Uncertainties are always given in the same unit as the
measurement.
The uncertainty is always written before the unit.
The measurement and the uncertainty always have the
same number of decimal places.
For a reading such as
2 ± 1 mm
we call the uncertainty an absolute uncertainty as it is an
actual measurement with a unit (1 mm).

It can sometimes be better to talk of percentage

uncertainty, quoting the uncertainty as a percentage of
the actual measurement.
Calculating percentage uncertainty:
absolute uncertainty
% uncertainty = × 100 %
value
Why might percentage uncertainty be more useful?
We want the percentage uncertainty to be as low as
possible. How can we do that for a coin?
With a 30 cm ruler, we get a measurement of 2 mm.
What is the absolute uncertainty?
Answer: ± 1 mm
What is the percentage uncertainty?
Answer: ± 50 %
With the same ruler, we get a measurement of 20 cm
(200 mm). What is the absolute uncertainty?
Answer: ± 1 mm
What is the percentage uncertainty?
Answer: ± 0.50 %
 2 mm ± 50%
Quoting percentage uncertainties:
Write the measured value and its unit.
Then after the unit write the percentage
uncertainty.
Percentage uncertainties should be quoted to a
maximum of two significant figures.

NB Percentage uncertainties are also known as relative

uncertainties. This course always uses the term percentage
uncertainty, but really you should know both terms and
understand that they are the same thing.
Now measure the thickness of a 1p coin such that
your uncertainty is less than 10 % (the lower the
better!)

Reducing Uncertainty
1. Always aim to measure as large a value as
possible.
2. Use a measuring instrument of appropriate
resolution.
 REDUCING
UNCERTAINTIES
Carry out each of the practical in turn, quoting each
of your answers with an appropriate uncertainty.
1. Measure diameter of string with ruler
2. Measure volume of water with measuring
cylinders
3. Measure length of room with measuring tape
4. Measure time taken to walk (normal pace) the
length of the room
5. Measure p.d. across a resistor with analogue
voltmeter
 COMBINING
UNCERTAINTIES

• absolute and percentage uncertainties when

data are combined by addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division and raising to powers
 LAST LESSON’S
PRACTICAL…
Carry out each of the practical's in turn, quoting each
of your answers with an appropriate uncertainty.
1. Measure diameter of string with ruler
2. Measure volume of water with measuring
cylinders
3. Measure length of room with measuring tape
4. Measure time taken to walk (normal pace) the
length of the room
5. Measure p.d. across a resistor with analogue
voltmeter
 UNCERTAINTY IN REPEATED
MEASUREMENTS
Length of room /m

Length of room:
Range:
This is the difference between the
highest and lowest values.
Mean = Range =
Uncertainty in repeats:
This is taken to be ± half the range.
Or, if all results are identical, as ±
resolution of the instrument.
Length of room =
 PRACTICAL

Use the micrometres to determine the length,

width and depth of the blocks provided.

Ensure you take multiple measurements of each

dimension and quote an appropriate
uncertainty for each dimension.
 COMBINING
UNCERTAINTIES
Cut a piece of string, any length less than 1 m.
Measure and record the length with a metre ruler.
What is the uncertainty here?
Now cut the string, randomly, into two pieces.
Give your two pieces of string to someone else.
The other person should measure the two individual
pieces, with uncertainties, and calculate the original
length.
Does their calculation agree with your measurement.
 COMBINING UNCERTAINTIES
(BETTER CALLED “PROPAGATING”
UNCERTAINTIES)

When two values with uncertainties are added or

subtracted, the absolute uncertainties are always
added.

E.g. 𝐴 = 15 ± 2 cm You try…

𝐵 = 10 ± 1 cm Quote these answers with an

appropriate uncertainty:

𝐴 + 𝐵 = 25 ± 3 cm 1. 55 ± 1 kg + 140 ± 5 kg
2. 78.6 ± 0.1 g – 24.3 ± 0.1 g
𝐴 – 𝐵 = 5 ± 3 cm 3. 155 ± 1 mm + 1.5 ± 0.1 cm
When two values with uncertainties are multiplied or
divided, the percentage uncertainties are always added.
You try…
E.g. 𝐴 = 15 ± 2 cm
Quote these answers with an
𝐵 = 10 ± 1 cm appropriate uncertainty:
%? 1. 75 ± 2 kg × 9.81 ± 0.01 m s-2
𝐴 = 15 cm ± 13% 2. 100.0 ± 0.1 m ÷ 13.4 ± 0.5 s
3. 155 ± 5 N × 4.0 ± 0.1 m
𝐵 = 10 cm ± 10 % 25.4 ± 0.5 s

𝐴𝐵 = 150 cm ± 23% 𝐴𝐵 = 150 ± 35 cm

𝐴/𝐵 = 1.5 cm ± 23 % 𝐴/𝐵 = 1.5 ± 0.3 cm
Use what you have learnt to solve this problem.

a) If 𝐴 = 15 ± 2 cm, what is the percentage

uncertainty of 𝐴3?
b) In general, if 𝐵 has a percentage uncertainty of 𝑥,
what is the percentage uncertainty of 𝐵𝑛 ?

When a value with an uncertainty is raised to a

power, the percentage uncertainty is multiplied by
the power.

E.g. 𝐴 = 5 ± 2%; 𝐴4 = 625 ± 8%

 BACK TO THE BLOCKS…

You have three length quantities for the

dimensions of your block.

Each measurement has an uncertainty.

Determine the volume of the block and state an

appropriate uncertainty.