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Any instrument with which you measure can only have a finite degree of specificity, and you will always have error within that degree of specificity.
For example, using a meter stick that includes centimeters and millimeters, and the human eye a person can measure the length a stick, and by looking at the millimeter marks decide if the length is closer to 3.4 centimeters or 3.3 centimeters. In actuality, the length is something in between, but the person can only report what they see, so if the end of the stick is closer to 3.4 than 3.3, they will say 3.4. In this case, the error is .05 cm (or .5 mm) because you can only detect lengths as being more or less than halfway between two mm marks.
A better ruler might have marks between the mm marks. You could imagine someone with really great vision who could see .1 mm on this special ruler. So they might be able to tell that the stick is closer to 3.43 cm than 3.44 cm, but that's as precise of a decimal as they could report, because the measuring instrument (the ruler) only includes marks for .1 mm (or .01 cm). The maximum error in this case would be .005 cm (or .05 mm) because the person can tell the stick is less than halfway between 3.43 and 3.44, but cannot decipher more than that.
Any measuring instrument, not jut rulers, comes with a finite level of specificity. The maximum error is half of that level of specificity. A scale that reports weight only in whole pounds would have maximum error of .5 lbs, while a scale that reports weight in tenths of a pound would have a maximum error (or uncertainty of measurement) of .05 lbs.
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How do you calculate uncertainty?
There are several ways to calculate uncertainty. You can round a decimal place to the same place as an uncertainty, put the uncertainty in proper form, or calculate uncertainty from a measurement.
Does a measurement of 23.56mL has more uncertainty than a measurement of 23.5mL?
No, its more certain than 23.5 mL
What is a doubt or uncertainty in measurement?
Basically your uncertainty is the innaccuracy or your measurement. For instance if you had a yard ruler that was marked only in inches and the length of the object you were measuring lied somewhere between 12 and 13 inches; you could state that the objects length is 12 1/2 inches ± 1/2 inch. The ± 1/2 part is your uncertainty, it means the measurement could be either 1/2 inch longer or shorter than your stated measurement.
What is zero correction?
the correction which is made to get correct measurement after zero error
How do you calculate the uncertainty of data?
When involving in scientific experiments, it is very important to make measurement. In each and every measurement we take, say a length, time, angle etc. we have to use a particular instrument. As every instrument has a least count (also known as the minimal reading), there will be an uncertainty left. As an example, consider a measurement using a vernier caliper as at 10.00 cm, there will be an error of 0.01cm. If we do the same measurement by a meter ruler, there'll be an error of 0.1 cm, or 1 mm. Therefore the uncertainty of a particular measurement is dependent on the instrument it has been taken. As a convention we take the 1/2 of the least count for analog instruments and the least count for digital instruments as its uncertainty.
