Measurements and Uncertainties

What is the smallest uncertainty due to

Resolution of equipment

How to calculate uncertainty due to equipment resolution

± half of the smallest division on the measuring equipment

What does uncertainty give you

The margin of error

Absolute uncertainty

The total uncertainty for a measurement

Percentage uncertainty

Uncertainty as a percentage of the measurement

Uncertainty on a mean

The largest difference between the mean and any calculated values

How to calculate uncertainty on a mean

Half the range

if no uncertainty is given, what is the assumed uncertainty

Half the increment of the last significant figure the value is given to

How to deal with uncertainties when adding/subtracting data

Add the absolute uncertainties

How to deal with uncertainties when multiplying/dividing data

Add the percentage uncertainties

How to deal with uncertainties when raising to a power

Multiply the percentage uncertainty by the power

How to show the uncertainty of individual points

Use error bars

What is this

Error box

How to find uncertainty from a graph

Draw an error bar and two lines for the maximum and minimum possible slops

How to find the uncertainty of any point on a graph

Find the difference between the maximum and minimum slope and halve it

How to find the uncertainty in the gradient

Half of the difference between the gradients of the maximum and minimum slopes