Measurement Error
Unit: - 9 Measurement error and accuracy The difference between a measured value and the true value is known as true error. The true error cannot be determined as the true value is never known. However, using the theory of probability, it is possible to determine a value called the most probable value which is close to the true value. The most probable error and the standard error can also be determined. A discrepancy is the difference between two measured values of the same quantity, it is not an error. A discrepancy may be small, yet the error may be great if each of the two measurements contains errors that may be larger. It does not reveal the magnitude of systematic error. Significant figure and rules: In surveying, an indication of accuracy attained is shown by number of significant figures. Each such quantity, expressed in n number of digit in which n-1 are the digit of definite value while the last digit is the least accurate digit which can be ...