STAGE 2 PHYSICS

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

RANDOM and SYSTEMATIC ERRORS

The following notes have been developed to aid with the teaching of the following Key Idea.
KEY IDEA
Experiments may involve random and/or systematic errors (or uncertainties).
Intended Student Learning
For example, identify sources of random and/or systematic errors in an experiment..
Uncertainty in the final result may arise from two types of error: systematic error and random
error.
Systematic errors may be introduced by the experimental conditions, e.g. temperature fluctuations, or
by faulty instruments, e.g. calibration errors. The very presence of the measuring instrument may
change the phenomenon being investigated. Such errors exist throughout the experiment and hence
cannot be diminished by any statistical averaging process. A well-designed experiment will minimise
such errors. Where this is not possible, the errors should be investigated and the necessary corrections
made in the quantities being measured. It is not possible to give detailed advice as to how systematic
errors may be overcome. Each experiment must be considered individually and only by a thorough
understanding of the objective of the experiment and the techniques being used is this possible.
Apparatus frequently used in schools include thermometers, balances, stopwatches, micrometer screw
gauges, multimeters and oscilloscopes. Any measuring device which has not been calibrated is a
likely source of a systematic error.
Random errors occur in all measurements. Suppose that an experimenter, taking all possible
precautions against known errors, were to take a measurement ten times. He or she could expect to
obtain results that differ slightly. For example, a set of ten measurements of the time for a cylinder to
roll down an incline was, in seconds: 296, 287, 289, 297, 295, 301, 297, 298, 290, 291. Assuming
that equal care had been taken over each measurement, the most accurate value is the arithmetic mean
(the common average). In this case, the arithmetic mean is 294.1 seconds (obtained by adding the
values and dividing by the number of values added). This would be recorded as 294 seconds since an
average cannot have more significant figures than the data used to determine the average. Quoting the
arithmetic mean by itself is insufficient, however, since although it is the most probable value is not
necessarily the true value. We need an estimate of the amount by which the mean may be in error.
There is a variety of ways of making this statement about precision of the data. Some accepted ways
are the range, the mean deviation, or the standard deviation, none of which is required for this
curriculum statement.

Acknowledgement
Prepared by the Subject Advisory Committee. Copyright SSABSA

SSABSA Support Materials: 285591429.doc, last updated 8 March 2011

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