HOW TO ESTIMATE THE PERMISSIBLE ERROR IN THE RESULT

Case I: When the formula for the quantity to be determined involves the product of only first
power of the measured quantities: Suppose in an experiment, there are only two measured
quantities say p and q and the resultant quantity s is obtained as the product of p and q, such
that
s= p ◊ q ...(1)
Let Dp and Dq be the permissible errors in the measurement of p and q respectively. Let Ds
be the maximum permissible error in the resultant quantity s. Then
s ± Ds = (p ± Dp) ◊ (q ± Dq) ...(2)
From (1) and (2), we have
(s ± Ds) – s = p ◊ q ± p ◊ Dq ± q ◊ Dp ± Dp ◊ Dq – p ◊ q
Ds = ± p ◊ Dq ± q ◊ Dp ± Dp ◊ Dq ...(3)
The product of two very small quantitites, i.e. (the product Dp ◊ Dq) is negligibly small as
compared to other quantities, so equation (3) can be written as
Ds = ± p ◊ Dq ± q ◊ Dp ...(4)
For getting maximum permissible error in the result, the positive signs with the individual
errors should be retained so that the errors get added up to give the maximum effect.
Thus equation (4) becomes
Ds = p ◊ Dq + q ◊ Dp ...(5)
Dividing L.H.S. by s and R.H.S. by the product p ◊ q, we get
Ds = p . Dq q . Dp
+
s p .q p.q
Ds Dq Dp
or = + ...(6)
s max. q p
Expressing the maximum permissible error in terms of percentage, we get
F I
Ds = Dq + Dp ´ 100%
s
GH q p JK
...(7)

The result expressed by equation (7) can also be obtained by logarithmic differentiation
of relation (1). This is done as follows:
On taking log of both the sides of equation (1), one gets
log s = log p + log q ...(8)
On differentiating (8), one gets
Ds = Dp + Dq ...(9)
s p q
Dx
3 D (log x) = .
x
The result (6) and (9) are essentially the same.

Case II: When the formula for the physical quantity to be determined contains higher powers
of various measured quantities.

Let s = paqbrc ...(10)

Then taking log of both sides of (10), we have
log s = a log p + b log q + c log r ...(11)
On differentiating equation (11), we get
 Ds = a Dp + b Dq + c Dr ...(12)
s p q r
Ds F a Dp + b Dq + c Dr I ´ 100%
Thus
s max.
= GH p q r JK ...(13)

Since maximum permissible error can be conveniently estimated by logarithmic differen-

tiation of the formula for the required quantity, so, the maximum permissible error is also
called as the Maximum Log Error.
In actual practice the maximum permissible error is computed by logarithmic differentia-
tion method.

ESTIMATING MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE ERROR

For determination of resistivity of a material, the formula used is
1
R ´ pd 2
r= 4 ,
l
the maximum permissible error in r is computed as follows.
Resistivity r is a function of three variable R, d and l.
Taking log of both sides, we get
FG p IJ
log r = log R + 2 log d – log l + log
H 4K
Differentiating with respect to variable itself, we get
Dr = DR Dd Dl FG3 p is constantIJ
r R
+2
d
–
l
+0 H 4 K
changing negative sign into positive sign for determining maximum error, we have
Dr DR Dd Dl
= +2 +
r R d l
The error is maximum due to error in physical quantity occuring with highest power in
the working formula.
In an experiment, the various measurements were as follows:
R = 1.05W, DR = 0.01W
d = 0.60 mm, Dd = 0.01 mm = least count of the screw gauge
l = 75.3 cm, Dl = 0.1 cm = least count of the metre scale
Dr 0.01 2´ 0.01 01 .
= + + = 0.0095 + 0.0334 + 0.0013 = 0.0442 = 0.044
r 105
. 0.60 75.3

The permissible error, in r in the above case is

Dr = 0.044 ¥ 100
r
= 4.4%, out of which 0.0334 ¥ 100 i.e. 3.3% is due to error in d.