please help im confused. If experimental error is not human error, or instrumental error then what the hell is it?
2006-09-12 08:31:14 · 8 answers · asked by mikeworth62 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Experimental error refers to statistical error and sytemic error. Statistical error is when a measurement device or a measured quantity has a random fluctuation. A systematic error is a fluctuation in data caused by an unidentified but nonrandom source. If you can identify the cause of a systematic error, you can usually remove its effects from your measurements.
2006-09-12 08:43:31 · answer #1 · answered by DavidK93 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anything you do can potentially be a source of experimental error during the experiment. Now how you brush your teeth in the morning is probably not going to contribute much error but what you do around the experiment could easily. If you forget to figure in the effect on a small breeze in the lab you might be introducing error into the experiment.
2006-09-12 08:43:37 · answer #2 · answered by Alan Turing 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Experimental error encompasses both of these, according to my biochemist coworker & my memories of physics lab reports. If you followed your procedure and received variations in your data set, or the data differed from expected, then these "errors" are due to what you could call "statistical" and "systematic" errors (wikipedia).
"Statistical error is caused by random (and therefore inherently unpredictable) fluctuations in the measurement apparatus" - this creates a normal, standard deviation. You and your instrument, properly following procedure and properly calibrated, will have normal fluctuations.
"Systematic error is caused by an unknown but nonrandom fluctuation" - the instrument may need calibration or the human technician is using improper, non-consistent technique.
2006-09-12 08:47:31 · answer #3 · answered by ec7 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
experimental error can be human error, your instrument not being calibrated correctly (giving misreadings), the scale being just a bit off (calibration error, etc.) and stuff like that
2006-09-12 08:36:09 · answer #4 · answered by shiara_blade 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Another source is inherent bias into the design of the study. No matter how accurate your results are, they don't mean anything if you did a poor job designing the experiment in the first place.
2006-09-12 08:43:47 · answer #5 · answered by Tiramysu 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
too many to mention
2006-09-16 04:05:02 · answer #6 · answered by HansThane 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's when your mum and your dad made you.
2006-09-12 08:35:53 · answer #7 · answered by Princess415 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
erm, pardon?
2006-09-12 08:36:02 · answer #8 · answered by VRS 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋