Any time you look at two numbers taken from the same thing, what are the two possible reasons the numbers are different?
2007-12-11 06:02:20 · 4 answers · asked by Booker T "Right There" 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
Wow, only two possible reasons? I hate textbooks.
Even if one of the reasons is "measurement error" that can be further subdivided into human (e.g. parallax reading an analog meter) and instrumentation (e.g. thermal noise). And those two, human & instrument, can be further divided into a bunch of causes.
One of the "reasons" they might be looking for is time has passed. Things change over time. A cup of hot coffee cools over time.
Or maybe the observation has an effect on the measurement. Sticking a thermometer (assumed to be at ambient) into cup of hot coffee changes the drink's temperature at a greater rate than leaving it alone. Atomic-scale observations cause more dramatic changes to tiny things.
2007-12-11 06:19:23 · answer #1 · answered by forhirepen 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here are a couple more...
1. Measurement error of the instrument
2. Precision of the measuring instrument
3. Error by the operator of the instrument
4. Non-homogeneous object was measured (mixture that was not heated consistently throughout)
5. Failure of the recorder to transcribe the correct reading (digits transposed)
6. Variation in the object measured.
Plus the others (and more) that have been written about here.
2007-12-11 08:00:13 · answer #2 · answered by dave13 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. The temperature of the 'thing'.
2. Noise (of several different types).
.
2007-12-11 06:14:15 · answer #3 · answered by tlbs101 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Noise, measurement errors and quantum mechanics. Well... better check all of the above. So it is at least three, not two.
:-)
2007-12-11 06:09:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋