Abstract
Any instrumentation system is concerned with the measurement of some physical parameter. No transducer, amplifier, display device or recording device is perfect; all introduce errors into the process of measurement. This paper discusses systematic and random errors, and introduces some of the mathematical concepts by means of which the likely effects of errors can be predicted.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
BIPM (1980) Rapport BIPM 80/3.
Brownlee K. A. (1960) Statistical Theory and Methodology in Science and Engineering( New York: Wiley).
Campion P. J., Burns J. E. and Williams A. (1973) A Code of Practice for the Detailed Statement of Accuracy( London: HMSO).
CGPM (1979) The Sixteenth Conference was reported by Giacomo P. (1980) News from the BIPM Metrologia16, 55–61.
De Moivre A. (1733) Approximatio ad Summam Terminorum Binomii (a +b) in Serien Expansi Miscellenea Analytica de Seriebus et Quadraturis (Second Supplement).
Dorsey N. E. (1944) The velocity of light. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc.34, 1–110.
Drake S. (1957) Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo( New York: Doubleday).
Eisenhart C. (1963) Realistic evaluation of the precision and accuracy of instrument calibration systems. J. Res. Nat. Bureau of Standards 67C, 161–87.
Feynman R. (1965) The Character of Physical Law( London: BBC).
Giacomo P. (1979) News from the BIPM Metrologia15, 51–4.
Gosset W. S. (1908) The probable error of a mean. Biometrika 6, 1–25.
Hayward A. T. J. (1977) Repeatability and Accuracy( London: Mechanical Engineering Publications).
IEC (1971) Publication 359 Expression of the Functional Performance of Electronic Measuring Equipment. This document was the basis for the British Standards Institution publication BS 4889 (1973) British Standard method for specifying the performance of electronic measuring equipment.
IEC (1973) Publication 51 Specification for Direct Acting Indicating Electrical Measuring Instruments and their Accessories. This document was produced in identical form as the British Standard BS 89 (1977).
IEC Draft Standard (1980) Draft Standard for the Expression of the Performance of Electrical/ Electronic Equipment for Measurement, Control or Analysis. This document was issued by the British Standards Institution as Draft for Public Comment 80/250 77 DC.
Ku H. H. (1969) Statistical concepts in metrology. National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 300 1, 296 - 330.
Mood A. M. (1950) Introduction to the Theory of Statistics( New York: McGraw-Hill).
Moroney M. J. (1951) Facts from Figures( London: Penguin).
Müller J. W. (1979) Some second thoughts on error statements. Nucl. Instrum. Meth.163, 241–51.
OIML (1968) Vocabulary of Legal Metrology. The British Standards Institution issued an unofficial English translation in PD 6461.
Petley B. W. (1979) The ampere, the kilogram and the fundamental constants - is there a weighing problem? NPL Report QU52.
Schiffman H. R. (1976) Sensation and Perception( New York: Wiley).
Taylor B. N. (1976) Is the present realization of the ampere in error? Metrologia12, 81–3.
Vigoureux P. (1965) A determination of the ampere. Metrologia1, 3–7.
Vigoureux P. (1966) Errors of observation and systematic errors. Contemporary Phys. 7, 350–7.
Vigoureux P. (1971) Units and Standards for Electromagnetism (London: Wykeham Publications).
Wagner S. R. (1980) Combination of systematic and random uncertainties. Conf. Precision Electromagnetic Measurement( New York: IEEE).
Wheelwright P. E. (1959) Heraclitus( Princeton: Princeton University Press).
Williams E. R., Faller J. E. and Hill H. A. (1971) New experimental test of Coulomb’s law; a laboratory upper limit on the photon rest mass. Phys. Rev. Lett.26, 721–4.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 Chapman & Hall
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cunningham, M.J. (1990). Measurement errors and instrument inaccuracies. In: Loxton, R., Pope, P. (eds) Instrumentation: A Reader. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2263-4_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2263-4_17
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-412-53400-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-2263-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive