Uncertainty in

Measurements
By R.Wint
CAPE Chem II

Objectives:
Recognise that there is no absolute accurate
measurment
Define: accuracy, precision, mean, standard deviation
Compare precision and accuracy of instruments that
measure same quantity.
Volumetric apparatus: beaker vs. pipette vs volumetric
flasks vs burette
Mass apparatus: top balance vs analytic balance

Discuss systematic error vs random errors

Describe the use of calibration curves
Compute %uncertainty or error
Compute and interpret standard deviation of a data
set

Accuracy vs Precision
Accuracy is how closely a measurement
approximates to the true value.
No measurement is 100% absolutely
accurate, but are approximations

Precision is concerned with

Repeatability how close
measurements are to each other.

Accuracy and Precision

Can there be precision without accuracy?

Yes! High degree of precision

means the values are very close.
Can a set of measurements be accurate
but not precise?

No!
To be accurate, each
measurement should fall within
the stated accuracy range

Calculating Percent Error

Percent Error : How much
measured value deviates from true
value:

Lower the %error= higher accuracy

Uncertainty
Scientists reporting their results usually
specify a range of values that they expect
the "true value" to fall within.
measurement = best estimate
uncertainty
E.g. 5.07 g 0.02 g means the actual value
is somewhere between 5.09g and 5.05g
% Uncertainty = (uncertainty/measured
value)* 100

e.g (0.02g/5.07g) * 100 = 0.39%

Calibration Curves
Calibration curve is a graph showing how the
experimental observable (the absorbance in this
case) varies with the concentration.
A calibration curve is a method used in analytical
chemistry to determine theconcentration of an
unknown sample by comparing the unknown to a
set of standard samples of known quantity.
The curve is constructed by measuring the
concentration (x-axis) and absorbance (y-axis) of
several prepared solutions, called calibration
standards

Calibration Curve
Once the curve has
been plotted, the
concentration of
the unknown
solution can be
determined by
placing it on the
curve based on its
absorbance or
other observable
variable.

Beer-Lambert Law of Molar

Absorptivity
Chemical solutions absorb different
amounts of light based on their
concentration.
Beers law states that a linear
relationship exist between a
solutions light absorbance and its
concentration.

Spectrophotometry

Calibration Curve Technique

1. Prepare standard solutions of analyte of
same volume with constant increment
starting with a blank solution.
1.

e.g. 0M, 0.4M, 0.8M, 1.2M, 1.6M, 2.0M

3. Place the samples in spectrophotometer

which records a different absorbance for
each one.
4. Prepare a plot of Analytical Signal versus

Determination of Unknown
Conc.

Now that you have plotted the linear Calibration

curve.
1. Measure the absorbance of the unknown solution.
2. A horizontal line can be drawn from the unknown
solutions y-value its absorbance. The point at
which the line crosses the calibration curve will
indicate the x-value the concentration.

2. The equation for the line of the calibration curve

can also be used to mathematically determine the
solution's concentration.