written by George E. Hassel, Darren L. Broder, and John P. Cummings

Uncertainty or error analysis is an important skill to be developed throughout the undergraduate physics laboratory curriculum. Numerical estimation and propagation of measurement uncertainties are a crucial part of interpreting and reporting laboratory results. The ability to clearly identify, explain and evaluate measurement uncertainty is also an important part of the broader goal of improving student writing and to modify poor writing habits. Modern Physics Lab provides a particularly opportune time to develop error propagation in detail. This paper examines uncertainty propagation in two example lab activities.

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Last Modified January 17, 2019

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