Related Concept Videos
00:59Uncertainty: Overview
In analytical chemistry, we often perform repetitive measurements to detect and minimize inaccuracies caused by both determinate and indeterminate errors. Despite the cares we take, the presence of random errors means that repeated measurements almost never have exactly the same magnitude. The collective difference between these measurements - observed values - and the estimated or expected value is called uncertainty. Uncertainty is conventionally written after the estimated or expected value.
00:59Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error
An experiment often consists of more than a single step. In this case, measurements at each step give rise to uncertainty. Because the measurements occur in successive steps, the uncertainty in one step necessarily contributes to that in the subsequent step. As we perform statistical analysis on these types of experiments, we must learn to account for the propagation of uncertainty from one step to the next. The propagation of uncertainty depends on the type of arithmetic operation performed on...
01:10Propagation of Uncertainty from Systematic Error
The atomic mass of an element varies due to the relative ratio of its isotopes. A sample's relative proportion of oxygen isotopes influences its average atomic mass. For instance, if we were to measure the atomic mass of oxygen from a sample, the mass would be a weighted average of the isotopic masses of oxygen in that sample. Since a single sample is not likely to perfectly reflect the true atomic mass of oxygen for all the molecules of oxygen on Earth, the mass we obtain from this particular...
03:37Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision
Scientists typically make repeated measurements of a quantity to ensure the quality of their findings and to evaluate both the precision and the accuracy of their results. Measurements are said to be precise if they yield very similar results when repeated in the same manner. A measurement is considered accurate if it yields a result that is very close to the true or the accepted value. Precise values agree with each other; accurate values agree with a true value.
00:54Uncertainty: Confidence Intervals
The confidence interval is the range of values around the mean that contains the true mean. It is expressed as a probability percentage. The interpretation of a 95% confidence interval, for instance, is that the statistician is 95% confident that the true mean falls within the interval. The upper and lower limits of this range are known as confidence limits. The confidence limits for the true mean are estimated from the sample's mean, the standard deviation, and the statistical factor 't,' or...
01:20Random and Systematic Errors
Scientists always try their best to record measurements with the utmost accuracy and precision. However, sometimes errors do occur. These errors can be random or systematic. Random errors are observed due to the inconsistency or fluctuation in the measurement process, or variations in the quantity itself that is being measured. Such errors fluctuate from being greater than or less than the true value in repeated measurements. Consider a scientist measuring the length of an earthworm using a...
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Related Experiment Video
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09:07
Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
Published on: September 16, 2015
Significant uncertainty is common in nature.
1Concord Field Station, Harvard University, Bedford, MA 01730 griffin@fas.harvard.edu.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|February 5, 2008
Summary
Animal survival hinges on interpreting uncertainty. Evaluating ambiguous sensory information, like potential dangers or social cues, is crucial for navigating their environment and social interactions.
Area of Science:
- Ethology
- Animal Cognition
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Uncertainty is a pervasive element in natural animal environments.
- Survival and reproduction depend on the ability to interpret ambiguous stimuli.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical role of evaluating uncertainty in animal behavior.
- To explore the cognitive processes animals use to navigate ambiguous information.
Main Methods:
- Observational studies of animal behavior in naturalistic settings.
- Analysis of sensory information processing in various species.
- Review of existing literature on animal cognition and decision-making.
Main Results:
- Animals constantly assess environmental and social uncertainties.
Conclusions:
- The capacity to evaluate uncertainty is fundamental to animal existence.
- Understanding animal consciousness requires acknowledging their engagement with uncertainty.
- Further research into animal perception and cognition is warranted.