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Uncertainty: Overview

Uncertainty: 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.

Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision

Uncertainty 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.

Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error

Propagation 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...

Propagation of Uncertainty from Systematic Error

Propagation 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...

Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments

Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments

Counting is the type of measurement that is free from uncertainty, provided the number of objects being counted does not change during the process. Such measurements result in exact numbers. By counting the eggs in a carton, for instance, one can determine exactly how many eggs are there in the carton. Similarly, the numbers of defined quantities are also exact. For example, 1 foot is exactly 12 inches, 1 inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters, and 1 gram is exactly 0.001 kilograms. Quantities...

Random and Systematic Errors

Random 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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Updated: May 4, 2026

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations

Published on: September 16, 2015

Handling uncertainty.

Lidia Schapira¹

¹Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, LSCHAPIRA@PARTNERS.ORG.

Supportive Care in Cancer : Official Journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer

|December 17, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Illness uncertainty causes distress for patients. Oncology professionals can improve patient care by recognizing these feelings and strengthening their therapeutic connection.

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Area of Science:

Oncology
Patient Experience
Psychosocial Oncology

Background:

Illness experiences frequently trigger uncertainty for patients.
Key moments include receiving diagnoses or interacting with healthcare providers.
This uncertainty can cause significant emotional distress.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the emotional impact of uncertainty on patients undergoing cancer treatment.
To guide oncology professionals in recognizing and addressing patient uncertainty.
To identify strategies for enhancing the therapeutic relationship and mitigating patient uncertainty.

Main Methods:

This article is a descriptive review of the phenomenon of uncertainty in illness.
It synthesizes existing literature on patient psychological responses to cancer.
It proposes communication and relationship-building strategies.

Main Results:

Uncertainty is a common and distressing aspect of the cancer journey.
Empathic responses from healthcare providers can alleviate patient distress.
Strengthening the therapeutic alliance is crucial for managing uncertainty.

Conclusions:

Oncology professionals must acknowledge and validate patient uncertainty.
Empathic communication is key to building trust and reducing anxiety.
Interventions focused on the therapeutic connection can improve patient outcomes and well-being.