Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Estimation of the Physical Quantities01:05

Estimation of the Physical Quantities

8.6K
On many occasions, physicists, other scientists, and engineers need to make estimates of a particular quantity. These are sometimes referred to as guesstimates, order-of-magnitude approximations, back-of-the-envelope calculations, or Fermi calculations. The physicist Enrico Fermi was famous for his ability to estimate various kinds of data with surprising precision. Estimating does not mean guessing a number or a formula at random. Instead, estimation means using prior experience and sound...
8.6K
Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments02:46

Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments

55.7K
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...
55.7K
Uncertainty: Overview00:59

Uncertainty: Overview

1.9K
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.
1.9K
Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision03:37

Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision

113.6K
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. 
113.6K
Uncertainty: Confidence Intervals00:54

Uncertainty: Confidence Intervals

12.2K
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...
12.2K
What are Estimates?01:06

What are Estimates?

9.1K
It isn't easy to measure a parameter such as the mean height or the mean weight of a population. So, we draw samples from the population and calculate the mean height or mean weight of the individuals in the sample. This sample data acts as a representative measure of the population parameter. These sample statistics are known as estimates. 
The estimate for the mean of a sample is denoted by ͞x, whereas the mean of the population is designated as μ. Further, parameters such...
9.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The revised German guideline on the monitoring for intakes of radionuclides.

Radiation and environmental biophysics·2025
Same author

On predatory fungi feeding on free-living amoebae harbouring yeast-like endoparasites.

Parasitology research·2023
Same author

Comments and suggestions on fundamental principles of radiation protection.

Radiation and environmental biophysics·2021
Same author

Solving an old enigma: Morellospora saccamoebae gen. nov., sp. nov. (Rozellomycota), a Sphaerita-like parasite of free-living amoebae.

Parasitology research·2020
Same author

Dose limits for occupational exposure to ionising radiation and genotoxic carcinogens: a German perspective.

Radiation and environmental biophysics·2019
Same author

Filling gaps in the microsporidian tree: rDNA phylogeny of Chytridiopsis typographi (Microsporidia: Chytridiopsida).

Parasitology research·2018
Same journal

Novel PdO-modified borate glasses with improved radiation shielding and mechanical features.

Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine·2026
Same journal

Assessment of radionuclide contents and radiological health risks of infant formulae consumed in Türkiye.

Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine·2026
Same journal

Radiation surveillance during cyclotron commissioning and pilot-scale FDG production at the Institute of Nuclear Medical Physics.

Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine·2026
Same journal

Energy-dependent shielding performance of high-Z epoxy composite shielding media for radioactive waste drums: A Monte Carlo transport and dose-rate analysis.

Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine·2026
Same journal

Radiological performance of cemented FMA-VC radioactive waste packages for transport: A PHITS Monte Carlo study.

Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine·2026
Same journal

Investigating the relationship between naturally occurring radionuclides and grain size of sediment from the Helskloof Basin, South Africa.

Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods
13:04

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods

Published on: September 19, 2012

12.5K

Measuring, Estimating, and Deciding under Uncertainty.

Rolf Michel1

  • 1Institute for Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany.

Applied Radiation and Isotopes : Including Data, Instrumentation and Methods for Use in Agriculture, Industry and Medicine
|December 22, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study addresses measurement uncertainty due to incomplete information, exploring statistical foundations and ISO standards. It highlights controversial aspects and the need to revise ISO 11929 for better uncertainty quantification in metrology.

Keywords:
Bayes statisticsCoverage intervalDecision thresholdDetection limitMeasurement uncertainties

More Related Videos

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
09:07

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

Published on: September 16, 2015

9.5K
Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
07:47

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task

Published on: January 9, 2016

16.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods
13:04

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods

Published on: September 19, 2012

12.5K
Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
09:07

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

Published on: September 16, 2015

9.5K
Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
07:47

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task

Published on: January 9, 2016

16.1K

Area of Science:

  • Metrology
  • Measurement Science
  • Statistical Analysis

Background:

  • Measurement uncertainty arises from incomplete information.
  • Quantifying uncertainty is crucial in metrology.
  • Statistical foundations of uncertainty concepts present controversies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To address the problem of uncertainty in metrology.
  • To discuss controversial statistical aspects of measurement uncertainty.
  • To explain the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement and ISO 11929, identifying needs for revision.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of metrology principles.
  • Analysis of statistical foundations for uncertainty.
  • Examination of ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement and ISO 11929.

Main Results:

  • Incomplete information is a primary source of measurement uncertainty.
  • Statistical interpretations of uncertainty can be controversial.
  • Current standards like ISO 11929 require revision to improve uncertainty expression.

Conclusions:

  • A clear understanding and quantification of measurement uncertainty are essential.
  • Addressing statistical controversies is key to robust metrology.
  • Revising ISO 11929 is necessary for accurate uncertainty reporting.