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Related Concept Videos

Uncertainty in Measurement: Accuracy and Precision03:37

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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. 
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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...
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The way a set of data is measured is called its level of measurement. Correct statistical procedures depend on a researcher being familiar with levels of measurement. For analysis, data are classified into four levels of measurement—nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio.
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Locke on measurement.

Peter R Anstey1

  • 1School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry, Main Quad A14, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
|December 13, 2016
PubMed
Summary

This paper examines John Locke's philosophical inquiries into measurement, exploring his work on length, duration, and quality measures. It connects his metrology interests to the new experimental philosophy of his era.

Keywords:
DurationGryLockeMeasurementNatural historyNewtonPicardRicherRømerSeconds pendulumToinard

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Area of Science:

  • Philosophy of Science
  • History of Philosophy
  • Epistemology

Background:

  • John Locke, a prominent English philosopher, had a significant interest in metrology (the science of measurement).
  • His engagement with measurement was deeply intertwined with his philosophical project on human understanding.
  • This study contextualizes Locke's metrological concerns within the framework of the new experimental philosophy and its methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To trace John Locke's evolving treatment of four key problems of measurement.
  • To analyze Locke's engagement with measurement from his early drafts to the final publication of his Essay concerning Human Understanding.
  • To elucidate the connection between Locke's metrology and his broader epistemological theories.

Main Methods:

  • Historical analysis of John Locke's writings, including early drafts (A and B) and the final Essay concerning Human Understanding.
  • Examination of Locke's discussions on specific measurement problems: natural standards for length, measurement of duration, comparative measures for secondary qualities, and discrimination of small differences in conventional measures.
  • Contextualization within the scientific and philosophical milieu of the 17th century, particularly the rise of experimental natural history.

Main Results:

  • Identifies four distinct problems of measurement that occupied John Locke throughout his philosophical development.
  • Demonstrates Locke's attempts to establish universal standards for measurement, particularly for length.
  • Highlights Locke's struggles with measuring abstract concepts like duration and subjective qualities.

Conclusions:

  • John Locke's interest in metrology was integral to his theory of human understanding, not merely a peripheral concern.
  • His work on measurement reflects the influence of the new experimental philosophy, emphasizing empirical observation and natural history.
  • Locke's engagement with measurement problems reveals the complexities and challenges of quantifying the natural world and human perception.