Sample solution

Problem 3-4B: error calculation for resistance calculation

Given are:
ammeter: class 1, measuring range 5 A
measured current: 4,0 A
voltmeter: class 0,5, measuring range 100 V
measured voltage 45 V

In general, on the basis of the law of error propagation, the maximum absolute deviation for a
quantity y = f (xi , i = 1  n) is calculated by

n
∂f
∆y abs, max = ∑ ∂x
i =1 i
⋅ ∆xi .

For the probable absolute deviation, the following results then apply

n 2
 ∂f 
∆y abs, prob = ∑ i =1

∂
 ix
⋅ ∆xi 

.

If the corresponding relative deviations are to be determined, the corresponding absolute devia-
tions must be divided by the value of the variable, i.e.

n
∆y abs, max ∂f ∆xi
∆yrel, max =
y
= ∑ ∂x
i =1 i
⋅
y

and

n 2
∆y abs, prob  ∂f ∆xi 
∆yrel, prob =
y
= ∑
i =1
 ⋅ 
 ∂xi y 
.

Applied to the example task, the following calculations result.

Measurement error of the current measurement

class 1 means 1% of the measuring range, i.e. ∆I = ± 0,05 A.

With a measured current of I = 4.0 A, the relative error of the current measurement is therefore
0,05 A
∆Irel = ± = ± 0,0125 . (1)
4,0 A

Measurement error of the voltage measurement

class 0,5 means 0,5% of the measuring range, i.e. ∆U = ± 0,5 V.

With a measured voltage of U = 45 V, the relative error of the voltage measurement is therefore
0,5 V
∆Urel = ± = ± 0,0111 . (2)
45 V

1
Resistance from current and voltage

U 45 V
R = = = 11,25 Ω (3)
I 4,0 A

Maximum relative deviation of the resistance determination

∆R abs, max ∂R 1 ∂R 1 1 I U I ∆U ∆I
∆R rel, max = = ∆U ⋅ + ∆I ⋅ = ∆U + − 2 ∆I = + −
R ∂U R ∂I R IU I U U I
(4)
∆R abs, max
∆R rel, max = = ∆Urel + ∆Irel = 0,0111 + 0,0125 = 0,0236
R

Probable relative deviation of the resistance determination

according to Gaussian error propagation

2 2 2 2
∆R abs, prob  ∂R 1  ∂R 1 1 I   U I 
∆R rel, prob = =  ∆U  +  ∆I  =  ∆U  +  − 2 ∆I 
R  ∂U R  ∂I R I U   I U 
(5)
2 2
 ∆U   ∆I 
∆R rel, prob =   + −  = (∆Urel )2 + (∆Irel )2 = 0,01112 + 0,01252 = 0,0167
 U   I 

Maximum absolute deviation of the resistance determination

with (3) and (4)

∆R abs, max = R ⋅ ∆R rel, max = 11,25 ⋅ 0,0236 Ω ≈ 0,27 Ω (6)

Probable absolute deviation of the resistance determination

with (3) and (5)

∆R abs, prob = R ⋅ ∆R rel, prob = 11,25 ⋅ 0,0167 Ω ≈ 0,19 Ω (7)