The Official Henry Wise Wood Uncertainty Rules for IB Chemistry

1. All values the you have measured during an experiment have uncertainty
-analog devices have an uncertainty of +/- 0.5 of the smallest increment the device can
record
-digital devices have an uncertainty of +/- 1 of the last digit it displays
-analog devices may have a stamped uncertainty on the device, look for this before
using the +/-0.5 rule above. Volumetric equipment is usually stamped.

2. With regards to temperature. The thermometer will most likely be in degrees Celsius.
You will convert temperature to Kelvin temperature. The uncertainty stays the same.
Example: A student measures a temperature with the alcohol thermometer and records
23.0 +/- 0.5oC. To calculate the uncertainty the student would need to convert Celsius
to Kelvin. This would decrease the relative uncertainty for this measurement. So the
uncertainty calculation would look as follows:

.5 x 100% = 0.1688333615 %
296.15

NOT

.5 x 100% = 2.173913043%
23.0

3. Values that are obtained from other sources (ex. The data booklet, online sources,
textbooks, given to you in the lab that were not measured directly by you, conversion
factors) do not need uncertainties. You can just write a note that indicates that these
values are assumed to have a 0 uncertainty.

4. Exact values do not have uncertainties. This includes moles in a balanced chemical
equation and all counted values.

5. Experimental uncertainties should be rounded to one significant figure. Experimental

uncertainties are, by nature, inexact. Uncertainties are almost always quoted to one
significant digit (example: ±0.05 s). If the uncertainty starts with a one, some scientists
quote the uncertainty to two significant digits (example: ±0.0012 kg).
 6. With complex calculations involving a number of values with uncertainties you can
round your uncertainties to 2 significant digits for intermediate calculations and then
round to 1 significant digit for your final calculated value. As uncertainties are
“uncertain” you do not need to keep all the digits.

7. Uncertainties with pH
Recorded pH off a digital pH meter
pH = 2.386 +/- 0.001

[H3O+] Calculation Uncertainty Calculation

=10-2.386 The true pH is somewhere between 2.385 and

=4.11 x 10-3M 2.387

Calculate what [H3O+] these ends of the range are

=10-2.385
=4.12 x 10-3M

=10-2.387
=4.10x 10-3M

Compare these values to your calculated value and

the largest difference between the two is the
uncertainty

4.12 x 10-3 - 4.11 x 10-3 = 0.00001

4.10x 10-3 - 4.11 x 10-3 = 0.00001

In this case both values give the same uncertainty

so this is the uncertainty. If you get values that are
different, the greater value is the uncertainty
=4.11 +/- 0.01 x 10-3 M

For more details see: https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/server2/rest/app/tsm.xql?

doc=d_4_chemi_tsm_1408_1_e&part=6&chapter=2