• Suppose you measured Observation Length (in cm)

the length of a certain

#1 31.33
stick using a ruler and
you gathered the #2 31.15
following set of data as #3 31.26
presented in the table. #4 31.02
Determine the
#5 31.20
percentage uncertainty Assume that the errors involved are random.
of the set of
measurements.
STEPS IN ESTIMATING ERRORS USING
VARIANCE
1. Find the mean (𝑥𝑚 )

𝟏 𝑵
ഥ=
𝒙 σ𝒊=𝟏 𝒙𝒊
𝑵

2. Subtract this average from each of the N

measurements to obtain N "deviations“.

3. Square each of these N deviations and add

them all up.
STEPS IN ESTIMATING ERRORS USING
VARIANCE
4. Divide this result by (N − 1) and take the square
root. That’s your standard deviation (w/c is the
estimated error of the multiple measurement).
1
σ= σ𝑁 𝑥𝑖 − 𝑥ҧ 2
𝑁−1 𝑖=1

5. Report the final result as:

ഥ±𝝈
𝑽𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 = 𝒙
STEPS IN ESTIMATING ERRORS USING
VARIANCE
6. Percentage uncertainty is calculate by:

𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒚
%𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒚 = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏
• You gathered this set of Observation Width (in m)
data after measuring
#1 10.35
the width of
rectangular garden. #2 10.43
Determine the #3 10.45
estimated error of the #4 10.38
given set of #5 10.40
measurements.
• It is the process of constructing a straight line that has
the best fit to a series of data points.

x y
Find the equation of the
line that fits the data with 2.91 65.25
the LEAST error. 6.85 125.18
12.45 155.23
28.23 256.23
33.22 389.24
STEPS IN FINDING THE EQUATION OF THE LINE
(𝒚 = 𝒎𝒙 + 𝒃)
1. Find the slope (m).

𝑵 σ𝑵 𝒙 𝒚
𝒊=𝟏 𝒊 𝒊 − (σ𝑵
𝒙
𝒊=𝟏 𝒊 )(σ𝑵
𝒊=𝟏 𝒚𝒊 )
𝒎= 𝟐
𝑵 𝟐 𝑵
𝑵 σType (σ𝒊=𝟏 𝒙𝒊 )
𝒙𝒊 −here.
𝒊=𝟏equation

2. Find the y – intercept (b).

(σ𝑵 𝒙
𝒊=𝟏 𝒊
𝟐
)(σ𝑵
𝒚
𝒊=𝟏 𝒊 ) − (σ𝑵
𝒙
𝒊=𝟏 𝒊 )(σ𝑵
𝒊=𝟏 𝒙𝒊 𝒚𝒊 )
𝒃= 𝟐
𝑵 σ𝑵
𝒊=𝟏 𝒙 𝒊
𝟐 − 𝑵
(σ𝒊=𝟏 𝒙𝒊 )
 x y

3.91 64.25
7.73 90.02
18.27 158.13
25.65 232.12
Find the equation of the
29.78 315.23
line that fits the data with
the LEAST error. 32.21 365.32
40.01 438.96
45.34 465.32
47.45 501.21
49.21 550.61
3.91 64.25