LECTURE 1

SURVEYING MEASUREMENTS · SIGNIFICANT FIGURES · ROUNDING OFF NUMBERS · THEORY OF

PROBABILITY · MOST PROBABLE VALUE · RESIDUAL · PROBABLE ERROR · RELATIVE PRECISION
SURVEYING
MEASUREMENTS
- LINEAR MEASUREMENTS - ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS -
LINEAR MEASUREMENTS
- the distance measured between 2 points
- may refer to the dimensions
used to determine area and volume
COMMON UNITS USED:
- kilometer
- meter
- centimeter
- millimeter
 ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS
- the angle subtended by an arc of a circle
having a length equal to the radius of a
circle.
COMMON UNITS USED:
• Sexagisimal unit
• Centisimal unit
• SI unit
 ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS
- the angle subtended by an arc of a circle
having a length equal to the radius of a
circle.
COMMON UNITS USED:
• Sexagisimal unit
- degree, minute, second
• Centisimal unit
• SI unit
 ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS
- the angle subtended by an arc of a circle
having a length equal to the radius of a
circle.
COMMON UNITS USED:
• Sexagisimal unit
• Centisimal unit
- grads
• SI unit
 ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS
- the angle subtended by an arc of a circle
having a length equal to the radius of a
circle.
COMMON UNITS USED:
• Sexagisimal unit
• Centisimal unit
• SI unit
- radians
 ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS

2π rad = 360°
UNIT
CONVERSI
ON
1 rad = 57° 17’ 44.8” = 57.2958°

1° = 0.01745 rad
SIGNIFICANT
FIGURES
SIGNIFICANT
FIGURES
1

2
3

RULES
SIGNIFICANT 1 ZEROES BETWEEN
FIGURES SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
ARE SIGNIFICANT
1
example:
1001
2
3 20,003

RULES
SIGNIFICANT 1
2 FOR VALUES LESS THAN
FIGURES ONE, ZEROES
IMMEDIATELY TO THE
1 RIGHT OF THE DECIMAL
ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT
2 example:
3 0.05
0.0034
RULES
SIGNIFICANT 3 ZEROES PLACED AT THE
FIGURES END OF DECIMAL
NUMBERS ARE
1 SIGNIFICANT
example:
2
15.00
3
0.0120
RULES 0.8670
ROUNDING OFF
NUMBERS
 ROUNDING
ROUNDING OFF NUMBERS OFF NUMBERS
is the process of dropping
one or more of the final
digit so that the values
contains only the significant
figures required.
 ROUNDING
OFF NUMBERS
1

2
3

RULES
 DIGIT IS LESS THAN 5 ROUNDING
1
- the number is written OFF NUMBERS
without the digit
1
example:
Round off to hundredth/tenths
2
24.244 24.24
3
24.244 24.20
RULES
 DIGIT IS EQUAL TO 5 ROUNDING
2
1
- the nearest even number OFF NUMBERS
is used for the preceeding
digit 1
example:
Round off to 4 significant figures 2
26.175 26.18 3
54.285 54.28
RULES
 DIGIT IS GREATER THAN 5 ROUNDING
23
- the preceeding digit is OFF NUMBERS
increased by one
1
example:
Round off to 4 significant figures 2
26.276 26.28 3
45.289 45.29
RULES
THEORY OF
PROBABILITY
THEORY OF
PROBABILITY
PROBABILITY is defined
as the number of times
something will probably
occur over the range of
possible occurences.
MOST
PROBABLE
VALUE
- arithmetic mean or
average
 ? SAMPLE PROBLEM

A surveying instructor sent out six groups of students to measure

a distance between two points marked on the ground. The
students came up with the following six different values:
250.25, 250.15, 249.90, 251.04, 250.50, and 251.22 meters.
Assuming these values are equally reliable and that variations
result from accidental errors, determine the most probable value
of the distance measured.
A surveying instructor sent out six GIVEN: X = 250.25 X = 251.04
1 4
groups of students to measure a X2 = 250.15 X5 = 250.50
distance between two points X3 = 249.90 X6 = 251.22
marked on the ground. The REQ’D: MPV = ?
students came up with the
SOL’N: MPV =
following six different values:
250.25, 250.15, 249.90, 251.04,
250.50, and 251.22 meters. = 1503.06
Assuming these values are equally
n=6
reliable and that variations result
from accidental errors, determine MPV = 250.51
the most probable value of the
distance measured.
 ? SAMPLE PROBLEM

The angles at point Q have the following observed values. 130°

15’ 20”, 142° 37’ 30”, and 87° 07’ 40”. Determine the most
probable value of each angle.
The angles at point Q have the
following observed values. 130° 15’
20”, 142° 37’ 30”, and 87° 07’ 40”.
Determine the most probable value
of each angle.
RESIDUAL
- difference between any
measured value of a
quantity and its MPV

= measured/observed value
 PROBABLE
ERROR
- defines a range within which
there is a 50% chance that the true
value of the measured quantity lies
inside or outside
for single measurement of a
series

for PE of the mean

RELATIVE
PRECISION
- is expressed by a fraction
having the magnitude of the
error in the numerator and the
magnitude of a measured
quantity in the denominator.
 ? SAMPLE PROBLEM

The following values were determined in a series of tape measurements

of a line: 1000.58, 1000.40, 1000.38, 1000.48, 1000.40, and 1000.46
meters. Determine the following:
a. MPV of measured length
b. Probable error of a single measurement and Probable error of the
mean
c. Relative precision of the measurement
 GIVEN: X1 = 1000.58 X4 = 1000.48

The following values were determined X2 = 1000.40 X5 = 1000.40

X3 = 1000.38 X6 = 1000.46
in a series of tape measurements of a
SOL’N:
line: 1000.58, 1000.40, 1000.38,
1000.48, 1000.40, and 1000.46 meters. =6002.70m
Determine
REQUIRED: the following: n=6
a. MPV of measured length MPV = 1000.45m
b. Probable error of a single
measurement and Probable error of the
mean
c. Relative precision of the
measurement
 GIVEN: X1 = 1000.58 X4 = 1000.48

The following values were determined X2 = 1000.40 X5 = 1000.40

X3 = 1000.38 X6 = 1000.46
in a series of tape measurements of a
SOL’N: MPV = 1000.45m
line: 1000.58, 1000.40, 1000.38,
1000.48, 1000.40, and 1000.46 meters.
Determine
REQUIRED: the following:
X (m) MPV V V^2
a. MPV of measured length (m)
b. Probable error of a single 1000.58 1000.45 0.13 0.0169
measurement and Probable error of the 1000.40 1000.45 -0.05 0.0025
mean 1000.38 1000.45 -0.07 0.0049
1000.48 1000.45 0.03 0.0009
c. Relative precision of the
1000.40 1000.45 -0.05 0.0025
measurement 1000.46 1000.45 0.01 0.0001
0.0278
 GIVEN: X1 = 1000.58 X4 = 1000.48

The following values were determined X2 = 1000.40 X5 = 1000.40

X3 = 1000.38 X6 = 1000.46
in a series of tape measurements of a
SOL’N: MPV = 1000.45m
line: 1000.58, 1000.40, 1000.38,
1000.48, 1000.40, and 1000.46 meters.
Determine
REQUIRED:
the following: = 0.0278
a. MPV of measured length
b. Probable error of a single
measurement and Probable error of the
mean
c. Relative precision of the
measurement
 GIVEN: X1 = 1000.58 X4 = 1000.48

The following values were determined X2 = 1000.40 X5 = 1000.40

X3 = 1000.38 X6 = 1000.46
in a series of tape measurements of a
SOL’N: MPV = 1000.45m
line: 1000.58, 1000.40, 1000.38,
1000.48, 1000.40, and 1000.46 meters.
Determine
REQUIRED: the following:
a. MPV of measured length
b. Probable error of a single RP = PE/MPV
measurement and Probable error of the
mean
c. Relative precision of the
measurement
THE END.