Pages created and updated by Terry Sturtevant Date Posted: May 12, 2017

Contact me if you have any suggestions or feedback.
Follow these links if you're looking for the

• uncertainty calculator
• statistics calculator
• reaction time tester
• linearizing equations resource

Uncertainty Analysis (Error Analysis) Handbook

This manual is mainly a collection of sections from my lab manuals for various courses. If this becomes popular, I will try to develop it further.
Because of the mathematical nature of many of these topics, the manual is produced in LATEX rather than in HTML.
Topics in the manual include the following (links will take you directly to specific chapters in the manual):

• Measurement and Uncertainties
  • Errors and Uncertainties
  • Single Measurement Uncertainties
  • Precision and Accuracy
  • Significant Figures
  • Bounds on Uncertainties
• Repeated Independent Measurement Uncertainties (but if you're looking for something more interactive, use the repeated measurements resource below)
  • Arithmetic Mean
  • Deviation
  • Standard Deviation
  • Preferred Number of Repetitions
  • Method of Quartiles
• Repeated Dependent Measurement Uncertainties
  • Method of Differences
• Measuring Instruments
  • Precision Measure
  • Zero Error
  • Effective Uncertainty
  • Types of scales (including micrometer and Vernier)
• Uncertain Results
  • Operations with Uncertainties
  • Uncertainties and Final Results
• Graphs and Graphical Analysis
  • Least Squares Fitting
  • Uncertainties in Graphical Quantities
• Linearizing Equations (but if you're looking for something more interactive, use the linearizing equations resource below)
  • Techniques for Linearization
  • Uncertainties in Results
• Lab Reports
  • Format
• Introduction to Spreadsheets
  • Formulas
  • Functions
  • Copying Formulas and Functions; Absolute and Relative References
  • Pasting Options
  • Formatting
  • Print Preview
• Graphs and Least Squares Fitting in Excel
  • Graphing with Error Bars
  • Least Squares Fitting
  • Displaying Lines
• Plotting Curves using a Spreadsheet
• GoalSeek Spreadsheet Feature
  • Example: Non-Invertible Functions
• Solver Spreadsheet Feature
  • Example: Non-Linear Least Squares Fitting
• Sketching Functions and Extracting Parameters
• Common Uncertainty Results
• Common Approximations
• Use of the Standard Form for Numbers
• Order of Magnitude Calculations
• Derivation of the Least Squares Fit
• More Advanced Uncertainty Analysis
• Generalized Least Squares Fitting

In PDF format, produced in LaTeX

Specific sections

Linearizing equations chapter from the handbook. (I've separated this one as it seems to be a popular topic of web searches on its own.)

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Other resources

Alternate linearizing equations explanation. (I think this will be more popular than the book chapter, since it's more visual and interactive.)

OGG video (screencast) of linearizing equations explanation.



Screencast of Linearizing Equations presentation



Alternate repeated measurements explanation. (I think this will be more popular than the book chapter, since it's more visual and interactive.)

Explanation of statistics concepts [screencast of PDF]

A JavaScript calculator for experimental uncertainty calculations which handles both standard error and maximum error

OGG Video on how to use the Javascript Uncertainty calculator
VLC video player for OGG Video (various platforms)
Javascript Uncertainty calculator

New! PHP version of the calculator in case your browser doesn't have Javascript. (i.e. Everything runs on the server so any browser should be ok.)
PHP Uncertainty calculator

Uncertainty calculator (old version)
Try this one if the one above doesn't work for you.

A JavaScript calculator for experimental statistical calculations, including mean, standard deviation, and standard deviation of the mean

OGG Video on how to use the Javascript Statistical calculator
Statistical calculator
Statistical calculator (old version)
Try this one if the one above doesn't work for you.


How to use the statistics calculator [screencast]

A JavaScript tester for human reaction time

Reaction time tester

How the manual was produced

In case you're unfamiliar with it, and would like to produce documents containing equations which look professional, here is a LaTeX Tutorial.

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