Random Errors:

 A worn out instrument. For example, a plastic tape measure becomes slightly stretched over the
years, resulting in measurements that are slightly too high. (A result, all of your length
measurements were too small)
 A person consistently takes an incorrect measurement. For example, they might think the 3/4″
mark on a ruler is the 2/3″ mark.
 Measuring the mass of a sample on an analytical balance may produce different values as air
currents affect the balance or as water enters and leaves the specimen.
 Reading an amount of liquid in the flask, you might read it differently because the angle changes
your view in the measurement.
 Air fluctuations occurring as students open and close lab doors cause changes in pressure
readings.
 Pour heat liquid into the beaker; pour slowly to avoid splashing the liquid. Use the measuring
lines on the beaker to approximate the volume of liquid in the beaker. But then accidentally
poured 25.5 mL instead of 25.5 mL.
 A pH meter that reads 0.5 off or a calculator that rounds incorrectly would be sources of
instrument error.

Systematic Errors:

 Weighing a 10 lbs. of mercury liquid in a container using a weighing scale, you read 9.35 instead
reading and taking down 4.53593 kg. The value will be consistently low or high, depending on
whether the reading is taken from above or below the mark.
 Errors in measurements of temperature due to poor thermal contact between the thermometer
and the substance whose temperature is to be found.
 A methodological error is created by using the wrong indicator for an acid-base titration. One
way to misread the volume is by looking at the measurement on an angle. A solution forms a
concave curve and the bottom of the curve is used to measure the volume. If the reading is
taken from the higher sections of the curve, the volume measurement will be in error.
 The electronic scale you use reads 0.05 g too high for all your mass measurements (because it
was improperly zeroed at the beginning of your experiment).
 A poorly calibrated instrument such as a thermometer that reads 102 oC when immersed in
boiling water and 2 oC when immersed in ice water at atmospheric pressure. Such a
thermometer would result in measured values that are consistently too high.

. For example, if you are trying to measure the mass of an apple on a scale, and your classroom is windy,
the wind may cause the scale to read incorrectly.

If two people are rounding, and one rounds down and the other rounds up, this is procedural error.

Examples of this are when a phone number is copied incorrectly or when a number is skipped when
typing data into a computer program from a data sheet.
For example, when reading a ruler, you may read the length of a pencil as being 11.4 centimeters (cm),
while your friend may read it as 11.3 cm.