Statistics in Metrology, introduction

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Dr. Amandeep Singh
Assistant Professor
National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar (India)
 Contents
 Use of statistics in Metrology
 Measurement and Measurand
 Errors in measurement

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 Type-A and Type-B uncertainties

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Use of statistics in Metrology
• Statistical science and physical metrology are inseparably knotted.

• Measurement quality affects what can be learned from data collected

and processed using statistical methods, and appropriate data collection
and analysis quantifies the quality of physical measurements.

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• Our purpose here is to provide a unified overview of the interaction
between statistics and physical measurement, with roughly a 1st year

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graduate level background in statistics.
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 Statistics
Statistics is the study of how best to

1. collect data,
2. summarize or describe data, and

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3. draw conclusions or inferences based on data,

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 Measurand and measurement
• A measurand is a physical quantity whose value, x, is of interest and
for which some well-defined set of physical steps produce a
measurement, y, a number intended to represent the measurand.

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 Measurement Error
• The difference between the actual measurement and the observed
measurement is called as the measurement error.

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Measurement

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 Valid Measurement
• A measurement or measuring method is said to be valid if it usefully or
appropriately represents the measurand.

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Measurement Method

Linear:
• A measurement method or system is called linear if it has no bias
or if its bias is constant in the measurand.

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Stable:
• A measurement method or system is called stable if both its
precision and its bias for any measurand are constant across time.

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Uncertainty
The estimate of the error is called the uncertainty.
• It includes both bias and precision errors.
• We need to identify all the potential significant errors for the
instrument(s).

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• All measurements should be given in three parts
• Mean value
• Uncertainty
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• Confidence interval on which that uncertainty is based
(typically 95% C.I.)
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Types of Error

• Systematic Error – same error value by using an instrument the same

way

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• Random Error – may vary from observation to observation Perhaps due
to inability to perform measurements in exactly the same way every
time.

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 What is an error?
• In data analysis, engineers use
• error = uncertainty
• error ≠ mistake.

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• Mistakes in calculation and measurements should always be
corrected before calculating experimental error.
• Measured value of xo = x  δx
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• x = best estimate or measurement of x
• δx = uncertainty or error in the measurements
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Error

• Relative Error

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• Percent Error
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Sum or difference

• How is the error accounted if you add or subtract numbers?

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• The absolute error is the sum of the absolute errors.
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Product or quotient
• What is error if you multiply or divide?

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• The relative error is the sum of the relative errors.
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Multiply by constant

• What if you multiply a variable x by a constant B?

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• The error is the constant times the absolute error.

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Powers and exponents

• What if you square or cube a number?

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• The relative error is the exponent times the relative error.

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Numerical examples for errors

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 Type-A and Type-B Uncertainties
• A numerical uncertainty associated with an input to the computation
of a measurement is of Type A if it is statistical/derived entirely from
calculation based on observations (data) available to the person
producing the measurement.

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• If an uncertainty is not of Type A, it is of Type B.

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Corrections for Systematic Effects
• When a systematic effect in the measurement process has been identified
and quantified, a quantity should be included in the mathematical
measurement model to correct for it.

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Data and scales of measurement

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Dr. Amandeep Singh
Assistant Professor
National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar (India)
 Contents
 Data vs information
 Qualitative vs Quantitative data
 Scales of Measurement

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 Discrete and continuous data
 Probability

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Data vs information

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Qualitative vs Quantitative data

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Scales of Measurement

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Discrete and continuous data

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Dr. Amandeep Singh
Assistant Professor
National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar (India)
 Contents
 Discrete and continuous data
 Probability
 Events and variables

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 Frequency distribution

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Discrete and continuous data

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 Probability
• Probability is the mathematical theory intended to describe chance/
randomness/random variation.

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 Probability
• The theory of probability provides a language and set of concepts and
results directly relevant to describing the variation and less-than-perfect
predictability of real world measurements.

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Events and Variables

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Frequency distribution

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