University of Engineering and

Technology Taxila
Mechanical Engineering Department
Lecture No: 03

Course Title: Measurement and

Instrumentation
(ME-314)
Tutor: Khalid Masood Khan

Precision and Bias

Precision
Precision is the same as
repeatability
It is the ability of the measurement
system
to indicate a particular value upon
repeated
however independent applications
3

continued
Since a measure of random variation
in input
value during repeated
measurements,
precision as such does not require
calibration
Precision is not linked to true value
of
measurand while accuracy is the

Bias
If the indicated value differs from
the true
value, the indicated value is said
to
contain a bias
Bias is the average error in a
series of
repeated calibration
measurements

 It is the difference between

the
average measured value and
the true
value
Both precision and bias affect
system
accuracy
6

 Both precision and bias quantify

error in any
set of measurements and are used
to
estimate accuracy
The variations in the measurements
the
observed scatter in the datais
related to
the system precision error
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continued
The offset between the apparent
average of
the readings and the true value is
the bias
error

Uncertainty
Since the true value is not known,
error is
not known exactly in any
measurement
except during calibration
However, calibration brings
confidence in
the indicated value due to the
bounds

10

continued
Since magnitude of error in any
measurement is at best an
estimate,
uncertainty is a measure of the
estimate of
the error
Uncertainty is the estimate of the
cumulative
effect of errors present in the

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Sequential Test (ST)

Over the full input range, the
value is
sequentially either increased
(upscale
direction) or decreased
(downscale
direction)
ST identifies and quantifies

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Hysteresis
Hysteresis is an error of the
measurement
system. It refers to differences in
values
found between going upscale and
downscale
in a sequential test.
For a specific input value, it is
Continue
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 For the measurement system, it is

where
= maximum hysteresis error in calibration
= full-scale output operating range (FSO)

continue
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continued
Hysteresis occurs when the next
indicated
value is dependent on the
previous
indicated value
Hysteresis is caused by friction or
viscous
damping in moving parts, and
residual
charge in electrical devices

15

Random Test
It applies a randomly selected
sequence of
known input values over the
intended
calibration range
This test quantifies linearity error,
sensitivity error, zero error,
instrument
repeatability error, observation

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Linearity Error
It is a calibration error. Linear
relation
between input value and
indicated
output is
In case of difference
and, the
linearity error is
between
,

Continue
17

continued
Maximum expected linearity
error
for the calibration as % of
FSO is

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Sensitivity and Zero Errors

Sensitivity error,
, is a statistical
measure of the precision error in
the
estimate of the slope of the
calibration curve
Value quoted by manufacturer is at
a
constant reference ambient
temperature
whereas thermal sensitivity is

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 Drift of the zero intercept for a

linear
calibration curve, for constant
sensitivity,
is called the zero error,
Periodically adjusting the output
under
zero input condition reduces the
zero error

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Instrument
Repeatability
The same as listed under
Precision of the
measurement system
Manufacturers claim about
instrument
repeatability is based on error
found under
controlled calibration conditions
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continued

It does not include errors due to variations

input variable and those due to procedure
Quoted value, in terms of the % FSO, is

where
= standard deviation, a statistical
measure of
the variation in the output for a
given input
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