Resolusi: perubahan yang paling kecil di dalam nilai terukur bagi instrumen yang akan
menjawab.
Kesalahan: Penyimpangan dari nilai yang benar variabel yang diterukur.
1.2 Akurasi dan Ketepatan
Untuk menggambarkan perbedaan itu antara ketelitian dan ketepatan, dua voltmeter yang sama
buatan dan model dapat dibandingkan. Kedua Voltmeter mempunyai tongkat penunjuk mata
pisau dan cermin pembalik pembacaan sebagai timbangan untuk menghindari paralaks dan
keduanya sudah secara hati-hati mengkalibrasi timbangan. Keduanya itu dapat dibaca kepada
ketepatan yang sama. Jika nilai pembalik rangkaian di dalam satu Voltmeter berubah, pembacaan
yang memungkinkan kesalahan pembacaan jumlah cukup besar. Oleh karena itu ketelitian dua
Voltmeter dapat dikatakan berbeda.
1.3 Significant Figures
Significant figures convey actual information regarding the magnitude and the
measurement precision of a quantity. The more significant figures, the greater the precision of
the measurement.
For example, if the resistor is specified as having resistance of 68 , its resistence
should be closer to 68 than to 67 or 69 . If the value of the resistor is described as
68.0 , it means that its resistance is closer to 68.0 than it is to 67.9 or 68.1 . In 68
there are two significant figures; in 68.0 there are three.
Often, however, the total number of digits may not represent measurement precision.
For example, the population of a city is reported closer to 380,000 than 370,000 or 390,000.
Since in this case the population can be reported only to two significant figures, how can large
numbers be expressed? A more technically correct notation uses power of ten, 38x104 or
3.8x105.
Another way of expressing the result of measurement indicates the range of possible
error. For example, the voltage may be expressed as 117.1 + 0.05 V, indicating that the value
of the voltage lies between 117.05 V and 117.15 V.
When a number of independent measurements are taken in an effort to obtain the best
possible answer (closest the true value), the result is usually expressed as the arithmetic mean
of all readings, with the range of possible error as the largest deviation from that mean. When
two or more measurements with different degrees of accuracy are added, the result is only as
accurate as the least accurate measurement.
1.4 Types of Error
Errors may come from different sources and are usualy classified under three main
headings :