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Errors and Anomalous Values.
Errors
are always there in scientific data.
A good scientist will make the errors as small as
possible.
Errors are described as random or systematic.
Random
errors can be caused by a scientist not taking enough
care
when making measurements.
This type of error produces data which does not have
enough accuracy or precision to provide good evidence.
Systematic
errors can be caused by
a scientist not understanding
a technique and therefore using it incorrectly,
or by an instrument which has been badly calibrated.
Instruments are calibrated to make their measurements accurate.
Systematic errors can produce data which may
be precise
but does not have enough accuracy to provide good evidence.
Sometimes there will be
one measurement which produces a
value
which is clearly different from all
the others.
This value is called anomalous and is
not included as valid
because it would lead to an incorrect conclusion.
A good scientist will try to explain what caused the anomalous
value
so that it can be avoided in the future.
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