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Error Analysis Final

This experiment had several potential sources of error, including dilution, pipetting, measurement, timing of results, calibration of equipment, and incorrect placement of samples in the equipment. Random error could not be determined as only single readings were taken at each step. Systematic errors included issues with sample transport time and removal from incubation. Detailed error analysis calculations are shown in appendices, including random error calculations using standard deviation and accounting for both random and systematic errors in the total reported error.

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Daniel Dube
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66 views3 pages

Error Analysis Final

This experiment had several potential sources of error, including dilution, pipetting, measurement, timing of results, calibration of equipment, and incorrect placement of samples in the equipment. Random error could not be determined as only single readings were taken at each step. Systematic errors included issues with sample transport time and removal from incubation. Detailed error analysis calculations are shown in appendices, including random error calculations using standard deviation and accounting for both random and systematic errors in the total reported error.

Uploaded by

Daniel Dube
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Error analysis

This experiment has several steps and each one gives potential for error.
Possible errors in this experiment are in the following steps; dilution,
pipetting and measurement. Systematic errors found in this experiment
are poor timing of taking/recording results and the uv-vis spectrometer
was not calibrated after being used by different groups. Another
systematic error is; a wrong reading was recorded due to cuvette being
placed wrongly in the uv-vis spectrometer and it took an extra two
minutes to rectify the mistake.
It is not possible to determine random error; because only one reading
was taken for each step. The random error is based on a set of readings.
It is equal to the standard deviation.

There are several other errors which contributed to the result obtained
being different from the expected pattern. These include;
 The sample took about 3 – 4 minutes to reach the last bench on
which this experiment was conducted. In this case the flask
containing the culture had been opened several times; this might
have contributed to replication of bacteria starting earlier than
expected.
 Sometimes the shake flask was brought out of the incubator
before the correct time for the sample to be taken out.

Random Errors
Random errors are errors in measurement that leads to measurable
values being inconsistent, thus measured values are subject to small
fluctuations over time. The random error of a set of readings is equal to
the standard deviation.
Detailed error analysis calculations are shown in the appendices.

Random Errors calculation for viable count


n
1 1
T́ = ∑ Ti ¿ (31+53+12+ 40+9) = 29
n i=1 5

1 ( 31−29 )2+ ( 53−29 )2 + ( 12−29 )2


=
√[ 5 +(40−29)2 +(9−29)2 ] = 16.67

Systematic Errors – Systematic errors are errors which occur due to


experimental equipment design.
APPENDICES
Error Analysis
Random Errors –
An example calculation of the random error for all optical density
measurements is shown below:

Measured value for absorbance at 540 nm (Optical density method)

n
1 1
T́ = ∑ Ti ¿ ( 0.24+ 0.32+ 0.52+ 0.96 )=0.51
n i=1 4
n
Random Error=ε R=
√ 1
n∑i=1
( T i −T́ )
2

1 ( 0.24−0.51 )2 + ( 0.32−0.51 )2 + ( 0.52−0.51 )2


¿
√[
4
¿ 0.507
+(0.96−0.51)2 ]
Systematic Errors –
Systematic errors are errors which occur due to experimental equipment
design. They usually result in shifting the experimental reading from their
true value. The systematic error for a reading is stated as ± half the
smallest value.

Sampl Absorbance Systematic Error


e
A 0.240 ±0.0005
B 0.383 ±0.0005
C 0.523 ±0.0005
D 0.966 ±0.0005
E 1.210 ±0.0005

Table of systematic errors for absorbance

Random Errors calculation for viable count


n
1 1
T́ = ∑ Ti ¿ (31+53+12+ 40+9) = 29
n i=1 5

1 ( 31−29 )2+ ( 53−29 )2 + ( 12−29 )2


√[ 5 +(40−29)2 +(9−29)2 ]
= 16.67
Combining Random and Systematic Errors –
To obtain the total error for the raw data the random and systematic
errors were combined. This was done using the following method:

Error for optical density measurements–


ε =√ ε r 2+ε s2
¿ √ 0.74792 +0.00052
¿ 0.7479

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