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  3. A Practical Guide to Data Analysis for Physical Science Students
  • Cited by 101
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:
June 2012
Print publication year:
1991
Online ISBN:
9781139170321
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139170321
Subjects:
Physics and Astronomy, Engineering, General and Classical Physics, Engineering Mathematics and Programming
Information

Book description

It is usually straightforward to calculate the result of a practical experiment in the laboratory. Estimating the accuracy of that result is often regarded by students as an obscure and tedious routine, involving much arithmetic. An estimate of the error is, however, an integral part of the presentation of the results of experiments. This textbook is intended for undergraduates who are carrying out laboratory experiments in the physical sciences for the first time. It is a practical guide on how to analyse data and estimate errors. The necessary formulas for performing calculations are given, and the ideas behind them are explained, although this is not a formal text on statistics. Specific examples are worked through step by step in the text. Emphasis is placed on the need to think about whether a calculated error is sensible. At first students should take this book with them to the laboratory, and the format is intended to make this convenient. The book will provide the necessary understanding of what is involved, should inspire confidence in the method of estimating errors, and enable numerical calculations without too much effort. The author's aim is to make practical classes more enjoyable. Students who use this book will be able to complete their calculations quickly and confidently, leaving time to appreciate the basic physical ideas involved in the experiments.

Reviews

‘ … a very useful book … clear and lucid and designed to be taken into the laboratory … a valuable contribution to the education of physics undergraduates.’

Source: The Times Higher Education Supplement

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