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Question about how to calculate uncertainty and "DIVIDE" them?
Ok so the problem asks me to find the uncertainty.
Lets say the uncertainty is 1 cm and the numbers are
a= 20, b= 90
what happens to the uncertainty when a/b happens?
Do i divide the uncertainties?
3 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
so im assuming you have
a = 20 (+/-) 1 and b = 90 (+/-) 1
when you divide two quantities,,you add the relative uncertainties
Therefore (1/20) + (1/90) = your answer.
Source(s): Me - ?Lv 41 decade ago
No. You add the fractional uncertainties in quadrature. Let's say the values are
A = 20 ± 1 cm
B = 90 ± 1 cm
And you wish to find the uncertainty in a third value C, whereby C=A/B, and A and B are uncorrelated, then:
δC = C*sqrt((δA/A)² + (δB/B)²)
In your example
δC = (20/90)*sqrt((1/20)² + (1/90)²)
The uncertainty is the same if C=A*B
