Uncertainty Principles

[Tony Ong 3K]

For uncertainty of velocity, if they give you that the speed is 373.23 plus or minus .34 m/s, is the uncertainty in velocity 373.23 or .34 or how do you calculate it??

[AhYeon_Kwon_2H]

Think of uncertainty like a range: if the velocity given is 373.23 plus or minus .34 m/s, the velocity will be something between 372.89 m/s and 373.57 m/s. We know it must fall between these two values but we're not sure what the exact velocity will be, so the uncertainty is 373.57-372.89 = 0.68.

Long story short, double whatever value is after the "plus or minus" to get the uncertainty. (0.34*2 = 0.68)

[sameeksha_panda_3h]

Yeah pretty much for uncertainty, if you get a "plus or minus" some value, double it, otherwise if you're told within a certain percentage, multiply by that percentage to get y=the uncertainty.