Uncertainty

[Danieljm1B]

What is meant when the term "uncertainty" is used?

[Yen Ho Chou 1D]

depends on where it is, but usually when you calculate a number, you have a degree of uncertainty

[904914037]

Yes the uncertainty reflects the idea that at the atomic level, the procedure in which experimental data is obtained can cause some uncertainty for the data itself. Even though we might have a good approximation for the real data value, the uncertainty acknowledges that the approximation might be slightly different than the real value.

[Hannah Romano 4D]

It is import to consider "uncertainty" in chemistry during experiments. Because atoms take part in reactions on such a small scale, it is nearly impossible to measure experiments with exact certainty. In fact, measurement errors often occur on a significant scale due to several potential human errors. While many measures can be take to try to avoid these errors, it is best to regard experiments with a degree of uncertainty. Errors in experimental values can then be calculated with the percent error formula in order to determine the error margin.