Uncertainty is a quantification of the doubt about the measurement result and tells us something about its quality.

Error is the difference between the measured value and the true value of the thing being measured.

In some cases errors can be known and corrected. Where the size and effect of an error are known (e.g. from a calibration certificate) a correction can be applied to the measurement result.

Any error whose value is not known is a source of uncertainty. 

 

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• Measurement uncertainty
• Introducing uncertainty
• Basics of uncertainty analysis