Estimation of

Measurement
Uncertainty
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Important Terms and Definitions

Measurement
Process of experimentally obtaining one or more
quantity values that can reasonably be attributed to
a quantity.
Accuracy
Closeness of agreement between a measured
quantity value and a true quantity value of a
measurand.
Precision
Closeness of agreement between indications or
measured quantity values obtained by replicate
measurements on the same or similar objects under
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specified conditions.

Important Terms and Definitions

Calibration
Calibration is a measurement process that assigns
values to the property of an artifact or to the
response of an instrument relative to reference
standards or to a designated measurement process
with measurement uncertainties.
The purpose of calibration is to eliminate or reduce
bias in the user's measurement system relative to
the reference base.
A calibration may be expressed by a statement,
calibration function, calibration diagram, calibration
curve, or calibration table.
Contd..
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Important Terms and Definitions

Error
Measured quantity value minus a reference quantity
value
Systematic Error
Component of measurement error that in replicate
measurements remains constant or varies in a
predictable manner.
Random Error
Component of measurement error that in replicate
measurements varies in an unpredictable manner.
Contd..
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Important Terms and Definitions

Repeatability
Measurement precision under such a set of
conditions that includes the same measurement
procedure, same location, and replicate
measurements on the same or similar objects over
an extended period of time, but may include other
conditions involving changes.
Reproducibility
measurement precision under such a set of
conditions that includes different locations,
operators, measuring systems, and replicate
measurements on the same or similar objects.
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Contd..

Important Terms and Definitions

Measurement Traceability
Measurement traceability is a chain of references /
corrections that have been incorporated in
measurement process starting from the primary
standard at BIPM and ending at the final
measurement that is under consideration.
Broadly speaking measurement traceability has its
roots in two different areas of measurements
1. Measurement Accuracy (Error)
2. Measurement Uncertainty
Contd..

Important Terms and Definitions

Measurement Traceability
Primary Standard
at BIPM
Erro
r
Erro
r
Erro
r
Erro

National Standard at
NPSL
Ref. Standard at Cal.
Lab
Ref. Standard at any
client lab

Uncertain
ty
Uncertain
ty
Uncertain
ty
Uncertain

Important Terms and Definitions

Uncertainty of Measurement
Non-negative parameter characterizing the
dispersion of the quantity values being attributed to
a measurand, based on the information used.
Measurement uncertainty includes components
arising from systematic effects, such as components
associated with corrections and the assigned
quantity values of measurement standards, as well
as the definitional uncertainty. Sometimes
estimated systematic effects are not corrected for
but, instead, associated measurement uncertainty
components are incorporated.
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Types of Uncertainty

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Type B Uncertainty
Type B evaluation of standard uncertainty is
usually based on scientific judgment using all of
the relevant information available, which may
include:
previous measurement data,
experience with, or general knowledge of, the
behaviour and property of relevant materials and
instruments,
manufacturer's specifications,
data provided in calibration and other reports, and
uncertainties assigned to reference data taken
from handbooks.

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2. Uncertainty Type B
Few of Common factors that contribute to
the measurement uncertainty of are
discussed below.
i. Uncertainty due to Resolution of Unit Under Test
(UUT) UB1
For digital indicating devices, resolution uncertainty is
understood to be half of the least significant digit, with a
rectangular distribution. A rectangular distribution is also
used for analog timers, since these devices move in
discrete steps from one fraction of a second to the next .
ii. Uncertainty due to Combined Uncertainty of
Standard UB2
The Expanded Value of the uncertainty is divided by the
coverage factor (2) and the resultant combined
uncertainty is taken as it is for further calculation of
Uncertainty.

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iii. Uncertainty due to Accuracy of UUT UB3

The Accuracy of a Unit Under Test is divided
by Square root of 3 (factor for Rectangular
Distribution) to obtain the uncertainty
contribution factor due to accuracy of unit
under test.
iv. Uncertainty due to Drift of Standard
UB4
The Expanded Value of the uncertainty is
divided by Square root of 3 (factor for
Rectangular Distribution) to obtain the
uncertainty contribution factor due to drift
of standard.
Or
Difference of combined uncertainties
obtained from current calibration certificate
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and the previous years calibration

Combined Uncertainty
It is taken as the square root of sum
of squares of all the Uncertainty
contributions obtained from various
factors / sources

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Expanded Uncertainty
Expanded uncertainty (UE) or (U)
= Uc * k
(k = 2, representing approximately a
95 % level of confidence)
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Uncertainty Budget (General

Example)

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Combined Uncertainty
Model Equation:

Where
ci = sensitivity co-efficient
ui = standard uncertainty component
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Uncertainty of Measurement
Commonly Used Probability Distributions

Normal
Distribution
Distribution
factor = 1

Rectangular
Distribution

Triangular
Distribution

Distribution
factor = 3

Distribution
factor = 6

Sensitivity Coefficient
(ci )

It is denoted as ci and is the factor that is

associated with the each type B uncertainty
component. It is the measure of
interdependency of each of the type B
uncertainty component to all the other type B
components involved in the estimated
Combined Uncertainty Uc under consideration.
It is determined by the sum of partial
derivatives of each of the type B uncertainty
component with respect to the component
under consideration including its own partial
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derivative as well.

Simple & Brief Explanation of

Coefficient of Sensitivity
If we have UB1, UB2, UB3, UB4 & UB5 as the five type B
uncertainty components then their corresponding
Sensitivity Coefficients would be c1, c2, c3, c4, & c5
respectively

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Confidence interval
Procedure:
Convert an uncertainty quoted in a handbook,
manufacturer's specification, calibration
certificate, etc., that defines a "confidence
interval" having a stated level of confidence,
such as 95 % or 99 %, to a standard
uncertainty by treating the quoted uncertainty
as if a normal probability distribution had been
used to calculate it (unless otherwise indicated)
and dividing it by the appropriate factor for
such a distribution. These factors are 1.960 and
2.576 for the two levels of confidence given.
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Coverage factor
In general, the value of the coverage factor k
is chosen on the basis of the desired level of
confidence to be associated with the interval
defined by U = kuc. Typically, k is in the range
2 to 3.
When the normal distribution applies and uc is
a reliable estimate of the standard deviation of
y,
U = 2 uc (i.e., k = 2) defines an interval having
a level of confidence of approximately 95 %,
and
U = 3 uc (i.e., k = 3) defines an interval having
23 %.
a level of confidence greater than 99

References
Vocabulary of International Metrology (VIM), 2008, OIML
Guidelines for Evaluating and Expressing the
Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results, 1297, 1994
Expression of Uncertainty and Confidence in
Measurement, M3003, Dec 1997, Ed 1, UKAS
Expression of the Uncertainty of Measurement in
Calibration, EA-4/02, Dec 1999, European Accreditation
Guide for Estimation of Uncertainty in Testing, G104
A2LA, Jul 2002, The American Association for Laboratory
Accreditation
Guide for Estimation of Uncertainty of Dimensional
Calibration and Testing Results, G103 A2LA, Dec 2008,
The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation

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