Absolute Uncertainty
The margin of measurement error expressed in the same physical units as the quantity being measured.
Governing formula
x = x_mean ± Δx
SI unit
Various
In depth
Absolute uncertainty dictates the confidence interval of an experimental result. It accounts for both instrument resolution limits and random scatter across repeated measurements.
Examples in the real world
Writing a length measurement as 15.4 ± 0.2 cm means the true length lies between 15.2 cm and 15.6 cm.