1. ## Error Analysis

I'm really unsure where to post this so sorry if this is the wrong section, anyways:

The error part of my physics labs have been takin up a lot of time lately. Anyways, say I have 10 numbers for time measurements like 3.53 s, 5.32 s, 3.57 s, 4.89 s, 3.24 s, etc...
and my reaction time is say +/- 0.20 s. I want to average these 10 values out but I have to associate an error reading like with the final value so for example my final value would like like : avg time = 3.23 +/- 0.13 s.

ok to rephrase it, say I find my standard deviation to be 0.08947 using Excel. My reaction time is 0.20 s and my average value is 1.41 s. How would I incorporate/propogate the rxn time and stnd deviation to find the final +/- error value?

-thanks

2. Originally Posted by SportfreundeKeaneKent
I'm really unsure where to post this so sorry if this is the wrong section, anyways:

The error part of my physics labs have been takin up a lot of time lately. Anyways, say I have 10 numbers for time measurements like 3.53 s, 5.32 s, 3.57 s, 4.89 s, 3.24 s, etc...
and my reaction time is say +/- 0.20 s. I want to average these 10 values out but I have to associate an error reading like with the final value so for example my final value would like like : avg time = 3.23 +/- 0.13 s.

ok to rephrase it, say I find my standard deviation to be 0.08947 using Excel. My reaction time is 0.20 s and my average value is 1.41 s. How would I incorporate/propogate the rxn time and stnd deviation to find the final +/- error value?

-thanks
An error of the form $\pm \; x$ often denotes $\pm\; 3 \sigma$ errors, though equally
often $\pm\; 2 \sigma$ errors. Without further information about what $\pm \; 0.2$s
means we cannot do much more.

RonL

3. use the propogation of errors formula