Human Error
Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
A Human Error is a mistake made by a human which causes results to be inaccurate.
About Human Error
- Human error can be caused by reading an instrument incorrectly or by an instrument that relies on a human to operate it.
- Every time a stopwatch is used there is a human error because humans take time to react to events. The human error in starting a stopwatch and stopping a stopwatch is around 0.2 seconds but can vary from person to person. A measurement of 10 seconds with a 0.2 second error is less inaccurate than a 0.5 second measurement and a 0.2 second error.
- Reading the value on a Measuring Cylinder can be inaccurate due to the meniscus or if it is not read at eye level.
Key Stage 4
Meaning
A Human Error is a mistake made by a human which causes results to be inaccurate.
About Human Error
- Human error can be caused by reading an instrument incorrectly or by an instrument that relies on a human to operate it.
- Every time a stopwatch is used there is a human error because humans take time to react to events. The human error in starting a stopwatch and stopping a stopwatch is around 0.2 seconds but can vary from person to person. A measurement of 10 seconds with a 0.2 second error is less inaccurate than a 0.5 second measurement and a 0.2 second error.
- Reading the value on a Measuring Cylinder can be inaccurate due to the meniscus or if it is not read at eye level.