Statistical analysis of experimental data

The experimental data is obtained in two forms of tests:

(1) Multi-sample test

In this test, repeated measurements of a given quantity are done using different test
conditions such as employing different instruments, different ways of measurement
and by employing different observers.

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(2) Single-sample test

A single measurement done under identical conditions except for time is known as single
sample test.
In order to get the exact value of quantity under measurement, tests should be done using
as many different procedures, techniques and experimenters as practicable. It should be
borne in mind that statistical means which help us to arrive at correct results are only valid
for multi-sample tests.

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Histogram: When a number of multi-sample observations are taken experimentally there is a
scatter of data about some central value one of the methods, presenting the results is in the
form of a histogram. 20

18

S. No. Length Number 16

Number of readings
12
1 99.7 1
10
2 99.8 4
8
3 99.9 12
6

4 100.0 19
4

5 100.1 10 2

6 100.2 3 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
7 100.3 1 Length (mm)
Histogram 3
Histogram is also called a frequency distribution curve.
Arithmetic mean: The most probable value of measured variable is the arithmetic mean of
the number of reading taken. The best approximation is made when the number of
readings of the same quantity is very large.

x1  x2  .........  xn  x
X 
n n
X  arithmetic mean
x1 , x2 ,............, xn  readings or variates or samples

n  no. of readings
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Measure of dispersion from the mean: The property which denotes the extent to which
the values are dispersed about the central value termed as dispersion.

Curve 1 greater precision

Curve 2 lower precision

x3 x1 x2 x4

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Range:
The simplest possible measure of dispersion is the range which is the difference between
greatest and least value of data. For example the range of curve 1 (x2-x1) and that of
curve 2 is (x4-x3).
Deviation:
Deviation is departure of the observed reading from the arithmetic mean of the group of
readings. Let the deviation of reading x1, d1 and x2, d2 etc.
d1  x1  X
d 2  x2  X
.
.
.
d n  xn  X

X
(x n  dn )
n
algebraic sum of deviations  d1  d 2  .........  d n
 (x1  X)  (x2  X)  .......  (xn  X)
 (x1  x2  ...........  xn )  nX 6
0
Average deviation: The average deviation is an indication of the precision of the
instruments used in making the measurements. Highly precise instruments yield a low
average deviation between readings.

d1  d 2  ........  d n
D
n

 d
n
Standard deviation:
Another important term in the analysis of random errors is the standard deviation or root
mean square deviation. The S.D. of an infinite number of data is defined as the square root
of the sum of the individual deviations squared, divided by the number of readings.

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 d12  d 22  ..........  d n2
S .D.   
n

 d 2

In practice, however, the number of observations is finite.

When n  20
S .D.  
n  20
d12  d 22  ..........  d n2
S .D.  s 
n 1

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 Variance: The variance is the mean square deviation.

V  Standard deviation 
2

d12  d 22  .......  d n2
 ( S.D.)   
2 2

n
n  20

V  s2
d12  d 22  .......  d n2

n 1

Ex. A circuit was tuned for resonance by eight different students, the values of resonant
frequency in kHz were recorded as 532, 548, 543, 535, 546, 531, 543, 536. Calculate (a)
arithmetic mean (b) deviations from mean (c) average deviation (d) standard deviation (e)
variance.

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 (a) X 
 x
 539.25 kHz
n
(b) d1  x1  X  7.25 kHz
. .
. .
. .
d 8  x8  X  3.25 kHz
(c) D   d
 5.75 kHz
n
(d) s 
  6.54 kHz
d 2

n 1
(e) Variance V  s2  42.77(kHz) 2

Q. The following ten observations were recorded when measuring a temperature 41.7, 42.0,
41.8, 42.0, 42.1, 41.9, 42.0, 41.9, 42.5 and 41.8 oC. Find (i) the mean (ii) the standard
deviation and (iii) range.
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Q. In a test temperature is measured 100 times with variations in apparatus and
procedures. After applying the corrections, the results are:

Temperature oC 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405

Frequency of 1 3 12 23 37 16 4 2 2
occurrence

Calculate (a) arithmetic mean, (b) mean deviation, (c) standard deviation (d) variance
and (e) range. Plot histogram also.
Mean Temperatur e X 
 fx
f
Mean deviation D   fd
f
Standard deviation   
2
fd
f
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