C. Error Theory

1. Error sources

Errors originate from one of three places:

• Natural - the conditions under which measurements are made.
• Instrumental - the equipment with which we make the measurements.
• Personal - the knowledge and skill of the people making the measurements.

We can control some of the errors within these sources, others we can’t. For example, while we can’t change the outside temperature we can compensate for it when measuring distances electronically.