Basic Characteristics of Error Distribution; Histograms

Abstract

In Chap. 1 is given introductory basic information concerning the practical aspects of the error analysis. Various examples of histograms show how much information may be deduced from them. Such important parameters deduced from a sample of measurements as a sample average, the sample variance and a sample standard deviation are defined, along with simple examples of practical significance are presented. Using examples of histograms a notion of a cumulative frequency empirical distribution is defined. A number of practical problems illustrate variety of possible empirical distributions. These examples are used to explain the difference between exact values of basic parameters such as for example a mean value or a variance and their estimators when a sample used for measurements contains only a fraction of the total population of a measured quantity.