Kvasny Prum. 2002; 48(7-8): 188-191 | DOI: 10.18832/kp2002016

Uncertainty in Measuring - Its Assessment and Interpretation.Peer-reviewed article

J. ČULÍK, V. KELLNER, P. ČEJKA, M. JURKOVÁ, T. HORÁK

The increasing demands on the quality of results provided by  the accredited test laboratories breed some new obligations.  One of them is to fulfil the European norm EN 45 001 (General  criteria for operation of test laboratories) that requires  that the reports issued by the test laboratories include the  indications of uncertainty in measuring and further  determines that the quantitative results must be shown with  calculated or estimated uncertainty.  For setting of the uncertainty values, there is a serie of  good reasons. Apart of the fact that the uncertainty of  results is a quantitative sign of its quality, its indication  allows at the same time to compare with each other even the  results of different laboratories or the results obtained by  the same laboratory. Moreover, this indication enables to the  client to compare the result stated in the report, for  instance, with the reference values or norms and to interpret  correctly the data ranging in the area of limiting values.  The main contents of the publication is the interpretation of  concepts, their classification and the principles for their  operation. It contains detailed methods of uncertainty  estimation as well as principles of their correct  interpretation. A practical case demonstrates thewa procedure  of assessment of uncertainties in a complicated analytical  procedure.The increasing demands on the quality of results provided by  the accredited test laboratories breed some new obligations.  One of them is to fulfil the European norm EN 45 001 (General  criteria for operation of test laboratories) that requires  that the reports issued by the test laboratories include the  indications of uncertainty in measuring and further  determines that the quantitative results must be shown with  calculated or estimated uncertainty.  For setting of the uncertainty values, there is a serie of  good reasons. Apart of the fact that the uncertainty of  results is a quantitative sign of its quality, its indication  allows at the same time to compare with each other even the  results of different laboratories or the results obtained by  the same laboratory. Moreover, this indication enables to the  client to compare the result stated in the report, for  instance, with the reference values or norms and to interpret  correctly the data ranging in the area of limiting values.  The main contents of the publication is the interpretation of  concepts, their classification and the principles for their  operation. It contains detailed methods of uncertainty  estimation as well as principles of their correct  interpretation. A practical case demonstrates thewa procedure  of assessment of uncertainties in a complicated analytical  procedure.

Keywords: uncertainty,methods validation, interpretation of results

Published: July 1, 2002