[Phys-L] Re: Human Error?

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

Part of this, I believe, is the false impression students get that science
is TRUTH and that nature is precise.  Of course, they believe, the
acceleration of gravity in the lab is 9.81 m/s^2 and they SHOULD get that
answer.  If they were using precision instruments (even if they weren't)
they trust that in fact they should get 9.81!  If they don't, something is
wrong and if not the science, if not the equipment, (if not their faulty
assumptions which they don't question), then it must be them.

I also suspect that they were drilled in HS that there is always room for
the experimenter (the human) to make mistakes.

I also don't accept 'human error' in my reports.  If the possible problem is
correctable (recheck your calculation) then that should already be done.  If
the results are still too far off to be statistical or equipment based then
they MUST speculate on WHAT kind of errors they might have made.  Again,
like Mike, if such are now correctable, do so, if for whatever reason the
experiment can't be repeated then AT LEAST be sure that the proposed error
mode could actually result in the kind of discrepancy being seen.

Rick

*********************************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
********************************************************
Free Physics Educational Software (Win & Mac)
NEW: Animations for PowerPoint
          Newton's Maze lab simulation
          Simplified Energy Management Simulator
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
Energy 2100--class project
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/ENERGY_PROJECT/ENERGY2100.htm
********************************************************




> Anyway... my question to this group is... How did reporting "human
> error" as a source of error become so prevalent?  Do any of you want to
> defend it as a reasonable thing to write on a lab report (or in a
> publication)?
>
> Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
_______________________________________________
Phys-L mailing list
Phys-L@electron.physics.buffalo.edu
https://www.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l