Limitations in Experimental Procedures
- Even if the experimental result is close to the true value, there are always potential limitations of experimental methods such as the presence of random errors
- Random errors cannot be completely removed but their effect can be reduced by taking as many repeats as possible and using the average of the repeats
- There are always opportunities to identify limitations of the procedure, some common examples include:
- Parallax error when reading scales
- Not using a fiducial marker (eg. when measuring the time period of a pendulum using a stopwatch)
- Not repeating measurements to reduce random errors
- Not checking for zero errors to reduce systematic errors
- The equipment not working properly or not checking beforehand with small tests
- Equipment with poor precision and resolution (eg. a ruler over a micrometer)
- Difficult to control variables (eg. the temperature of the classroom)
- Unwanted heating effects eg. in circuits