Publication Date
| In 2025 | 0 |
| Since 2024 | 0 |
| Since 2021 (last 5 years) | 0 |
| Since 2016 (last 10 years) | 1 |
| Since 2006 (last 20 years) | 1 |
Descriptor
| College Faculty | 1 |
| Energy | 1 |
| Error Patterns | 1 |
| Laboratory Experiments | 1 |
| Mathematical Formulas | 1 |
| Measurement | 1 |
| Physics | 1 |
| Science Instruction | 1 |
| Teaching Methods | 1 |
| Undergraduate Students | 1 |
Source
| Physics Education | 1 |
Author
| Duncan, Sean Patrick | 1 |
| Key, Roger A. | 1 |
| Sheldon, Avery E. | 1 |
| Walkup, John R. | 1 |
| Walkup, Michael A. | 1 |
Publication Type
| Journal Articles | 1 |
| Reports - Descriptive | 1 |
Education Level
| Higher Education | 1 |
| Postsecondary Education | 1 |
Audience
Location
| California | 1 |
Laws, Policies, & Programs
Assessments and Surveys
What Works Clearinghouse Rating
Peer reviewed
Direct linkWalkup, John R.; Key, Roger A.; Duncan, Sean Patrick; Sheldon, Avery E.; Walkup, Michael A. – Physics Education, 2020
Error analysis consumes much of the focus in introductory physics labs. Catastrophic cancellation is a spike in error that occurs when subtracting two measurements of roughly equal magnitude. Often termed "loss of significance" or "subtractive cancellation," this effect can easily relegate experimental results to utter…
Descriptors: Physics, Science Instruction, Laboratory Experiments, Teaching Methods
