| Preface to the fourth edition | p. ix |
| Preface to the first edition | p. x |
| The object of practical physics | p. 1 |
| Statistical Treatment of Data | |
| Introduction to errors | p. 5 |
| The importance of estimating errors | p. 5 |
| Systematic and random errors | p. 6 |
| Systematic errors | p. 8 |
| Treatment of a single variable | p. 9 |
| Introduction | p. 9 |
| Set of measurements | p. 10 |
| Distribution of measurements | p. 10 |
| Estimation of [sigma] and [sigma subscript m] | p. 14 |
| The Gaussian distribution | p. 18 |
| The integral function | p. 19 |
| The error in the error | p. 22 |
| Discussion of the Gaussian distribution | p. 22 |
| Summary of symbols, nomenclature, and important formulae | p. 24 |
| Exercises | p. 26 |
| Further topics in statistical theory | p. 27 |
| The treatment of functions | p. 27 |
| The straight line--method of least squares | p. 30 |
| The straight line--points in pairs | p. 36 |
| Weighting of results | p. 37 |
| Summary of equations for the best straight line by the method of least squares | p. 39 |
| Exercises | p. 41 |
| Common sense in errors | p. 43 |
| Error calculations in practice | p. 43 |
| Complicated functions | p. 46 |
| Errors and experimental procedure | p. 48 |
| Summary of treatment of errors | p. 50 |
| Exercises | p. 51 |
| Experimental Methods | |
| Some laboratory instruments and methods | p. 55 |
| Introduction | p. 55 |
| Metre rule | p. 55 |
| Micrometer screw gauge | p. 57 |
| Measurement of length--choice of method | p. 58 |
| Measurement of length--temperature effect | p. 61 |
| The beat method of measuring frequency | p. 62 |
| Negative feedback amplifier | p. 64 |
| Servo systems | p. 67 |
| Natural limits of measurement | p. 69 |
| Exercises | p. 71 |
| Some experimental techniques | p. 73 |
| Rayleigh refractometer | p. 73 |
| Measurement of resistivity | p. 79 |
| Absolute measurement of the acceleration due to the Earth's gravity | p. 86 |
| Measurement of frequency and time | p. 94 |
| The Global Positioning System | p. 98 |
| Exercises | p. 101 |
| Experimental logic | p. 102 |
| Introduction | p. 102 |
| Apparent symmetry in apparatus | p. 102 |
| Sequence of measurements | p. 103 |
| Intentional and unintentional changes | p. 104 |
| Drift | p. 105 |
| Systematic variations | p. 106 |
| Calculated and empirical corrections | p. 109 |
| Relative methods | p. 111 |
| Null methods | p. 113 |
| Why make precise measurements? | p. 114 |
| Common sense in experiments | p. 117 |
| Preliminary experiment | p. 117 |
| Checking the obvious | p. 118 |
| Personal errors | p. 119 |
| Repetition of measurements | p. 119 |
| Working out results | p. 121 |
| Design of apparatus | p. 122 |
| Record and Calculations | |
| Record of the experiment | p. 125 |
| Introduction | p. 125 |
| Bound notebook versus loose-leaf | p. 125 |
| Recording measurements | p. 126 |
| Down with copying | p. 126 |
| Diagrams | p. 127 |
| Tables | p. 129 |
| Aids to clarity | p. 130 |
| Some common faults--ambiguity and vagueness | p. 131 |
| Graphs | p. 133 |
| The use of graphs | p. 133 |
| Choice of ruling | p. 137 |
| Scale | p. 137 |
| Units | p. 138 |
| Some hints on drawing graphs | p. 138 |
| Indicating errors | p. 141 |
| Sensitivity | p. 142 |
| Arithmetic | p. 144 |
| Arithmetic is important | p. 144 |
| Computers | p. 144 |
| Calculators | p. 145 |
| Ways of reducing arithmetical mistakes | p. 145 |
| Checking algebra | p. 148 |
| Exercises | p. 150 |
| Writing a paper | p. 152 |
| Introduction | p. 152 |
| Title | p. 152 |
| Abstract | p. 152 |
| Plan of paper | p. 153 |
| Sections of paper | p. 153 |
| Diagrams, graphs, and tables | p. 155 |
| Instructions to authors | p. 155 |
| Clarity | p. 156 |
| Good English | p. 156 |
| Conclusion | p. 158 |
| Appendices | |
| Evaluation of some integrals connected with the Gaussian function | p. 161 |
| The variance of s[superscript 2] for a Gaussian distribution | p. 164 |
| The straight line--the standard error in the slope and intercept | p. 166 |
| Comment on the dependence of m, c, and b | p. 170 |
| The binomial and Poisson distributions | p. 171 |
| Binomial distribution | p. 171 |
| Poisson distribution | p. 173 |
| The x[superscript 2] distribution--test of goodness of fit | p. 176 |
| Introduction | p. 176 |
| Derivation of x[superscript 2] distribution | p. 177 |
| The function P[subscript n](x[superscript 2]) | p. 180 |
| Degrees of freedom | p. 181 |
| Test of goodness of fit | p. 182 |
| Worked examples | p. 184 |
| Comments | p. 186 |
| SI units | p. 188 |
| Names and symbols | p. 189 |
| Decimal factors | p. 190 |
| Relation to c.g.s. units | p. 190 |
| Definition of the SI base units | p. 191 |
| Values of physical constants | p. 192 |
| Mathematical tables | p. 193 |
| Values of the Gaussian function and the Gaussian integral function | p. 193 |
| Values of x[superscript 2] for given v and P | p. 194 |
| Solutions to exercises | p. 196 |
| Some useful books | p. 206 |
| References | p. 207 |
| Index | p. 209 |
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