Question
Explain the following terms with respect to precise measurement:
i. Absolute deviation
ii. Mean absolute deviation
iii. Relative deviation

Answer

i. Absolute deviation: An absolute deviation is the modulus of the difference between an observed value and the arithmetic mean for the set of several measurements made in the same way. It is a measure of absolute error in the repeated observation. It is expressed as follows:
Absolute deviation = |Observed value – Mean|

ii. Mean absolute deviation: Arithmetic mean of all the absolute deviations is called the mean absolute deviation in the measurements.

iii. Relative deviation: The ratio of mean absolute deviation to its arithmetic mean is called relative deviation. It is expressed as follows:
Relative deviation $=\frac{\text { Mean absolute deviation }}{\text { Mean }} \times 100 \%$

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