Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Practice Exam

Which of the following errors can be minimized through repeated measurements and averaging?

1. Systematic error

2. Random error

3. Blunder

4. Fixed error

The correct answer is: Random error

Random errors occur due to unpredictable fluctuations in the measurement process, often related to external factors such as environmental conditions, instrument limitations, or the observer's inconsistency. These errors can be minimized through repeated measurements, as taking several observations and calculating their average tends to cancel out these random fluctuations. The more measurements taken, the closer the average result will be to the true value. In contrast, systematic errors arise from consistent biases in the measurement process and are not typically reduced through repetition. Blunders refer to significant mistakes usually caused by human error and are often obvious upon review, rather than being statistical issues that can be averaged away. Fixed errors, similar to systematic errors, remain constant throughout the measuring process and are not rectified through repeated measurements. Therefore, averaging effectively targets random errors, making it a valuable technique for enhancing measurement accuracy.