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I am doing an experiment and I measured 2 quantities (X and Y). From the samples of each quantity I calculated the uncertainty (standard deviation).

I need to know the uncertainty of X/Y. What should I do?

Selva
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    Compute $Z={X \over Y}$ and then compute the standard deviation of $Z$. – copper.hat Aug 08 '16 at 20:05
  • Thanks for reply. But doesn't dividing order of samples matter? For example consider 3 samples. Then, X1/Y1, X2/Y2, X3/Y3 will give a different uncertainty when compared to X3/Y1, X2/Y2, X1/Y3. isn't it? – Selva Aug 08 '16 at 20:08
  • Of course. Given samples $(x_k,y_k)$, compute $z_k = {x_k \over y_k}$, in context, it makes no sense to compute ${x_i \over y_j}$ from different samples. The notation $Z={X \over Y}$ means $z_k = {x_k \over y_k}$ in this case. – copper.hat Aug 08 '16 at 20:10
  • Hey. Sorry I am a noob in this. Could you please explain me with an example? One more thing, X and Y are measured at two different time, so they are independent. – Selva Aug 08 '16 at 20:16
  • You collected samples $(x_k,y_k)$. Now compute the measurement $z_k = {x_k \over y_k}$. Now compute the standard deviation of $z_k$. – copper.hat Aug 08 '16 at 20:22

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