How do we know what we know, and how well do we know it? Measurement underpins our understanding of the physical world, and great care must be taken in the design, operation, and analysis of measurement systems to avoid hoodwinking ourselves. In this course, taught by experts, you will learn crucial techniques in the design and operation of measurement systems and apparatuses. Along the way, you’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls that confound many experiments. Topics covered will include: feedback control, statistical analysis and limit theorems, types of noise and mitigation strategies, types of measurements and sensors, signal conditioning and processing, measurement limits. Key concepts and systems-level considerations will be illustrated with case-studies of sophisticated instrumentation and measurement systems.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand and be able to describe the principles of scientific measurement;
- Identify appropriate mathematical and statistical techniques and apply them to scientific data;
- Analyse a measurement system.
Indicative Assessment
- Assignments (30) [LO 1,2,3]
- Regular Quizzes (10) [LO 1,2]
- Labs (20) [LO 1,2,3]
- Exam (40) [LO 1,2,3]
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Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
• Face-to face component which may consist of 3 x 1 hour lectures per week and 6 hours of labs throughout the semester.
• Approximately 88 hours of self directed study which will include preparation for lectures and other assessment tasks.
Inherent Requirements
To be determined
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
N/A
Preliminary Reading
Peter Saulson, Fundamentals of Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detection (any edition)Alan S. Morris, Measurement & Instrumentation Principles (most recent edition)
Robert B. Northrup, Introduction to Instrumentation and Measurements, (most recent edition)
Assumed Knowledge
Basic computing, Fourier analysis, basic linear algebra. 12 units of university level mathematics for physicists and engineers. 12 units of first year university advanced level physics.Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2537 | 23 Feb 2026 | 02 Mar 2026 | 31 Mar 2026 | 29 May 2026 | In Person | N/A |