To understand which type of error is caused due to faulty calibration of instruments, let's first explore the different types of errors:
- Gross error: These errors are mainly the result of human mistakes such as incorrect readings, miscalculations, or using the wrong instrument.
- Random error: These are unpredictable and uncontrollable errors that arise from unpredictable variations in experimental conditions or procedures, often statistical in nature.
- Systematic error: These errors are consistent and repeatable errors associated with faulty instrument calibration or flawed experimental design. They lead to measured values being consistently higher or lower than the true value.
- Environmental error: These errors occur due to environmental conditions around the equipment, such as temperature, humidity, or electromagnetic interference.
Instruments must be periodically calibrated to ensure their measurements are accurate and precise. Faulty or incorrect calibration is a prime source of systematic errors because it introduces a constant bias in all measurements taken thereafter, leading to consistent deviation from the true values.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
- Systematic error: This is the type of error caused due to faulty calibration of instruments.