Error bar

A bar chart with confidence intervals (shown as red lines)

Error bars are a graphical representation of the variability of data and are used on graphs to indicate the error, or uncertainty in a reported measurement. They give a general idea of how accurate a measurement is, or conversely, how far from the reported value the true (error free) value might be. Error bars often indicate one standard deviation of uncertainty, but may also indicate the standard error. These quantities are not the same and so the measure selected should be stated explicitly in the graph or supporting text.

Error bars can be used to compare visually two quantities if various other conditions hold. This can determine whether differences are statistically significant. Error bars can also show how good a statistical fit the data has to a given function. Scientific papers in the experimental sciences are expected to include error bars on all graphs, though the practice differs somewhat between sciences, and each journal will have its own house style.

See also

• Confidence interval
• Box plot

External links

• Using Error Bars in your Graph — North Carolina State University
• Is it better to plot graphs with SD or SEM error bars? (Answer: Neither)