Technical note: Effects of uncertainties and number of data points on line fitting – a case study on new particle formation

• Published in: Atmospheric chemistry and physics Vol. 19; no. 19; pp. 12531 - 12543
• Main Authors: Mikkonen, Santtu, Pitkänen, Mikko R. A., Nieminen, Tuomo, Lipponen, Antti, Isokääntä, Sini, Arola, Antti, Lehtinen, Kari E. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 09.10.2019; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Bayesian analysis; Bivariate analysis; Data; Data points; Dependence; Economic models; Errors; Measurement; Methods; Mimicry; Particle formation; Principal components analysis; Probability theory; Procedures; Regression analysis; Researchers; Statistical analysis; Sulfuric acid; Sulphuric acid

Fitting a line to two measured variables is considered one of the simplest statistical procedures researchers can carry out. However, this simplicity is deceptive as the line-fitting procedure is actually quite a complex problem. Atmospheric measurement data never come without some measurement error...