Quantization error
Quantization error happens when we try to measure things very precisely but the tool we use can only give us certain options.
Do you know when you play with legos and have to find the perfect sized block to fit into the space you want? Imagine the lego blocks are the possible values your measuring tool can give you. You can't use a lego block that is too big because it won't fit, just like you can't use a measurement bigger than what your tool can give you.
Now imagine you have to measure how many blocks are stacked on top of each other with a ruler that only measures whole numbers. If there are 3 blocks stacked, but the ruler only gives us options of 2 or 4, we would have to round to the nearest whole number, in this case 2, and that "error" would be the difference between 2 and the actual number 3.
This is what happens with quantization error in measurements - we have to "round" our measurements to the nearest value our tools can give us, and that difference between the actual measurement and the rounded value is called quantization error.
Do you know when you play with legos and have to find the perfect sized block to fit into the space you want? Imagine the lego blocks are the possible values your measuring tool can give you. You can't use a lego block that is too big because it won't fit, just like you can't use a measurement bigger than what your tool can give you.
Now imagine you have to measure how many blocks are stacked on top of each other with a ruler that only measures whole numbers. If there are 3 blocks stacked, but the ruler only gives us options of 2 or 4, we would have to round to the nearest whole number, in this case 2, and that "error" would be the difference between 2 and the actual number 3.
This is what happens with quantization error in measurements - we have to "round" our measurements to the nearest value our tools can give us, and that difference between the actual measurement and the rounded value is called quantization error.
Related topics others have asked about: