Definition:Experimental Unit

This page is about experimental unit. For other uses, see unit.

Definition

An experimental unit is a subject of an experimental design upon which a treatment is to be applied.

The objective is to investigate how the experimental unit is affected by the treatment compared with other experimental units receiving a different treatment, or indeed no treatment at all.

Examples

Examples of experimental units may include:

A patient to whom a dose of medicine is to be applied

A plot of land to which fertilizer is to be applied

A machine to which a lubricant is to be applied.

Also known as

If the context is clear, an experimental unit is often known just as a unit.

The term plot can also be found, which originates from experiments in agriculture.

Also see

• Results about experimental units can be found here.

Sources

• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): experimental design
• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): unit: 4.
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): unit: 4.