The property of an instrument whose indication at a given input depends on the direction from which the input was reached, caused by friction, elastic after-effects or magnetic behavior. Pressure gauges, load cells and torque transducers show it, so calibration procedures run test points both upscale and downscale and report the difference. The largest up-down difference is either a budget component or a pass-fail check in its own right.
Run the points down as well as up, this Bourdon gauge has hysteresis of nearly half a percent.
Related terms
Repeatability
How tightly readings bunch when one person repeats a measurement with the same setup, in one place, in one short sitting.
Uncertainty budget
A table listing every uncertainty source in a measurement with its size, distribution, divisor and contribution to the total.
As found
Calibration data recorded on an instrument as received, before any adjustment or repair is made.