D. Can you Define the terms precision and accuracy?
2 Answers
Everyday language definition: See below
Explanation:
These two words are similar. In general, being precise and being accurate mean paying great attention to detail, and being exact.
However, being precise is more on the paying attention to detail side. Being accurate means being mainly correct and exact.
accuracy is how close to a real value the measurement is and precision is how closely the measurements are made.
Explanation:
A measurement could be accurate but not very precise. A graduated cylinder can usually only measure to the nearest tenth.
The measurement using the cylinder is accurate but not precise.
A measurement could be very precise but not accurate.
A digital balance can measure precisely to five digits. That is to the nearest ten thousandth of a gram. This is incredibly precise. However if the balanced has not been zeroed and the tare mass of the container not subtracted the measurement is not accurate at all.
Accuracy is the nearest of the value to the real value.
Precision is the nearest of the values to the other measurements or to the greatest number of significant digits.
