Measurement Accuracy and Precision Concepts

What does accuracy describe in a measurement?

• How close a measurement is to the real or accepted value

• How consistent repeated measurements are

• How small of a change an instrument can detect

• How detailed a measurement is

How is precision different from accuracy?

• Precision is about consistency, while accuracy is about correctness

• Precision is about correctness, while accuracy is about consistency

• Precision and accuracy are the same

• Precision is about detecting small changes

If you measure a rock five times and get the exact same result each time, but the number is far from the true mass, is this precise, accurate, or both?

• Precise but not accurate

• Accurate but not precise

• Both precise and accurate

• Neither precise nor accurate

What does resolution tell us about an instrument?

• How small of a change it can detect

• How accurate it is

• How consistent it is

• How large of a change it can detect

Which tool has higher resolution: a ruler marked in centimeters or one marked in millimeters? Why?

• A ruler marked in millimeters, because it can show more detail

• A ruler marked in centimeters, because it is easier to read

• Both have the same resolution

• A ruler marked in centimeters, because it is more common