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Understanding Accuracy vs Precision

The document explains the concepts of accuracy and precision in experimental data, highlighting their distinct definitions and implications. Accuracy refers to how close a measured value is to the true value, while precision relates to the consistency of repeated measurements. It also discusses the percentage error as a quantitative measure of accuracy, providing examples to illustrate different scenarios of accuracy and precision.

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6 views2 pages

Understanding Accuracy vs Precision

The document explains the concepts of accuracy and precision in experimental data, highlighting their distinct definitions and implications. Accuracy refers to how close a measured value is to the true value, while precision relates to the consistency of repeated measurements. It also discusses the percentage error as a quantitative measure of accuracy, providing examples to illustrate different scenarios of accuracy and precision.

Uploaded by

Prima
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

ACCURACY AND PRECISION

Accuracy and precision are essential metrics used to evaluate the quality of
experimental data. Though often confused, they represent distinct aspects of
measurement.
 Accuracy:

 Refers to the closeness of a measured value to the true or accepted value.


 It addresses the correctness of the result.
 A measurement is accurate if the experimental value is very near the literature or
true value ( e . g . , 9.81 m/s 2 is highly accurate relative ¿ thetrue 9.81 m/s 2 ) .

 Precision:

 Refers to the consistency and reproducibility among a set of measurements of


the same quantity.
 It addresses the reliability of the result.
 A set of measurements is precise if the values are tightly grouped together,
regardless of whether they are near the true value (e.g., 9.81, 9.82, 9.85, 9.83m/s 2
are highly precise because they are very close to each other).

 High Accuracy, High Precision (Accurate and Precise):


o Darts are clustered tightly right around the bullseye. (The ideal result:
Correct and Consistent).
 Low Accuracy, High Precision (Precise but not Accurate):
o Darts are tightly clustered, but all hit the same spot far away from the
bullseye. (Consistent, but Wrong. Often caused by a systematic error).
o Example: A digital thermometer always shows 37°C, no matter what the
actual temperature is.
 Description: Precise, but not accurate
 Reason: The thermometer gives a consistent reading (precise), but
it’s not showing the correct temperature (not accurate).
 High Accuracy, Low Precision (Accurate but not Precise):
o Darts are scattered across the board, but their average position is centered
on the bullseye. (Correct on average, but Inconsistent).
o Example: A student guesses the group’s score in a quiz, and the guess is
sometimes 18, sometimes 22, sometimes 20 — the actual score is 20.
 Description: Accurate but not precise
 Reason: The guesses are around the correct value (accurate), but they
keep changing (not precise).
 Low Accuracy, Low Precision (Not accurate and Not precise):
o Darts are scattered randomly all over the board. (Neither Correct nor
Consistent).

PERCENTAGE ERROR
The quantitative measure of accuracy is the Percentage Error, which determines the
relative size of the error in a measurement.

|V −V T|
 Formula: Percent Error= ×100 %
VT

WHERE,

o V : The Measured Value (Experimental Result).

o V T : The True or Accepted Value.

o |V −V T|: The Absolute Error (always a positive value).


EXAMPLE:

Mark estimated the free throw line to be 4.5 meters from the basket. He tested his
estimation using a meter stick four times.

True Value (Vₜ): 4.5 meters

MEASURED DISTANCE
TRIAL NO. CALCULATION PERCENT ERROR
(V)
|4.2−4.5|
1 4.2 × 100 % 6.67%
4.5
|4.8−4.5|
2 4.8 × 100 % 6.67%
4.5
|4.5−4.5|
3 4.5 × 100 % 0%
4.5
|5.0−4.5|
4 5.0 ×100 % 11.11%
4.5

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