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Answer the following questions · Q15

Q.Distinguish between accuracy and precision.

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✓ Free question

Accuracy. How near a measured value comes to the true (accepted) value of the quantity; a smaller error means greater accuracy, and accuracy is expressed via absolute error (observed − true) and relative error (absolute error ÷ true value, as a %).

Precision. How closely a set of repeated measurements of the same quantity agree with EACH OTHER (not necessarily with the true value); it is expressed via absolute deviation (a reading − the mean of the set) and relative (mean) deviation.

Relationship. Multiple readings are taken to reduce error; if they cluster tightly, the measurement has high precision, and high precision is a necessary condition for high accuracy — but a set of readings can be precise (tightly clustered) while still being inaccurate (clustered around the wrong value) if a systematic error is present.

✓Final answer

Accuracy = nearness to the TRUE value; precision = agreement of repeated readings WITH EACH OTHER. A measurement can be precise without being accurate.

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