What is accuracy and precision?

Accuracy and precision are two important factors to consider when taking data measurements. Both accuracy and precision reflect how close a measurement is to an actual value, but accuracy reflects how close a measurement is to a known or accepted value, while precision reflects how reproducible measurements are, even if they are far from the accepted value.
You can think of accuracy and precision in terms of hitting a bull’s-eye. Accurately hitting the target means you are close to the center of the target, even if all the marks are on different sides of the center. Precisely hitting a target means all the hits are closely spaced, even if they are very far from the center of the target. Measurements that are both precise and accurate are repeatable and very near true values.
Accuracy and precision are only two important concepts used in scientific measurements. Two other important skills to master are significant figures and scientific notation. Scientists use percent error as one method of describing how accurate and precise a value is. It’s a simple and useful calculation.

Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, November 2). What Is the Difference Between Accuracy and Precision? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/difference-between-accuracy-and-precision-609328

What's the difference between accuracy and precision? – Matt Anticole – YouTube

https://youtu.be/hRAFPdDppzs

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-s-the-difference-between-accuracy-and-precision-matt-anticoleWhen we measure things, most people are only wo…