What is the Difference Between Accuracy and Precision?

Accuracy and precision are both ways to measure results, but they have different meanings and implications:

• Accuracy measures how close a given set of measurements (observations or readings) are to their true value. In other words, it evaluates how close you are to the true value of the measurement.
• Precision measures how close the measurements are to one another. It refers to the reproducibility of measurements, even if they are far from the accepted value.

Some key points to remember:

1. Both accuracy and precision are critical aspects of producing high-level work, but they serve different purposes.
2. A measurement can be accurate but not precise, precise but not accurate, or both.
3. In the context of the scientific method, accuracy and precision are deliberately contrasted, while in colloquial use, they can be synonymous.
4. Measurements that are both precise and accurate are repeatable and very close to true values.

In summary, accuracy is the degree of closeness to the true value, while precision is the degree of reproducibility. Both are important for evaluating the quality of measurements, but they serve different purposes and should not be used interchangeably.

Comparative Table: Accuracy vs Precision

Here is a table that highlights the difference between accuracy and precision:

In summary, accuracy focuses on the closeness of a measurement to the true value, while precision focuses on the closeness of repeated measurements to each other. Both accuracy and precision are important aspects of producing high-quality work, and ideally, measurements should be both accurate and precise.