Accuracy vs. Precision Notes September 21, 2006
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Precision
– Precise means “exact, as in performance, execution, or amount. “In science it means “repeatable, reliable, getting the same measurement each time.”
– The degree of refinement in the performance of an operation, or the degree of perfection in the instruments and methods used to obtain a result.
Precision relates to the quality of an operation by which a result is obtained, and is distinguished from accuracy, which relates to the quality of the result
Accuracy
– Accurate means “capable of providing a correct reading or measurement.” In science it means ‘correct’. A measurement is accurate if it correctly reflects the size of the thing being measured.
– Accuracy relates to the quality of a result, and is distinguished from precision, which relates to the quality of the operation by which the result is obtained.
