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Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes the relationship between accuracy and precision?

Understanding how accuracy and precision differ helps you judge measurement quality. Accuracy is how close a measurement is to the true value or target. Precision is how repeatable or consistent the measurements are with each other. The statement that matches this is that accuracy refers to closeness to the target, while precision refers to repeatability. For example, if you weigh an object many times and the results cluster tightly around the true value, you’ve got both accuracy and precision. If the results are all close to the true value but spread out, you’re accurate but not precise. If the results are tightly clustered but far from the true value, you’re precise but not accurate. If the results are scattered widely around the true value, you’re neither accurate nor precise. The other options mix up the definitions or claim they’re the same thing, which isn’t correct.

Understanding how accuracy and precision differ helps you judge measurement quality. Accuracy is how close a measurement is to the true value or target. Precision is how repeatable or consistent the measurements are with each other. The statement that matches this is that accuracy refers to closeness to the target, while precision refers to repeatability.

For example, if you weigh an object many times and the results cluster tightly around the true value, you’ve got both accuracy and precision. If the results are all close to the true value but spread out, you’re accurate but not precise. If the results are tightly clustered but far from the true value, you’re precise but not accurate. If the results are scattered widely around the true value, you’re neither accurate nor precise.

The other options mix up the definitions or claim they’re the same thing, which isn’t correct.