Accuracy and Precision | It's Easy!

Accuracy and precision can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be.
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Thanks for stopping by. Today we are going to talk about the difference between accuracy and precision.

Accuracy and precision help inform our knowledge when taking measurements.

Accuracy refers to how close something is to the target or actual. Using a target to illustrate, consistently hitting near the center would be accurate. Using another example, if we were to use a scale to weigh a 20kg dumbell 3 times, and the scale read 18.95 kg, 21.22 kgs, and 19.81 kgs for each respective weighing, we would say that scale is accurate.

Let’s jump to precision and then we’ll bring it back together.

Precision refers to how consistent our results are, regardless of how close to the true value they are. Using our target example, if we hit this area of the target on every shot, then we are precise. Using the scale and 20 kg dumbell example, getting measurements of 23.11, 23.09, and 23.12 for the three trials would tell us our scale is precise, just not accurate. It’s consistently inconsistent.

So, a quick review and comparison. Accuracy is measuring near the true value. While precision is getting consistent measurements or results.

Let’s use the target for some more examples.
This would be accurate and precise. All the points are close together and average around the true value.
This would be accurate but not precise, the results are around the true value but not too consistent with each other.
This would be precise but not accurate. All results are close together but not consistent with the true value.
And finally, this is neither precise nor accurate, this is pretty much how it looks when I’m shooting, no consistency, not equidistant from the center, just random.

It’s important that measuring devices are both accurate and precise, whether it be in research, construction, engineering, or even in your home. If they are not, then results from measurements will be misleading leading at best and fatal at worst.

I hope you understand accuracy and precision a little better know. Comment below if you have any questions. And subscribe for more educational content.

I’ll catch you next time.