Accuracy is the degree to which something fits the standard. It is the reliability of what’s being measured.
Precision is how refined that measurement is, or rather how specific, exact, or detailed the measurement is.
Example, accuracy would be how true the reading of a scale is, in that it’s showing only the weight of what you’re measuring without any other interference. Precision would be whether the weight is rounded to 100 kgs, 100.002 kgs, or 100.00240 kgs.
Precision is how fine a statement is. Accuracy is how correct a statement is. For example saying “my car uses 5l/100km” wouldn’t be a very precise statement, but it would be very accurate. On the other saying “My car would uses 0.0174619 l/100km” would be a very precise statement, but it wouldn’t be very accurate.
Precision is about consistency. If you like football, a precise quarterback will miss the throw by the same amount every time. Whether that amount is big or small, they may always throw 1 foot high and two feet outside.
an accurate quarterback will throw the ball where all their passes average being on target.
a precise and accurate quarterback is the best.
You throw a dozen darts at a dartboard.
* If they mostly land all around the bullseye, you are **accurate**. Your results were all close to the target, even if they were spread out around it and not close to each other.
* If they mostly land off on the edge, but they’re all clumped together, then you were **precise**. You kept getting the same result over and over again, even if it wasn’t the target you were going for.
* If they all land near the bullseye *and* all clumped together, then you were accurate *and* precise.
Accuracy is how close your measurement is to a known value. Precision is how close repeated answers are.
Say a container of rice is known to have about 10000 grains, and you decide to count them, making two separate counts to gauge precision. The results of the two counts will determine how accurate and precise you are, as listed below:
10500 first count, 9500 second count – Accurate, but not precise.
5500 both counts – Precise, but not accurate.
10000 both counts – Both accurate and precise.
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