Accuracy and

Precision

Remember these definitions?

Accuracy

a description of how close a

measurement is to the true value of
the quantity measured

Precision

the exactness of a
measurement

Accuracy verses Precision

Is it Accurate, Precise, Both or

Neither?
Known

Density = 3.11 g/mL

Test Results 3.77, 3.81, 3.76, 3.80

Precise, not accurate
Test Results 3.01, 3.89, 3.50, 5.99
Neither
Test Results 3.04, 3.20, 3.13, 3.07
Accurate, not precise
Test Results 3.11, 3.12, 3.12, 3.10
Both

What are some reasons for

accuracy or precision being off?
Error

Human Error
Parallax

Error angle error

Mathematical Error

Instrument Error

How do we represent error?

Error

is the difference between the

actual (or accepted) value and the
experimental value
Percent Error
Percent Error = Accepted Experimental
x100
Accepted

Example Problem
Working

in the laboratory, a student

finds the density of a piece of pure
aluminum to be 2.85 g/cm3. The
accepted value for the density of
aluminum is 2.699 g/cm3. What is the
student's percent error?

Another Example Problem

A

student takes an object with an

accepted mass of 200.00 grams and
masses it on his own balance. He
records the mass of the object as
196.5 g. What is his percent error?

Which leads us to the lab

Density

can be measured in two ways.

If it is a liquid:
Find the mass of the liquid
Find the volume of the liquid
Divide the mass by the volume
If

it is a solid

Find the mass of the solid

Submerge the solid in a liquid and record the
difference in the volume of the liquid (final
initial)
Divide the mass by the volume difference