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Science

Making measurements
Accuracy and Precision
Accuracy vs Precision
When you make a measurement it is often
necessary to determine how good that
measurement is.
Imagine a machine filling cans of soda. The
company wants to make sure that there are
exactly 12 ounces of soda in every can.
The company needs to gather information
about the accuracy and precision of the
filling machine.
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Accuracy vs Precision
Accuracy and precision tell us how good a
measurement is.
The terms accuracy and precision often
cause trouble because we tend to use them
interchangeably. However, these words
have very different meanings.
Accuracy tells how close the measurement
is to the true value. Precision describes the
repeatability of the measurement.
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Accuracy vs Precision
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A measurement is precise if it can be repeated and
the same value is attained.
? Is the soda filling machine below precise?
This machine is not very
precise.
It delivers a different
amount of soda each time.
Accuracy vs Precision
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A measurement is accurate if it is close to the true
value. This machine is supposed to deliver 12 oz.
? Is the soda filling machine below accurate?
This machine is not very
accurate either.
If it delivers a different
amount of soda each time,
then it cant be very close to
12 oz.
Accuracy vs Precision
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Is the soda filling machine below accurate and/or
precise?
This machine is precise.
It delivers the same
amount of soda each time.
This machine is not
accurate.
It is not putting 12 oz in
each can.
Accuracy vs Precision
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Is the soda filling machine below accurate and/or
precise?
This machine is precise.
It delivers the same
amount of soda each time.
This machine is accurate.
It is putting 12 oz in each
can.
Accuracy vs Precision
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We said that this machine is accurate because it is
delivering 12 oz of soda. But how do we know
that exactly 12 oz is going into each can?
The only way to check the
accuracy of a measurement
is compare it to a standard.
Standards have known values
The can is the standard in
this case because we know
it holds exactly 12 oz.
Accuracy vs Precision
Define accuracy and precision
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Accuracy describes how close a measurement is to
the true value. You need a standard to determine
accuracy.
Precision describes how similar the values are each
time you measure.
Accuracy vs Precision
How could you tell if the scale in the produce
department of the supermarket is accurate and
precise.
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The only way to check the accuracy of the scale is to
use a standard. You need something of known weight. If
you put a 1 pound package of butter on the scale and it
reads 1 pound then the scale is accurate. The butter was
used as a standard.
You could weigh a bunch of bananas three times. If
you get the same value each time then the scale is
precise. This doesnt necessarily mean the scale is
accurate.
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Science

Measurements
You have completed
Accuracy vs Precision

Denisty
Density can be
defined as the
amount of matter
present in a given
volume of
substance.
Density = mass/
volume



M
D V
EXAMPLE
SOLVE
D=
M=
V=
Mercury has a
density of 13.6g/mL.
What volume of
mercury must be
taken to obtain 225g
of the metal?
Problem A piece of copper has a mass of
57.54 g. It is 9.36 cm long, 7.23 cm wide, and
0.095 mm thick. Calculate density (g/cm
3
).
Density
mass (g)
volume (cm
3
)
SOLVE
Calculate volume in cubic centimeters first.


Calculate the density.


(9.36 cm)(7.23 cm)(0.095 cm) = 6.4 cm
3
Note only 2 significant figures in the answer!
57.54 g
6.4 cm
3
= 9.0 g/ cm
3
Volume Displacement
A solid displaces a matching volume of water when
the solid is placed in water.





33 mL
25 mL
Learning Check
What is the density (g/cm
3
) of 48 g of a metal if the
metal raises the level of water in a graduated cylinder
from 25 mL to 33 mL?
1) 0.2 g/ cm
3
2) 6 g/m
3
3) 252 g/cm
3





33 mL
25 mL

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