Precise or Accurate: What is the Difference?

Resource Description

Precise or Accurate: What is the Difference?

Contents

Introduction

Sometimes, you can notice that people use the words precision and accuracy / precise and accurate interchangeably. That’s not correct in the world of science. What is the difference between accuracy and precision? Keep reading to find it out!

What is Precision?

Let’s define precision.

The precision definition refers to how close 2 or more measurements are to each other. Note that precise measurements can be accurate or inaccurate.

What is Accuracy?

Now, let’s define accuracy.

Accuracy refers to how close a measurement result is to the agreed value.

Precise vs Accurate: Difference

Accurate vs precise: which word to use?

To understand the difference between precision and accuracy, it is better to use visual examples.

Let’s consider the accuracy and precision examples. Imagine a dartboard and look at the pictures below.

Hitting the Target Precisely and Accurately: Difference

Hitting the Target Precisely and Accurately: Difference

The first image illustrates accuracy. It means how close you are to the center of the target.

The second one shows us an example of precision. The hits are grouped together, that’s the main thing, regardless of how distant they are from the central point of the target.

Precision or accuracy? Now you see the difference.

Conclusion

Now you know the precision meaning and the accuracy definition. You understand the difference between precise and accurate. Hopefully, now you can choose the right term (accurate or precise, precise vs accurate, accuracy vs precision, precision vs accuracy, accuracy or precision).

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