Final answer:
The measurement of 0.99 g for a paperclip, when its exact mass is 1.00 g, is considered pretty close, nearly accurate. Accuracy relates to how close the measurement is to the true value, while precision is about the repeatability of measurements. The choice of unit such as millimeters is more relevant to length rather than mass, with finer units enabling more precise measurements.
Step-by-step explanation:
If someone measures a paperclip to be 0.99 g on the triple beam balance, and the exact mass of a paperclip is 1.00 g, this would be considered D) Pretty close. The terms accuracy and precision are both critical in the context of measurements, but they are not the same. Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true or accepted value, while precision refers to how close multiple measurements are to each other. In this case, the measurement is close to accurate as it is very near to the known value of 1.00 g. The measurement uncertainty in this scenario suggests a precision to the nearest hundredth of a gram.
When it comes to choosing the appropriate unit, a millimeter would be used for length measurements, not mass. However, in the subject of measurement uncertainty, a finer division such as milligrams might provide a more precise measure for mass if the balance scale permits. Despite the digital scales replacing mechanical balances for their increased precision, some error or uncertainty is inherent in every measurement, constituting the significant figures that include the uncertain last digit.