Final answer:
Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the correct or accepted value of the quantitiy being measured, which should not be confused with precision, which is the consistency among multiple measurements.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Accuracy in Measurements
When we discuss accuracy in scientific measurements, we are referring to how close a measurement is to the correct or accepted value of the quantity that is being measured. Consider measuring the length of standard computer paper. If the paper is labeled as 11.0 inches long and measurements made are 11.1 in., 11.2 in., and 10.9 in., these are considered accurate because they are very close to the correct value. On the contrary, a measurement of 12 inches would be considered inaccurate, since it is not close to the accepted value of 11.0 inches.
It is essential to note that precision is different from accuracy. Precision refers to how consistent repeated measurements are with each other, regardless of how close they are to the actual value. Therefore, a scientist aims for measurements that are both accurate and precise, as this indicates that the measurements are close to the true value and consistently repeatable.