Final answer:
Measurement accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true or correct value. It is distinct from precision, which is about the consistency of repeated measurements. In scientific and technical work, it is desirable to obtain measurements that are both accurate and precise. Option a is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes how close a measurement is to the true value is known as measurement accuracy. Accuracy is a measure of truthfulness in the data collected and is essential in both scientific inquiry and practical applications. To understand accuracy, it's beneficial to also know about precision, which refers to the consistency of repeated measurements.
Let's say we want to measure the length of standard printer paper. If the packaging states that the paper is 11.0 inches long, an accurate measurement would be one that is close to this value, like 11.1 in., 11.0 in., or 10.9 in. If your measurements are 11.1 in., 11.2 in., and 10.9 in., they are both accurate and precise. However, if the measurements are like 12 in., they are neither accurate nor precise, as they are not close to the true value.
The goal in most scientific and technical fields is to achieve measurements that are both highly accurate and precise. While accuracy is related to the correctness of a single measurement, precision is concerned with the reproducibility of multiple measurements. It's possible to have a set of measurements that are precise but not accurate if they are all closely clustered together but still far from the true value. Conversely, a set of measurements could be accurate, on average, if they are all close to the true value, even if they are not very close to each other (less precise).