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Every week, a technician in a lab needs to test the scales in the lab to make sure that they are accurate. She uses a standard mass that is exactly 4 g and gets the following results.

a. Which scale gives the most precise measurement?

b. Which scale gives the most accurate measurement?

a) a. Scale 1, b. Scale 3

b) a. Scale 2, b.Scale 1

c) a. Scale 3, b. Scale 2

d) a. Scale 1, b. Scale 2

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

c) a. Scale 3, b. Scale 2The accuracy of a scale is indicated by how close its measurements are to the true value of 4 g, while precision is shown by how consistently it produces the same reading. Specific scales are deemed most accurate or precise based on their measurement results, which are not provided in the question.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding the concepts of accuracy and precision is key in evaluating the performance of measuring instruments such as scales and balances used in physics labs. Accuracy refers to how close a measurement is to the true or accepted value, while precision refers to the consistency of repeated measurements. Therefore, the most accurate scale would give a reading closest to 4 g, which is the known standard mass. The most precise scale would show the least variation in repeated measurements of the standard mass.

However, to provide a specific answer to which scale is the most accurate and which is the most precise, we would need the actual measurements obtained from the scales during testing.In this scenario, the precision of a measurement refers to the level of detail or the smallest increment that can be measured. The scale with the highest precision will provide measurements to the nearest thousandth of a gram.On the other hand, accuracy refers to the closeness of a measurement to the true value or the absence of systematic errors. To determine which scale gives the most accurate measurement, we would need additional information about the actual measurements obtained from each scale.Therefore, based on the given information, we cannot determine which scale gives the most accurate measurement.

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