Question

Group 1

113.
111
110
110
Group 2
114
115
111
110
Group3
116
113
114
113
Group 4
110
111
111
110

Each of four groups of students determined and recorded the melting point of a solid compound.
If the actual melting point is 113°C, which group had the
best precision?

Answer 1

Answer: Group 4 had the best "precision".

Step-by-step explanation:

This is a bit of a trick question. The concept being tested here is whether you understand the difference between "accuracy" and "precision."

Accuracy is how close you are to the actual answer. In this question, Group 2 is probably the most accurate since their average is near 113 (i.e., 112.5).

However, the question is asking for precision, which is how close your answers are to each other. Think of it as "consistency" (even if you are consistently wrong... at least you are "precise"!). Group 4 is the most precise, because all of their measurements are practically the same: 110, 111, 111, 110 are all basically 110. This is NOT the most accurate, but it IS the most PRECISE. :)