Within every calculation made there is a level of error. Tied to this notion of error are the two major principles of precision and accuracy.
Concept #1: Precision vs. Accuracy
Example #1: Which of the 4 following images is not precise and not accurate?
Practice: A student must measure the weight of a sodium bicarbonate compound, NaHCO3, and obtains the following measurements: 23.12 g, 23.08 g and 23.17g. If the true weight of the compound is 18.01 g what can be said about the student’s results?