Precision and Accuracy

1. Which of these scenarios describes something that's precise, but not accurate?

• a. A field goal kicker who misses wide right on ten straight attempts
• b. A baseball player who hits safely in 56 consecutive games
• c. A darts player who hits nine straight bullseyes in a row
• d. A hockey player whose shots miss the net in all directions

2. Which of these scenarios describes something that's accurate, but not precise?

• a. A thermometer that reads 36 degrees, when the actual temperature is 37 degrees
• b. Making an educated guess on a test question and getting the wrong answer
• c. An archer who hits the same spot on her target 10 times in a row
• d. A stopwatch that correctly measures time to the nanosecond

3. Someone asks you for the time. Your digital watch says it's 11:14 and 10 seconds. Under ordinary circumstances, you'd say it's:

• a. 11:14 and ten seconds
• b. 11:14
• c. 11:15
• d. 11:00

4. What most directly affects the precision of your measurements?

• a. The number of times you measure an object
• b. The size of the object you are measuring
• c. How quickly you take your measurements
• d. How carefully you measure and the tools you use

5. Which of these instruments is the most precise?

• a. Grandfather Clock
• b. Analog wrist watch
• c. Digital Stopwatch
• d. Sundial

6. Somebody asks you to divide 4 by 7. Under ordinary circumstances, your answer would be:

• a. 0.57142857142857142857
• b. 0.571428571428
• c. 0.571428
• d. 0.57

7. Which unit of measurement will give the most precise result?

• a. Millimeters
• b. Centimeters
• c. Meters
• d. Kilometers

8. You shoot four arrows. All of them hit the target, but they aren't grouped close together. Your shooting was:

• a. Both accurate and precise
• b. Neither accurate nor precise
• c. Accurate but not precise
• d. Precise but not accurate

9. Accuracy compares a measurement to:

• a. Other measurements taken by the same method
• b. A theoretical value
• c. A real-world value
• d. Other measurements taken by different methods

10. The most accurate and precise archer in the world will:

• a. Shoot all her arrows through the exact same spot five inches from the bullseye
• b. Shoot all her arrows through the exact same spot on the bullseye
• c. Shoot all her arrows within five inches of the bullseye
• d. Shoot all her arrows in a circle surrounding the bullseye