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Precision

Definition

The degree to which repeated measurements of the same specimen under the same conditions agree with each other. Quantified by the standard deviation or coefficient of variation of replicate measurements. A precise method has low scatter regardless of whether it is centred on the true value.

Related terms

Accuracy
The degree to which a measured value agrees with the accepted true or reference value of the quantity. A biased instrument can...
Between-class variability
The spread of measurements between items from different sources or categories. A forensic method is most discriminating when between-class variability is large...
Measurement error
The discrepancy between a recorded value and the true value of the property being measured. Arises from instrument calibration limits, analyst technique,...
Repeatability
The agreement between successive measurements of the same specimen made by the same analyst, on the same instrument, in the same laboratory,...
Within-class variability
The natural spread of measurements among items that share a common source, class, or category. For example, the range of refractive index...

Explained in

  • Variability and Measurement ErrorThe degree to which repeated measurements of the same specimen under the same conditions agree with each other. Quantified by the standard deviation or coeffic...

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