Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A packet of flour should weigh . Four students each weigh it three times on different scales:
Say whether each set is accurate, precise, both or neither.
Accuracy: how close a result is to the true value. Precision: how close repeated readings are to each other. A systematic error spoils accuracy; random errors spoil precision.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Means. A: ; B: ; C: ; D: .
Step 2. Spreads. A and B differ by only or ; C by ; D by .
Answer: A: accurate and precise. B: precise, not accurate (a scale with a systematic error of about ). C: accurate on average, not precise. D: neither.
Watch out. C's mean hits exactly, but no single reading can be trusted. Accuracy of a mean is not the same as a good instrument.
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