Will the precision of a calculation (ex. volume = l x w x h) ever be more precise than the original measurements (ex. length) ? explain your answer.

Question

Randy Wright

Chemistry

3 April, 21:35

Will the precision of a calculation (ex. volume = l x w x h) ever be more precise than the original measurements (ex. length) ? explain your answer.

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Julianna Andrade · Answer 1

When it comes to measurements and calculations, two terms always come into play: precision and accuracy. By definition, precision is the closeness of the measurements or calculations of your repeated trials with each other. On the other hand, accuracy is the closeness of a measurement to the known or exact value.

Suppose you want to measure the volume of your cube. You start by measuring the side of the cube. Your two measurement are 6.50 inches and 6.45 inches. These two measurements are precise because they only differ by 0.05 inches. Now, if you calculate their volumes, that would be 274.625 and 268.336 cubic inches, respectively. Notice that the volume measurements differ greatly relative to the side measurements. This proves that it is always more precise to use the original measurements. Because they are raw, their differences are not magnified by calculations.