What is Precision? | Definition, Examples, Pros vs Cons

Quantitative techniques comprise measurements, as the external world cannot be comprehended without measurements. On the other hand, measurements require instruments that can provide a quantity. However, the issue with such tools is that they have no surety. That is, they are characterised by uncertainty, also called error.

Two essential factors are considered to evaluate the level of uncertainty of measurement. Precision is one of them. It differs from accuracy, the other factor in assessing data measurement, insofar as the late explains how close or far a measurement is from the standard or accepted value.

In contrast, Precision describes the proximity between two or measurements irrespective of how close they are to the accepted or expected value. Thus, precision measurements may or may not be accurate or close to the accepted value.

Key Takeaways

1. Precision refers to the accuracy of a measurement or its level of detail.
2. It is an essential aspect of scientific research and engineering.
3. Precision is influenced by various factors, including the equipment, methodology, and the observer’s ability to record and interpret the data.

Understanding Precision

Precision is used to determine the exactness of the measurement in mathematics, science and engineering. Accordingly, two or more factors or measurements are employed in an experiment to observe the measurement’s consistency and reliability. That is to say; Precision inspects how many times a particular process or instrument repeats the same measurement value.

As it follows from the above discussion, unlike accuracy, which observes a measurement’s veracity, Precision evaluates a measurement’s reproducibility. The closer the value of two or more measurements will be, the more will be the Precision of the measurement.

Examples of Precision

To explain the concept of Precision, one can take the example of the value of ‘pi,’ that is, 3.142857143. In this case:

1. The value 3.14 will be called accurate instead of precise as it is the closest number to the actual value of ‘pi.’
2. The value 1.14234567890987654321, however, will be called precise but inaccurate. It is ‘precise’ because it gives much more information, but it is not accurate as it is far from the actual value of ‘pi.’
3. The value that will exhibit both accuracy and Precision is the value 3.142857143, the real value of ‘pi.’

Another example to explain Precision can be the basketball game. Here, if a player throws the ball on the same side of the basket but misses it every time, his throw is said to have a high Precision level. The player’s aim may be far from the basket in this situation. But because the ball falls in the same direction every time, the player’s throw is said to be precise.

The concept of Precision may become further clear with the example of a dart game.

Advantages of Precision

Using a precise measurement instrument is more useful than an imprecise but accurate one. It is because:

1. Precision makes adjustment of error more straightforward.
2. The determination of an instrument’s quality is better with Precision than accuracy.

Disadvantages of Precision

Some of the inherent limitations include the following:

1. Recurring measurements cannot improve Precision.
2. Precision cannot be determined with a single experiment. Multiple factors and investigations are required to evaluate an instrument’s Precision.

References

1. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsr/2/1/article-p35.xml
2. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpa2/26/2/26_2_253/_article/-char/ja/