precizitet

Precizitet, also known as precision, is a measure of how close repeated measurements of the same quantity are to each other. It describes the consistency or repeatability of results, regardless of whether the measurements are close to the true value. Precision and accuracy are related but distinct: accuracy refers to closeness to the true value, while precision concerns the spread of measurements.

In metrology and statistics, precizitet is often quantified by dispersion metrics such as the standard deviation, variance, or the range of measurements. In experiments, repeatability refers to precision under the same conditions, whereas reproducibility refers to precision under different conditions or observers. High precizitet means low variability among measurements.

Factors that reduce precizitet include instrument noise, environmental fluctuations, calibration errors, and human factors. Strategies to improve precizitet include improving instrument resolution, controlling conditions, increasing sample size, and rigorous standardization of procedures.

In practice, precizitet informs uncertainty reporting: results are typically presented with a measure of spread (for example, a standard deviation or a confidence interval). It is important to recognize that high precision does not automatically imply high accuracy; measurements can be precise but biased.