What is the difference between Accuracy and Sensitivity in terms of A2 Physics coursework?

Question

-I am a Salters Horners AS/A2 student doing my short writeup for my short practical (not the long one you do in A2).
I need to write about the Accuracy and Sensitivity. I remember they are different but i do not remember why.

HELP! the deadline is monday! Oh dear,

Answer 1

The two terms are easily confused. Accuracy is the term for whether a measure is true/valid or false/invalid. Sensitivity and its equivalent, precision, is the term for how fine the units of measure are.



Here's an example:



It may be accurate (valid) to say it's hot out today. But clearly that measure (assessment) is not very precise/sensitive. In fact, the unit of measure (hot or cold) is about as imprecise/insensitive as one can get.



On the other hand:



If may be precise to say the temperature outside is 95.33333999 deg F. But if temperature = T = 95.33333998, that measure is not accurate because 95.33333999 <> 95.33333998 and the presumption they are equal is False.



In general, the more precise the units of measure, the more likely your measurement will be inaccurate. You can see this from the two examples. When I used coarse units (hot/cold), it was very easy to be accurate because "hot" could mean anything above 80 deg F for example. But when I used a sensitive thermometer (with fine units of measure down to 8 decimal points), it was quite easy to be wrong (inaccurate) when off by .00000001 degrees.

Answer 2

This is an area where there is often confusion between Accuracy, Precision and Sensitivity.



Think of an archery target.

Accuracy is how close you are to the true value which in this case could be the bulls eye.If you had arrows fairly scattered but averaging around the bulls eye then you would have high accuracy but low precision.

If you had a very tight cluster but it was well to the left then you would have high precision but less accuracy.

Sensitivity is a measure of the smallest difference you can measure.In this case you could say this was each different colour ring.If you added more colours and made more rings which were narrower then you would have more sensitivity.

Answer 3

Accuracy is a measure of how accurately a quantity can be measured. For example, you may record an ammeter's reading as 2.51 amps. You imply by stating this number that the current is closer to 2.51 amps than it is either to 2.52 amps or 2.50 amps. In other words, you are reading to an accuracy of + or - 0.05 amps. (You should be able to calculate the percentage error)

Sensitivity is a measure of how sensitive a particular instrument is. A galvanometer is an instrument that is capable of responding to currents in the microamp range, but the instrument that can measure current drawn from your car's battery, for example, would not show the slightest response when a current of even 1000 microamps flowed through it.

We say then, that the galvanometer is a far more sensitive instrument than your car's ammeter, even though they both measure current.

An added twist to this can be presented: A galvanometer measuring 10 microamps flowing through it may in fact be 100% in error. Your car's ammerter may measure 20 amps with only an error of 10%. Thus a sensitive instrument may have a far greater error than an accurate one.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Not entirely sure I understand your question, but I'll take a stab at it...



Accuracy is how close to correct you are.



Sensitivity is how sure you are of your measurements - for example, do you measure in grams or in picograms? Measurement in picograms is much more sensitive. It just might not be anywhere near correct.

Answer 5

probable like specificity or sensitivity in drugs. A comfortable try is nice at detecting even if you are trying to stumble on (ie its very comfortable at looking what your attempting to discover) yet supplies numerous fake positives (says some thing is recent while this is not) a particular try isn't so good at detecting what you are trying to stumble on although this is probable to be a real beneficial(ie this is greater "precise"). Sorry if the above is perplexing - I typed it rapid. enable me understand in case you like me to describe it greater needless to say.

Answer 6

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