Question

he table shows results of an experiment that was replicated.


Which best describes the data?

They are neither precise nor reproducible.
They are precise but not reproducible.
They are accurate and reproducible.
They are accurate but not reproducible.

Answer 1

I don’t see the table — could you paste the results (the replicate values) or a picture of the table? I need the numbers to choose the best option.

Meanwhile, here’s how to decide which statement is correct:

Definitions
- Precise: the replicate measurements are close to each other (little scatter).
- Accurate: the measurements are close to the true or accepted value (little systematic error).
- Reproducible: repeating the experiment (replicates) gives consistent results — essentially the same as precision across replicates, or consistency between different runs/labs.

How to map your data to the choices
- Accurate and reproducible: replicate values are tightly clustered and are near the true/accepted value.
- Precise but not reproducible (more commonly worded “precise but not accurate”): replicates are tightly clustered but that cluster is far from the true value (systematic offset).
- Accurate but not reproducible: replicates have wide scatter but their average is near the true value.
- Neither precise nor reproducible: replicates are widely scattered and the average is far from the true value.

If you paste the table I’ll pick the correct option and explain why.