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the article was not entirely clear on the dichotomy between precision and accuracy
'''Precision''' is an indication of how good the measuring device was in a [[measure|measurement]].<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Chemistry''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998</ref>
'''Precision''' is an indication of how consistent a measuring device is in a [[measure|measurement]].<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Chemistry''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998</ref> This may also be used in terms of scientific experimentation as a measure of the experiments reliability. Precision is in contrast to [[Accuracy | accuracy]], which is merely a measure of how close a measurement is to the actual value.
Accuracy and precision are often used interchangeably, although they cannot be. As is often the case in experimentation, a measurement may be precise (produce the same value reliably), but it is inaccurate due to a consistent error on the part of the investigator.
At some point, precision reaches a scientific limit. Due to [[quantum mechanics]], and especially the [[Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle]], at some point precision in measurement is impossible without the imparting of energy onto the measured object. For this reason, precision at the [[atom|atomic]] level is difficult to obtain. One example is, instead of referring to [[electron|electrons]] in a particular location around an atom, scientists determine what area of space they ''could'' occupy, and label this area a probability cloud, or an [[orbital]].
At some point, precision reaches a scientific limit. Due to [[quantum mechanics]], and especially the [[Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle]], at some point precision in measurement is impossible without the imparting of energy onto the measured object. For this reason, precision at the [[atom|atomic]] level is difficult to obtain. One example is, instead of referring to [[electron|electrons]] in a particular location around an atom, scientists determine what area of space they ''could'' occupy, and label this area a probability cloud, or an [[orbital]].