CHEM 23 - QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT 2 – ACCURACY AND PRECISION

EXPERIMENT 2

ACCURACY AND PRECISION

Analytical result without an estimate of reliability and validity is of no value. Presenting results in any type of research
requires statistical evaluation to know whether the results are valid and reliable. Therefore, data set in quantitative
chemistry should be both accurate and precise.

Accuracy of results shows how close the measured values are to the
real value. This will decide the validity of the results. It is measured
in terms of the percentage error, % error, of actual values, Xa, with
respect to the theoretical value, Xt. It is given by,

̅𝑋̅̅̅𝑎 − 𝑋𝑡
% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = | |
𝑋𝑡

Mean, 𝑋̅, is one of the measures of central tendency. In statistics, a

central tendency is a central or typical value for a probability
distribution of the measured values. The 3 most common measures
of central tendency are the mean, median and mode. The mode is
the most frequent value. The median is the middle number in an
ordered data set. The mean is the sum of all values divided by the
total number of values, n, given by,

∑𝑛𝑖=1 𝑋𝑖
𝑋̅ = Figure 1. Accuracy vs Precision
𝑛
These 3 measures can also summarize the skewness and
kurtosis of data. This is done by generating a histogram
and plotting a smooth curve representing the frequency
of occurrence of the ordered data.

When the distribution is skewed to the right, the mean is

often greater than the median and mode. This is called a
positive skew. This possibly indicates outliers beyond the
upper limit. Otherwise, it is skewed to the left called the
negative skew. In symmetric distributions, we expect the
mean and median to be approximately equal in value.
This is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Skewness of Data

Kurtosis is the measure of outliers present in the distribution.

Leptokurtic has very long and thick tails, which means there
are more chances of outliers. Platykurtic has a thin tail and
stretched around the center means most data points are
present in high proximity to the mean. Mesokurtic is the same
as the normal/symmetrical distribution. This is shown in
Figure 3.

In this experiment, we will only aim to describe the skewness

and kurtosis of data. Figure 3. Kurtosis of Data

A good kurtosis and unskewed data represent a precise data. Precision is the reproducibility of a measurement. It shows
how close the values are from one another. Other measures of precision are range, mean absolute deviation, MAD, and
standard deviation.

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CHEM 23 - QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT 2 – ACCURACY AND PRECISION

Range is the difference between the highest and lowest values.

Mean absolute deviation, MAD, is the average of all the difference of every data to the mean.
Standard Deviation, s, is a measure which shows how much variation from the mean exists.

Range Range = Xmax - Xmin

∑𝑛 ̅
𝑖=1|𝑋𝑖 −𝑋|
Mean Absolute Deviation, MAD MAD =
𝑛

∑𝑛 ̅ 2
𝑖=1(𝑋𝑖 −𝑋)
Standard Deviation, s s=
𝑛−1

The formulas for these measures are summarized above. For normally distributed data set, standard deviation gives a
better interpretation than the average deviation in terms of precision. The lower these values are, the more precise the
measurements are.

However, under certain conditions, the experimental values might deviate from the real value and from each other. This is
due to errors caused by a wide variety of factors. The greater the error, the less representative the data are of the whole.
There are 3 types of error in measurement.
Random errors are those errors, which occur
irregularly and hence are random. These can
Random Error Instrumental Error arise due to random and unpredictable
fluctuations in experimental conditions. Some
examples are temperature and pressure
Types of Systematic Error
Observational fluctuations, mistake committed by one
Error Error experimenter, resolution error, etc.

Gross Error / Environmental Systematic errors are the kinds of errors that
Blunders Error occur consistently. They can be difficult to
distinguish from accurate data because they
Figure 4. Types of Error
might follow the same pattern.

There are 3 types of systematic errors:

• Instrumental Error - faulty construction and calibration of the measuring instruments.
• Environmental Error - effect of the external conditions on the measurement.
• Observational Error - individual’s bias, lack of proper setting of the apparatus, or an individual’s carelessness in
taking observations.

Gross errors/blunders are significant, unpredictable mistake caused by human error that often leads to large
discrepancies. Blunders are typically the result of carelessness, miscommunication, fatigue, and poor judgment.

In this experiment, the mass of 30 pieces of old 5-peso coin will be obtained and will be evaluated based on precision and
accuracy. The possible sources of deviation will also be considered. The theoretical weight of this coin is 7.700 grams.

Objectives
By the end of this activity, the students should be able to:
• Calculate % error, mean, median, mode, range, MAD, and standard deviation.
• Describe the skewness and kurtosis of data.
• Evaluate the accuracy and precision of data.
• Determine the possible sources of error in the data collected.

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CHEM 23 - QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT 2 – ACCURACY AND PRECISION

Materials
30 pcs 5-peso coin
analytical balance

Procedure
A. Weigh one 5-peso coin per student.
B. Record the data.

Waste Disposal
N/A

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CHEM 23 - QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT 2 – ACCURACY AND PRECISION

Course ______________________________________________ Date ______________________________

Year Level ______________________________________________ Time ______________________________
Group No. ______________________________________________
Members ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________
______________________________________________ ______________________________________________
______________________________________________ ______________________________________________
Do not include members who are not present during the experiment.

REPORT SHEET
A. Measure of Central Tendency, Accuracy, and Precision
Using the experimental values of mass, compute for the following:

Specifications Experimental Value

Mean
Median
Mode
Range
% error
MAD
Standard Deviation
Indicate units of your answers.
Calculations (use additional sheet/s if necessary):

B. Skewness and Kurtosis

Plot a histogram using the following bin intervals:
You can generate the histogram via excel or manually using a graphing paper.

Bin Interval Bin Interval Bin Interval Bin Interval

1 7.580 – 7.609 6 7.730 – 7.759 11 7.880 – 7.909 16 8.030 – 8.059
2 7.610 – 7.639 7 7.760 – 7.789 12 7.910 – 7.939 17 8.060 – 8.089
3 7.640 – 7.669 8 7.790 – 7.819 13 7.940 – 7.969 18 8.090 – 8.119
4 7.670 – 7.699 9 7.820 – 7.849 14 7.970 – 7.999 19 8.120 – 8.149
5 7.700 – 7.729 10 7.850 – 7.879 15 8.000 – 8.029 20 8.150 – 8.179

Calculations (use additional sheet/s if necessary):

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CHEM 23 - QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT 2 – ACCURACY AND PRECISION

Questions:

1. Are the data accurate with respect to the 7.7000-gram mass of the coin as stated by BSP? Explain.

2. Are there any possible outliers based on the MAD? 1 standard deviation? Show your solution.

3. Describe the skewness and kurtosis of the data in Part B? Are the data precise?

4. Give (5) possible sources of error and indicate the type of error for each.

5. Choose (3) sources of error in number 4 and write down (1) solution to address each error.