A student measures the length of a lab bench three times: 1.847 m, 1.848 m, and 1.849 m. The true length of the bench is 1.62 m. Which best describes these measurements?
AAccurate and precise
BAccurate but not precise
CPrecise but not accurate
DNeither accurate nor precise
Explanation
📌 The three measurements are very close to each other (spread of just 0.002 m) — that is high <strong>precision</strong>. But they are all about 0.23 m greater than the true value — that is poor <strong>accuracy</strong>. The instrument may have a systematic error (miscalibration). Distractor A treats close-to-each-other as also close-to-truth; B reverses the definitions; D ignores the precision entirely.