Measurements precise but not accurate — what should I do?

Check for systematic errors, recalibrate instruments, and verify procedures or standards.

If measurements are precise but not accurate, that means your results are tightly grouped but consistently off from the true value, so you should look for a bias in your method. Think of shooting arrows that all land close together but away from the bullseye; something in your aim or equipment is misaligned. Systematic errors come from things like a scale that reads too high, a thermometer that is miscalibrated, or a step in your procedure that is applied the same wrong way every time. Recalibrating instruments with a known standard, checking for environmental influences like temperature or zero offsets, and reviewing each step against a trusted protocol can find and fix the problem.

Students often assume random mistakes cause the offset, but when results are precise that is unlikely; checking calibration and method is more effective than repeating the same flawed procedure. Another common mistake is trusting an instrument without confirming it against a known standard, so always verify with a certified reference or a simple known sample. A short fix is to run a standard, adjust the instrument reading to match the known value, and document the correction so future measurements are accurate.

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Fixing Precise but Not Accurate Measurements

1. Look for bias in your method
2. Recalibrate instruments with standards
3. Check environmental influences like temperature
4. Review steps against trusted protocol

Common Measurement Mistakes and Fixes

1. Assuming random errors cause bias
2. Trusting instruments without verification
3. Repeating flawed procedures without review

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