Repeated measurements show how much readings vary. A tight group can be very repeatable yet still miss a known reference. Compare both the spread and the group’s position relative to that reference. More readings do not automatically remove a consistent error. Repeatability concerns the variation between measurements under stated conditions. A mean can reduce the influence of some random variation, but a systematic offset can remain. The invented datasets compare narrow spread, wide spread and a shifted group. A reference line helps separate agreement among readings from agreement with an accepted value.
Engineering and scientific investigation · Discover & try
What can repeated readings reveal?
Reading level 3 of 5 · IndependentChange
Word help
Mean
The sum of readings divided by their number.
Spread
How far apart the readings lie.
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See how it works
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Invented readings with a displayed mean, range and optional reference. These summaries reveal different features of a measurement process.
What to look for
- The readings cluster around the known50 mm reference.
- They agree with one another but cluster around55 mm, away from the reference.
- Repeated readings expose variation that a single reading hides.
Explain what you noticed
A different virtual balance repeats readings that are all 3 g above a reference. What should be investigated?
Keep this idea: Agreement between repeated readings is different from agreement with a reference.
Follow the sources
- NIST/SEMATECH Engineering Statistics Handbook — Variability
- NIST/SEMATECH Engineering Statistics Handbook — Data Collection
Source material checked 2026-10-29. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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