STEMgage
  • Introduction
  • Lessons
    • Measures of Center
    • Boxplots
    • Finding Outliers Using IQR
    • Dot Plots
    • Histograms
    • Shapes of Distributions
    • Accuracy/Precision
    • Scatterplots
    • Normal Distribution
    • SD Outliers
    • Z-Score
  • Resources
    • Resources: Measures of Center
    • Resources: Boxplots
    • Resources: Finding Outliers Using IQR
    • Dot Plots Resources
    • Histograms Resources
    • Shapes of Distributions Resources
    • Accuracy & Precision Resources
    • Scatterplots Resources
    • Normal Distribution Resources
    • SD Outliers Resources
    • Z-Score Resources
  • Introduction
  • Lessons
    • Measures of Center
    • Boxplots
    • Finding Outliers Using IQR
    • Dot Plots
    • Histograms
    • Shapes of Distributions
    • Accuracy/Precision
    • Scatterplots
    • Normal Distribution
    • SD Outliers
    • Z-Score
  • Resources
    • Resources: Measures of Center
    • Resources: Boxplots
    • Resources: Finding Outliers Using IQR
    • Dot Plots Resources
    • Histograms Resources
    • Shapes of Distributions Resources
    • Accuracy & Precision Resources
    • Scatterplots Resources
    • Normal Distribution Resources
    • SD Outliers Resources
    • Z-Score Resources
STEMgage

​Accuracy and Precision

The Mars Rover Curiosity

On August 5, 2012, the Curiosity rover landed on Mars. Curiosity is a 6-wheeled all-terrain vehicle with an assortment of research instruments designed to explore habitable environments on the Red Planet. Click below to read more about Curiosity's highly engineered landing on Mars.
Curiosity lands on Mars!

✔ Reflection 1 

What interests you the most about space travel?

Landing on Mars

Scientists chose the Gale Crater as the landing and exploration site for Curiosity. Nearly a decade of planning and calculation went into Curiosity's touchdown in a plain northwest of Mount Sharp, the large mountain that dominates the middle of Gale Crater. On the day of touchdown, Mars' atmosphere delivered perfect weather to minimize landing issues. A storm just east of the landing site fortunately did not interfere with Curiosity's touchdown.

Accuracy vs Precision

✔ Notes 1

Accuracy is how close a measured value is to the actual value.
Precision is how close measured values are to each other.
Picture

Help a Robot Out!

Curiosity is approaching Mars, and its scanners pick up the storm to the east of the landing site. Curiosity's computers must redo some calculations, but a couple of errors occur. Match the following scenarios to the images of the Gale Crater landing site and label each recalculation as accurate and/or precise.

✔ ​Analysis 1

For the first recalculation, Curiosity's wind gauge is malfunctioning, resulting in very different draft estimations. The computer predicts a variety of touchdowns, all somewhat close to the landing site but not very close to each other.

✔ ​Analysis 2

For the second recalculation, Curiosity input the wrong coordinates for the landing site, resulting in several predicted touchdowns very close to one another but south of the landing site.

✔ ​Analysis 3

For the third recalculation, Curiosity adjusts the wind gauge and inputs the right coordinates. This results in the predicted touchdowns all falling within the landing site.

Accurate and Precise:

Picture

Precise:

Picture

Accurate:

Picture

✔ Discussion 1

​What are two scenarios in which accuracy is important? What are two scenarios in which precision is important?

✔ Reflection 1

​Are you accurate and/or precise in your own mathematical practices?

​Curiosity on Twitter

Curiosity's Twitter Account
@MarsCuriosity: TFW your friend comes over and you're out of town. @starwars' #BB8 learns about @NASA's #JourneyToMars at @NASAJPL

Introduction

About

Lessons

Resources

Contact

Created by Emily Coats for Sierra Nevada College