Step into the shoes of an explorer mapping out unknown lands, just like the great explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries – think of Vasco da Gama or Christopher Columbus. Every step they took needed careful measurement; too short or too long, and their maps could lead ships astray.

In science, we use two important ideas when measuring: accuracy and precision. Accuracy tells us how close a measurement is to the true value, while precision shows how close repeated measurements are to each other.

In this activity, you’ll test three different scales – one without markings, one perfectly marked, and one incorrectly marked – to see which ones help you be accurate and precise, just like a skilled explorer navigating the seas.