Stability, Bias and Linearity define the ___________ of a Measurement System.

In Measurement System Analysis (MSA), accuracy describes how close the average of a set of measurements is to the actual or "true" value of the characteristic being measured. Accuracy is not a single metric but is characterized by three distinct components:
1. Bias: The systematic difference between the observed average measurement and the true value.
2. Linearity: The consistency of the bias across the full operating range of the measurement instrument.
3. Stability: The consistency of the bias over time, indicating a lack of drift in the measurement system. Together, these three components provide a comprehensive assessment of a measurement system's accuracy.

A. Sensitivity: This refers to the smallest input change that the measurement system can reliably detect; it is a measure of the instrument's resolution.
B. Repeatability: This is a component of precision, not accuracy. It quantifies the variation observed when the same operator measures the same part multiple times.
D. Precision: This describes the closeness of agreement among a series of measurements (i.e., their spread or variation), which is defined by repeatability and reproducibility.

1. Montgomery, D. C. (2020). Introduction to Statistical Quality Control (9th ed.). Wiley. In Chapter 10, Section 10-2, "The Components of Measurement Error," accuracy is defined as the difference between the observed average measurement and the true value, with its components being bias, linearity, and stability.

2. Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG). (2010). Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) Reference Manual (4th ed.). In Chapter I, Section B, p. 7, the manual states, "The accuracy of a measurement system is the closeness of the measurements to the true value... Accuracy is composed of three components: bias, linearity, and stability."

3. Purdue University, Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology. (n.d.). MET 45200: Measurement System Analysis. Course materials. The lecture notes on "MSA Definitions" explicitly define accuracy as being determined by bias, linearity, and stability, while precision is determined by repeatability and reproducibility.