How can you decide whether a measurement is inaccurate and should be discarded?

Answer 1

You can not just throw away data. All measurements will be subject to variation and using statistical techniques one should be able to place an error bar over measurements when plotting the data.

Answer 2

You can't make that decision for one individual measurement. You have to measure the same

thing several times, look for the number that most of the results are grouped around, and

discard the ones that are way outside the group. The art of deciding which ones are inside

the group and which ones are outside is an important topic in the study of any science.

Answer 3

If a measurement is inconsistent with other measurements or falls outside an acceptable range of values based on prior knowledge or specifications, it may be considered inaccurate and should be discarded. Additionally, if there are known issues with the measurement equipment or procedure used, the measurement should be reviewed and potentially discarded. Calibration checks and replicating the measurement can help to determine if a measurement is inaccurate.