The reproducibility of a method when repeated on a homogenous sample under controlled conditions is referred to as what?

The term that describes the reproducibility of a method when repeated on a homogenous sample under controlled conditions is precision. Precision refers to the degree to which repeated measurements under unchanged conditions show the same results. It focuses on the consistency of measurements, meaning that if the same test is performed multiple times on the same sample, precision indicates how closely the results will cluster together.

In the context of laboratory analysis, high precision is vital because it ensures that the method provides reliable data over repeated tests, which is essential for making sound conclusions about the wastewater sample being analyzed. Techniques and instruments that yield similar results each time they are used, under the same conditions, exhibit high precision.

Other terms like accuracy, bias, and validity contribute to understanding measurement quality but do not directly pertain to reproducibility in the same way that precision does. Accuracy refers to how close a measured value is to the true value, bias indicates systematic errors in measurements, and validity encompasses how well a method measures the intended parameter. Thus, the focus of this question on reproducibility points clearly to precision as the correct term.