What can be concluded about Mike's scale when it shows 164 lbs while his actual weight is 165 lbs?

In assessing the accuracy and precision of Mike's scale, it's essential to differentiate between these two concepts. Accuracy refers to how close a measured value is to the actual value, while precision indicates the consistency of repeated measurements.

In this scenario, Mike’s scale shows 164 lbs, but his actual weight is 165 lbs. This means the reading is off by 1 lb. Since a measurement needs to be extremely close to the actual value to be considered accurate, the scale is not providing an accurate reading of Mike’s weight.

Additionally, precision would imply that if Mike weighed himself multiple times, the scale should consistently show the same number, even if that number is not the actual weight. However, the scale’s deviation from the true value indicates that the measurement is not consistently representing Mike's true weight at all.

Therefore, the conclusion is that the scale is neither accurate (because the measured weight does not match the true weight closely) nor precise (the potential for variability is implied if multiple weights are suggested). Hence, it is accurate to state that the scale is neither precise nor accurate.