Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
- Paper and pencil, or
- Calculator
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Step 1
The formula for calculating percent error is: estimated value - actual value / actual value * 100%.
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Step 2
Subtract the actual value, the correct value, from the value that is your estimated value. The result may be a negative value, however leave it as a negative. The result is known as the absolute error.
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Step 3
Divide the absolute error, which you calculated from the previous step by the actual value. The result should be a number that is less than 1, such as: 0.11 or 0.95. The resulting value is known as the relative error.
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Step 4
To find the value of percent error, multiply the relative error from the previous step by 100%. Don't forget to include a percent sign after the numerical portion of the answer.
